Melbourne, Jan 18 (PTI) India’s Avani Prashanth recovered from two double bogeys on the front nine with five birdies on the back nine before closing with a bogey in the third round of the Australian Amateur Championships here on Thursday.

Avani carded a second straight 2-over 75 at the Par-73 courses. Avani, ranked 50th in the world and the top ranked star from the Indian Golf Union, shot 72-75 on the first two days and is now 3-over 222 and in tied seventh place.

The leader in the women’s section is Amelia Harris, who had two eagles in her round of 5-under 68 and she is 9-under for three rounds. She is way ahead of second placed Mamika Shinchi of Japan who carded 71 in the third round and has a total of 3-under.

Only four players are under par after three rounds at the challenging course, where the conditions became tougher after rain on the second day.

The other Indian in the women’s section, Heena Kang, missed the cut on the weather-hit second day. She shot 80-80.

In the men’s section the lone Indian to make the cut was Varun Muthappa (74-73-77) who was 12-over and T-74, while Sandeep Yadav and Rohit Narwal missed the cut.

Avani opened with three pars and then ran into a disastrous stretch with a bogey and two double bogeys in a span of four holes between the fourth and the sixth.

She fought back on the second nine at Yarra Yarra Golf Club with birdies on the 10th, 12th, 14th, 16th and 17th with just one bogey till then on 11th.

Avani, who was runner-up last week at the Australian Masters of Amateurs, will be looking to a lower round and move up ahead of next month’s Women’s Amateur Asia Pacific (WAAP) in Thailand.

Source: PTI News