Alicante (Spain), Sept 20: Pranavi Urs and Hitaashee Bakshi were the only Indians to make the halfway cut at the La Sella Open in Spain, while Canadian teenager Anna Huang fired a bogey-free six-under 66 to move three shots clear at the top.
Hitaashee added one-over 73 to her first round 72 and was now one-over for 36 holes and lying Tied-36th, while Pranavi (73-73) was Tied-47th.
Ridhima Dilawari (75-72) missed the cut by one shot, while India’s other challengers this week, Avani Prashanth (78-70), Diksha Dagar (73-75), Vani Kapoor (78-71) and Tvesa Malik (71-78) were further down and also missed the cut, which fell at two-over.
Pranavi had three birdies, two bogeys and a double, while Hitaashee had two birdies, one bogey and a double bogey.
The two Indians will play their home event, the Hero Women’s Indian Open in less than three weeks, so a good show will be important for them.
France’s Nastasia Nadaud sits in solo second place on 11-under-par after a round of 67 (-5) on day two at La Sella.
Singapore’s Shannon Tan is in outright third place on seven-under-par after a round of 68 (-4) which included one dropped shot and five birdies.
Spain’s Nuria Iturrioz and Australia’s Kirsten Rudgeley share fourth place at the midway mark on six-under-par.
Iturrioz, who won the inaugural La Sella Open in 2023, fired a round of 66 (-6) which included a run of five birdies in a row.
Australia’s Rudgeley went bogey-free on day two making birdies on the third, fourth, seventh, eighth and 11th holes to be T4.
Four players are in a share of sixth place with Italy’s Alessandra Fanali, Slovenia’s Pia Babnik, Australia’s Maddison Hinson-Tolchard and Wales’ Lydia Hall all on five-under-par.
One shot further back are the quartet of Ireland’s Lauren Walsh, Italy’s Alessia Nobilio, Sweden’s Kajsa Arwefjäll and England’s Amy Taylor in T10.
The cut fell at +2 with 61 players making it through to the weekend action at La Sella Golf Resort. (PTI)
