Ishnidh Virdi cards 69, leads Southern India Amateur Golf Championships

Local golfer Ishnidh Singh Virdi carded a three-under 69 to take a two-shot lead at eight-under 136 after 36 holes of the IGU Rotary Southern India Bio-Gen Sansera Amateur Golf Championships in Bengaluru. Anas Khan and Harjai Milkha Singh share second place

Hyderabad: Local lad Ishnidh Singh Virdi overcame a mid-round wobble on the front nine to card a solid three-under 69 on the second day of the IGU Rotary Southern India Bio-Gen Sansera Amateur Golf Championships at the KGA course in Bengaluru on Wednesday.

The 17-year-old took his two-day tally to eight-under 136 for a two-shot lead over Anas Khan (69) and Harjai Milkha Singh (70). Tanish R Gowda, another KGA youngster, shot a gritty one-under 71 to occupy fourth place at three-under 141.

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Virdi appeared to continue from where he had left off the previous day, making a hat-trick of birdies from the second hole. A bad chip on the fifth saw him drop a shot. On the par-3 eighth, he pulled his 9-iron tee shot to the left and ended up with a bogey four.

However, he put the two blemishes behind him and picked up shots on the ninth and 11th holes to stay ahead of the field.

In the Ladies and Junior Girls’ championships being held concurrently, Kolkata’s Anaahat Bindra shot a two-under 70 to take a one-shot lead over Ayesha Gupta.

Yogya Bhalla, who competes in Category A (15-17 years) alongside Ayesha, was tied for third with Ojaswini Saraswat, who competes in Category B, and Keya Badugu.

Anaahat, who is playing in only her fourth event of the season, got off to a blazing start. A 10th-tee starter, she picked up a shot on the 11th and strung together a hat-trick of birdies from the 15th hole to make the turn at four-under. She holed several long putts, including a monstrous 60-footer on the 17th.

After another birdie on the second hole, the 18-year-old missed a seven-foot par putt to drop a shot on the third. She then made a double-bogey five on the fourth to settle for a 70.

Leading scores:

Amateurs (after 36 holes)

136: Ishnidh Singh Virdi (67, 69)
138: Anas Khan (69, 69), Harjai Milkha Singh (68, 70)
141: Tanish R Gowda (70, 71)
142: Krish Chawla (69, 73)
143: Naveen Rathi (73, 70), Ranveer Mitroo (72, 71)
144: Prem Muniyappa (73, 71), Prince Bainsla (71, 73)

Ladies, Category A & B combined (after 18 holes)

70: Anaahat Bindra
71: Ayesha Gupta
73: Yogya Bhalla, Ojaswini Saraswat, Keya Badugu
75: Anoushka Suresh Kannan, Priya Kumari, Ahaana Tiwari