Top runners in for Delhi marathon
Afshan Fatima played the round of the season with a three- under 69 on the second day of the fifth leg of the Hero Women’s Pro Golf Tour at the Jaypee Greens near here. The 21year- old could have been two shots better but for a late double bogey.
The card made up for her 75 on the first day and she climbed to tied second, one behind Neha Tripathi ( 72).
Afshan, who has not finished in the top five in her three starts this season, is now even par 144 alongside Saaniya Sharma ( 70), while Neha is on one- under 143.
Amateur Tanirika Singh underlined her potential with a 72 that put her in sole fourth place at one- over 145, while overnight co- leader Gursimar Badwal slipped to fifth after an error- laden front nine which she played in sixover 42.
Tvesa Malik ( 72) Anisha Padukone were T6 at 3- over while Sonam Chugh who held a share of and ( 74) 147, ( 79) the first round lead, eighth place.
Siddhi Kapoor ( 74) and Ayesha Kapur ( 77) rounded off the top ten.
The Jaipur- based Afshan, in her fourth season as pro, is still looking for her first win. On Thursday, she opened confidently with a string of pars before her first birdie on fifth. She then dropped a shot which was neutralised by a birdie as she turned in one- under 35.
It was on the back nine that Afshan was in full flow. After an early bogey, she birdied twice in succession then eagled a par5. Another birdie gave her an impressive fiveunder in four and she seemed set for the sole lead but a double took away some of the sheen.
Neha had three birdies against three bogeys in her even par 72, while Saaniya had four birdies, three of them on the front nine, and two bogeys in her 70 that was wrapped up with a birdie on 18th.
Amateur Tanirika had her own birdie streak from ninth to 11th with three in a row in her 72. fell to New Delhi: The 3rd IDBI Federal Life Insurance New Delhi Marathon will feature some of India’s top distance runners, 65 of whom will line up at the Nehru Stadium on Sunday.
Leading the pack in the men’s field will be defending champion Gopi T. M., who clocked 2: 15: 37 in 2017, and fellow Rio Olympian Nitendra Singh Rawat who has a best time of 2: 15: 18.
Also in contention this year is the experienced Kheta Ram, who faces tough competition from Gopi and Rawat who recently had a one- two podium finish in Mumbai last month.
Among the women, defending champion Monica Athare from Nashik will be in the fray with 2017 runner- up Jyoti Gawate. Monica ran at the 2017 world championships, while Jyoti qualified as runner- up in Mumbai last month.
In the half marathon men’s category, Govind Singh will be eyeing a win ahead of Thirta Pun while in the women’s section, Kiran and Varsha Devi are favoured.