Gurugram, March 12 Amateur Lavanya Gupta overtook the overnight leader, Jasmine Shekar, to take the lead after two rounds in the fifth leg of the Hero Women's Pro Golf Tour here on Thursday.
Lavanya, who was trailing Shekar by one shot after the first day, carded an even-par 72, while Shekar shot a 2-over 74 and fell behind by one.
Both players made crucial mistakes towards the end of the round. While Lavanya bogeyed the 14th and 17th holes, Shekar double-bogeyed the 15th.
Overall, Lavanya had three birdies and three bogeys, while Shekar had three birdies, three bogeys, and a double bogey. Lavanya now stands at 1-under 143, while Shekar has a total of 144.
Durga Nittur shot the day's best round of 2-under 70 with five birdies against three bogeys, jumping to third place with a total of 1-over 145.
Young stars Saanvi Somu (75-73) and Mannat Brar (72-76) were tied for fourth place, while Amandeep Drall (75-74) was alone in sixth.
Amateur Mahreen Bhatia improved her score by six shots, carding a 72 after a 78, and was tied for seventh with amateur Aradhana Manikandan (78-72) and former Hero Order of Merit winner, Sneha Singh (76-74).
Khushi Khanijau (75-77) and Vidhatri Urs (74-78) rounded out the top-10 at 8-over 152.
Several of the top players struggled on the challenging DLF Golf and Country Club course, as Neha Tripathi (77-78) and Tvesa Malik (78-77) were tied for 14th, and Ridhima Dilawari (78-82) was 24th.
The field this week includes a record 57 players vying for the Rs. 18 lakh prize purse. The cut after 36 holes was at 168, and 41 players will play the third and final round.
Lavanya, Shekar, and Nittur, who are all separated by just one shot, will be in the lead group as they compete on a course that demands precision and skill.