Heena takes sole lead in WPGT

Bengaluru, Aug 21 (PTI) Rookie Heena Kang dropped a crucial double bogey right at the end of the round but still managed to keep her nose ahead by one stroke in the 11th leg of the Hero Women's Pro Golf Tour here on Thursday.

Heena shot a second straight round of even par 72 and was one shot clear of Jasmine Shekar (75-70).

Amateur Lavanya Gupta added a second-round score of 72 after a 74 in the first round and was third, while three players -- Agrima Manral (78-70), Ananya Datar (75-73) and amateur Mannat Brar (72-76) -- are all at 4-over 148.

Heena, who had a share of the first-round lead with 72, birdied the third but gave up that shot on the Par-4 seventh and turned in even par. Back-to-back birdies on the 11th and 12th took her to 2-under, followed by a bogey-birdie on the 15th and the 16th to stay at 2-under.

A closing double set her back to even par, but she was still in the lead.

Jasmine had four birdies against two bogeys to shoot the day's equal best of 2-under 70.

There were two other cards of 70 from Agrima Manral and Ridhima Dilawari, who improved from 82 in the first round to 70 in the second.

First round co-leader Mannat shot 76 with two birdies and six bogeys and dropped to tied fourth.

There are three amateurs in the top -seven, indicating a growth of strong young and upcoming stars, as yet another amateur Riya Jadon (74-75) was sole seventh at 149.

Four players, Neha Tripathi (78-72), Astha Madan (76-74), Durga Nittur (76-74) and Ananya Garg (76-74), are tied eighth at six-over 150. PTI Cor AH AH