44th Queen Sirikit Cup: Indian trio ninth in the team competition

The Indian trio of Zara Anand, Vidhatri Urs and Heena Kang endured a tough day as it dropped three places to be ninth in the team competition at the 44th Queen Sirikit Cup golf tournament in Christchurch on Thursday.

First round co-leader in the individual event, Zara (73-77) fell to 11th while Vidhatri (79-77) dropped from T-20 to T-26.

Heena Kang (85-76), on the other hand, climbed to 30th as against T-32 a day earlier as she shot the best score among the Indians on the second day.

Heading into the third round in the 12-nation championship, Australia’s Sarah Hammett with a 5-under 67 moved into top spot and a total of 141 total. She is five in front of second-placed Kim Shi-hyun.While Korea’s Lee Hyo-song, Kiwi Eunseo Choi and Chinese Taipei’s Hsieh Ping-hua are in a three-way tie for third place.

Among teams, Australia leads by three over Korea with Japan one further behind. Chinese Taipei are fourth and hosts New Zealand share fifth spot with Thailand on 297 followed by Indonesia (301), Singapore (304), Hong Kong and India (both 305), the Philippines 322 and Malaysia 326.

Zara failed to pick any birdies but hung in tenaciously on the challenging Clearwater Golf Club with just one birdie in the first 13 holes. She then dropped four bogeys in the last five holes and finished with 77.

Vidhatri had an action-packed round with three birdies, six bogeys and a double bogey. She managed just three pars on the front nine and another five on the return journey in her round of 77.

Heena had one birdie on the fifth, but after that she had three bogeys and a double for 76.