Rookie Pune golfer Shweta Galande rode on six birdies on the back nine to produce another card of 66, and lead the penultimate round of the 9th leg of the Hero Women’s Professional Golf Tour event in Bengaluru on Wednesday. After 36 holes, Shweta (66,66) had a total of 132, six strokes ahead of local amateur Aditi Ashok who shot a par-70 at the Clover Greens golf course. Overnight leader Smriti Mehra (64, 75) failed to firm up her lead as she slipped to tied third with local golfer Sharmila Nicollet (70, 69) at 139. Delhi’s Vani Kapoor, with 140 (73, 67), was fifth ahead of Saaniya Sharma from Chandigarh, who aggregated 142 (75, 67) after two days. Overnight second Shweta, who found the rhythm on the back nine, missed a shot on the 6th hole before she picked up birdies on the 9th and 10th. She had another on the 12th, but fell short on the 13th hole. She, however, recovered on the 15th with a birdie, before finishing her round in style with two consecutive birdies. Smriti had a disastrous round with one double bogey on the second hole followed by four bogeys on the 3rd, 6th, 10th and 15th holes. Her only respite was a lone birdie on the 12th hole. Sharmila, who is back in action after nursing an ankle injury, played a consistent round with birdies on the 2nd, 11th and 12th holes against two bogeys on the 4th and 18th holes.
