In the spotlight at the US$ 400,000 Hero Women’s Indian Open, Vani Kapoor briefly held the lead on Day 2, thrilling family, friends, and fans. Adding a 70 to her first-round 68, she showcased her skills in front of a local crowd at the DLF Golf and Country Club. However, in the evening, rookie Aline Krauter from Germany made a strong push to take the lead, aiming to bring the trophy back to Germany for the second consecutive year, following Olivia Cowan's victory in the previous edition.

 

 

Diksha Dagar, vying for the top spot in the Race to Costa Del Sol standings, managed an even par 72 with three birdies and three bogeys, maintaining her position at 5-under. She shared third place with Swede Sara Kjellker, who had an impressive round of 66.

 

 

Diksha Dagar

 

 

Local fans had more to celebrate as another DLF golfer, Gaurika Bishnoi, carded a 69, placing her tied for seventh with amateur Avani Prashanth at 3-under. Notably, four Indian players secured positions in the Top 7 of the leaderboard, with six others making the cut at 6-over.

 

 

Amateur Vidhatri Urs, who was 2-under through her first nine holes, faced a challenging second nine with four bogeys, dropping her to even par for the tournament and tied for 14th place, a significant drop from her Tied-sixth position overnight. Ridhima Dilawari was T-20, Khushi Khanijau was T-29, and Neha Tripathi was T-35.

 

 

Nishtha Madan, who struggled with a seven-over 79 on the first day, made a remarkable recovery with a second-day score of 70, securing her a place in the weekend action at T-51 at 5-over. Amandeep Drall, the runner-up from the previous year, narrowly made the cut line, aided by a late birdie on her final hole despite a challenging second nine with a triple bogey and a double bogey.

 

 

Vani Kapoor

 

 

Vani Kapoor, who had six birdies against four bogeys, expressed her delight in playing on her home course with the support of family, friends, and DLF members. She recognized the ups and downs in her round but expressed her love for the sport, focusing on the immediate goal rather than her LET card.

 

 

Germany's Aline Krauter, leading after Round 2, praised her strong ball striking and acknowledged missed opportunities around the greens. She felt it was a great round despite the missed birdie chances.

 

 

Aline Krauter

 

 

Diksha Dagar, tied for third, admitted to a challenging start but noted that her putting and the pin positions presented difficulties compared to the previous day.

 

 

Amateur Avani, who had a promising round of 2-under 70, looked forward to the weekend, giving credit to her caddy for keeping her focused and optimistic.

 

Gaurika Bishnoi, a long-time player at the course, expressed her sentimental attachment to the Hero Women's Indian Open and her love for the course, considering it a special week for her.