Golf: Diksha and Pranavi make the cut in rain-hit Joburg Ladies Open

Johannesburg (South Africa), April 5 (IANS) Pranavi Urs faltered in the second round at the weather-hit Joburg Ladies Open but made the 36-hole cut alongside Diksha Dagar, who turned in an even par round in the second round. Diksha (71-73) and Pranavi (70-77) at the Par-73 Modderfontein Golf Club saw them positioned at T-22 and T-56th, respectively.

Things did not turn out too well for the other two Indians, Avani Prashanth (77-74) and Tvesa Malik (77-79) and they missed the cut.

After the suspension of Round Two, as it happened a day earlier, the Joburg Ladies Open resumed at a later start time of 10 am (local time). It was a wet week after heavy rainfall, and a flooded course caused the tournament to be reduced to 54 holes.

England’s Mimi Rhodes leads the way, having completed the second round over two days. The rookie started the day five holes in, with Saturday seeing a bogey-free day, with a further four birdies rolling in, taking her Round Two score to 12-under par.

For Pranavi, it has been a strange week. When play was first suspended on the first day, she was 5-under through 13 holes, but when play resumed the following day, she added a birdie to go 6-under. Then there was a reversal of fortunes as she had three bogeys in a row and ended with a round of 70.

In the second round, she had four birdies, five birdies, and a triple bogey in an action-packed up-and-down round. She carded 77 but made the cut on the line.

Diksha had a bogey-free first round with two birdies and no bogeys. In the second round, she had one birdie and two bogeys on the front nine and then eight straight pars before closing the round with a birdie on the 18th for an even-par round. She was T-22.

If Mimi Rhodes wins, this will make back-to-back wins for the 23-year-old, having won her maiden LET win at the Ford Women’s NSW Open in Australia two weeks ago. This would make it a dream start to the season for the rookie. Only one shot back is South Africa’s Cassandra Alexander at nine under par, and she sits on T2 alongside Ireland’s Lauren Walsh.

Sitting two shots back is rookie Kajsa Arwefjall, who also had a great front nine, with five birdies, carding seven-under par. After 36 holes of action following a week of uncertainty in Joburg, 64 players made the cut, which fell at one-over-par.

--IANS

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