A pair of Ladies European Tour (LET) winners share the lead at the halfway stage of the Hero Women’s Indian Open with Shannon Tan and Alice Hewson locked on two-under par.
On another immensely difficult day at DLF Golf & Country Club – one where overnight leader Sara Kouskova posted a round of 77 (+5) – Tan matched her score from yesterday carding four birdies and three bogeys for a 71 (-1) in Delhi.
The Singaporean said: “I had the same game plan today as yesterday. I focused on hitting fairways and greens – knowing which part of the green would be the safest option. I was disciplined and stuck to my plan. Even on the par-5 18th I layed up even though I could reach the green in two. You have to be disciplined around here.”
One group later Hewson would tie the clubhouse lead despite carding a double-bogey on her 17th hole – the par-5 8th where she found water off the tee.
Prior to that hiccup Hewson had an excellent day in tough conditions carding five birdies at the 10th, 15th, 16th, 3rd and 6th. Her only other dropped shot came at the par-4 1st giving the Englishwoman a round of 70 (-2).
“I managed to hit quite a few irons shots close today,” the two-time LET winner said. “I’ve been driving it well pretty much the whole two days apart from one today [on the 8th] which cost me a double. Other than that I’ve kept it in play pretty consistently and been able to get some irons close. When you hit them close you have to take advantage.
“I like it here in India. I came here a couple of years ago [finishing T12]. I didn’t come here last year because it didn’t quite fit my schedule. But I’m happy to be back. It’s a much fiddlier course than what we usually play which I think probably plays to my strengths. I don’t particularly hit it too far but I’m usually accurate. I’m just trying to play to my strengths. So far it’s paying off.”
Both Tan and Hewson are chasing their second victory of the season this week after the former won the season opening Magical Kenya Ladies Open and latter the VP Bank Swiss Ladies Open in June.
Speaking about her recent form, Tan said: “I think since August I have started to treat every event like a normal tournament. Having expectations, but not over expecting too much. Also knowing that it’s alright to have a bad patch. One bad tournament isn’t the end of the world. Even the best players out there have bad rounds. It’s completely human. It’s been one step back, two steps forward.”
In a tie for third on level par sit Australia’s Kirsten Rudgeley, France’s Perrine Delacour and the English duo of Florentyna Parker and Hayley Davis.
Parker hit the ground running on Friday morning carding four birdies to lead on six-under par momentarily. Unfortunately some difficulties around the tricky DLF greens saw the three-time LET winner drop six shots coming in.
Delacour meanwhile hit one of the shots of the day holing out for birdie from the bunker at the 15th. The Olympian would eventually close with a round of 74 (+2).
Four players share seventh on one-over par – a group which includes India’s Pranavi Urs who remains her country’s best placed competitor.
The 21-year-old said: “Yesterday I started slow. I started with three bogeys. But DLF is such a course that you can go five-under and you can also go five-over. So I think you just have to be patient, which I was yesterday, for a two-over. Today I started off pretty good, and I think I was just consistent. And, I’m happy with the one-under.”
After two testing days of action in India the cut fell at +10 with 63 players making it through to the weekend. Round three gets underway on Saturday at 9:00am local time.
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