Chiara Tamburlini takes lead at Women's Indian Open as Pranavi Urs battles illness

Chiara Tamburlini, brand Hero ambassador Pranavi Urs, and Sara Kouskova gathered what came their way at the DLF Golf and Country Club with cupped hands, according to a release.

Chiara was ahead of defending champion Shannon Tan by a shot on Day 1, and there was no change in her top status in the clubhouse. Shooting a 1-under 71 on the back of Thursdays 5-under 67, she finished with a two-shot lead at 6-under.

For several others like overnight leader Shannon (1-over, 68-77; T-15), the golf course bared its fangs and caused them to take several steps backwards.

Since making the leap to the LPGA Tour at the start of this season, Chiara, the 2024 Ladies European Tour (LET) Order of Merit winner, has been chastened.

So used to seeing her name atop leaderboards on the LET across the world, the week in Gurugram has been a respite after months of struggle.

The Swiss does not have a great record at the Hero Womens Indian Open as well, and to see her name atop the leaderboard for the second day running was the motivation to keep going even when the golf course threatened to overpower her.

The bogey on the 8th could have been an instance, as it not only cancelled out the birdie on her opening hole, the 10th of the course, and the toil of making 15 pars on the trot was under threat as well.

Its always fun to see your name up there. Its motivating, and makes it easier to accept a bad shot because you know youre up there and have the game to bounce back, said Chiara.

So it was, as she came up with an apt reply to finish the round with birdie and an under-par card.

Illness triggers determination:As one of the two best Indians at T-5, Avani Prasanth (70-76) had a bad day at work on Friday and slipped to T-18, but Pranavi used the momentum to power a feeble body.

A stomach bug has challenged her since the start of the week, and it was up to her to surge or succumb.

We need to read between the lines when Pranavi said, My stomach hasnt been the best this week; Im trying to keep it together.

The omen wasnt good as she opened with a bogey, and it was here that the mind went back to the final day at the Asian Games when she made triple-bogey early on.

A decision was taken in Japan that frequent glances at the leaderboard doesnt always help, and what ensued was a display of grit combining with blinkers-on golf.

One bad hole doesnt mean you cant come back. You have to be patient. Thats what I did and just took it shot by shot, said Pranavi.

Making par from then on, Pranavi got the impetus she needed with the birdie at the start of her back-nine. It led to a domino effect as she converted two more birdie putts.

Meanwhile, it was another day of fluctuating fortunes for the other Hero brand ambassadors. Tvesa Malik finished T-12 at level-par (71,73) while two-time LET winner Diksha Dagar is set to miss the cut after shooting an 80 on the back of Thursdays 77.

Soaring with an eagle:Overnight in a tie for 22nd, Vani Kapoor owed her rise to T-7 courtesy the eagle on her front nine.

For the second day running, Vani started poorly but benefitted from the rub of the green on the 14th when the ball rolled into the cup on the 14th.

Her stock on the rise, Vani ensured that a birdie followed that eagle, giving her the momentum to keep going.

The power of par:The DLF Golf and Country Club epitomises modern-day golf architecture, but the results here can be a throwback to the days when a prolonged level-par run was worth its weight in gold.

The leader changed, but Sara Kouskova (4th; 69-72) remained three shots off the summit with an example of keeping one's head down, and replying to what the golf course threw at her.

She fumbled thrice, but negated the three bogeys with birdies, the player from the Czech Republic ushered in sanity with a run of seven consecutive pars towards the end.

Landmark day:Ojaswini Saraswat, an upcoming junior amateur golfer from Jaipur, made history by becoming the youngest Indian ever to make cut at the Hero Womens Indian Open.

At 13 years, Ojaswini surpassed Aditi Ashoks feat in the 2012 HWIO at 14 years.

She is also the second-youngest ever to make the cut at LET after Ariya Jutanugarn of Thailand, who was 12 when she played the 2008 Finnair Masters.

Displaying maturity beyond her years on a golf course that is arguably the toughest on the LET roster, Ojaswini recovered from a 79 to make the cut comfortably with a superb 3-under 69.

Meanwhile, the cut is projected at 9-over, and currently 10 Indians, including two amateurs, are expected to play the weekend rounds.

As per the provisional draw, Round 3 is expected to commence at 9:00 am on Saturday.

Hero MotoCorps Pink Ribbon initiative:As October marks Breast Cancer Awareness Month, all professionals participating in the Hero Womens Indian Open donned pink ribbons today to champion womens health.

This special initiative by Hero MotoCorp aimed to raise awareness about early detection, encourage timely care and spark conversations that can make a life-saving difference in India and around the world.

Top scores:

1: Chiara Tamburlini (SUI): 67-71(-6)2: Pranavi Urs (IND): 70-70; Magdalena Simmermacher (ARG): 68-72 (-4)4: Sara Kouskova (CZE): 69-72; Camille Chevalier (FRA): 71-70 (-3)7: Vani Kapoor (IND): 73-69; Ariane Klotz (FRA): 72-70 (-2)9: Pornanong Phatlum (THA): 72-71; Sara Byrne (IRL): 72-71; Ursula Wikstrom (FIN): 71-72 (-1)12: Tvesa Malik (IND): 71-73; Georgia Iziemgbe Oboh (NGR): 72-72; April Angurasaranee (THA): 71-73 (E). (ANI)