Melbourne, Jan 17 – Teenage Indian sensation Avani Prashanth on Wednesday maintained her momentum to stay inside the top-10 at the halfway stage of the prestigious Australian Amateur Championship.
Avani carded a modest two-over 75 at the Yarra Yarra Golf Club to finish tied 10th after the second round even as another Indian amateur Heena Kang missed the cut after posting a disastrous seven-over 80 at the same venue.
After a couple of pars, Avani sank a birdie on the third hole. However, she dropped shots on the fourth and seventh holes to make the turn at one-over-par. The reigning Queen Sirikit Cup champion made a couple of pars before stumbling on a bogey on the 12th. The Ladies European Tour (LET) Access Series winner then dropped a bogey on the 15th but made amends with a birdie on the next hole.
Play was suspended at Yarra Yarra Golf Club at 09:05 am and at Keysborough Golf Club at 09:29 am due to unplayable greens. Play resumed after more than two hours.
Avani is lying five strokes behind joint leaders Amelia Harris of Australia and Japan’s Aina Fujimoto. While Amelia posted a one-under 72 at Keysborough Golf Club with the help of three birdies and two bogeys, Aina soared on an eagle ninth and three birdies for matching totals of four-under 142 at the Yarra Yarra layout.
Among Indian boys, Varun Muthappa was the only one to make the cut after submitting a card of one-over 73 for an overall tally of five-over 147 at the Keysborough course.
Varun began with a brilliant eagle on the first hole and back-to-back birdies on the fourth and fifth holes. However, a bogey on the 15th and double bogeys on the sixth and 16th holes pushed him back. Sandeep Yadav (seven-over 149) and Rohit Narwal (11-over 153) missed the weekend rounds.
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