How Did Avani Prashanth Become the Top Indian at the Saudi Ladies International?
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Key Takeaways
Riyadh, Feb 13 (NationPress) With an impressive round of 4-under 68, Avani Prashanth has ascended to Tied-22nd position, just one day remaining in the PIF Saudi Ladies International Championship at Riyadh Golf Club. As the highest-ranked Indian among the three who made the halfway cut, Avani (69-71-68) recorded five birdies against a single bogey, positioning herself for potential advancement.
Her fellow Indian competitors, Aditi Ashok (72-69-71), stand at T-54, while Pranavi Urs (73-69-71) is at T-57.
Unfortunately, the other Indian participants, Diksha Dagar and Hitaashee Bakshi, did not make the cut.
The first-round leader, Hye-Jinn Choi from Korea, reclaimed her top spot with a remarkable round of 65, now sitting at 15-under in a tie with Japan’s Rio Takeda (69-66-66). South African Cassandra Alexander (67-67-68) holds third place, while second-round leader Mimi Rhodes dropped to T-13 after carding an even-par 72, bringing her to 11-under.
Out of five Indian players competing in the event, three successfully made the halfway cut at the Riyadh Golf Club. The standout was the youngest talent, Avani Prashanth, who added a determined 1-under 71 to her first round score of 3-under 69, totaling 4-under.
Aditi Ashok, a five-time winner on the LET, delivered a solid performance with a score of 3-under total to place Tied-43rd, while Pranavi Urs (69) showcased a bogey-free round. After paring her entire back nine, Pranavi's three birdies helped her improve from a first-round score of 73. At 2-under total, she secured her spot for the weekend.
Diksha Dagar narrowly missed the cut by one shot, shooting 2-over 74, resulting in a total of 1-under for the two rounds. Hitaashee Bakshi (74-72) also failed to progress. Diksha had two bogeys and could not convert any putts into birdies.
Avani, starting early from the tenth tee, made a commendable recovery after being 2-over through her initial six holes. Despite dropping shots on the 11th and 15th, she fought back with a birdie on the 18th and added two more on the fifth and seventh holes, boosting her chances for the weekend.
Aditi, who teed off in the first group, began with an early bogey on the second but bounced back with four birdies, completing her round with a 69.