Mizuki Hashimoto; Inset – Nishna Patel. Pic: WAAP
Pattaya, Thailand, Nov 4: Nishna Patel was lone Indian to make the cut as she brought home a 1-under 71 that took her to 1-under for 36 holes at the halfway stage of the Women’s Amateur Asia-Pacific golf at the Siam Country Club. Nishna is now tied for 17th, as the defending champion Mizuki Hashimoto (66) took the lead at 9-under.
Hashimoto was followed by Korea’s Lim Jiyoo (68) at 8-under, while Chinese Taipei’s Huang Ting-Hsuan (69) was third. Three players including one of the three runner-ups from 2021, Kelsey Bennett (72) were tied for fourth.
Avani Prashanth (74-76) had a disappointing out missing the cut after feeling unwell overnight. Two of the other Indian girls, were also not fully fit. Ceerat Kang had a wrist injury and Mannat Brar ran fever last night.
As Nishna alone carries the Indian challenge into the weekend, Avani Prashanth (74-76), Mannat Brar (75-77), Kriti Chowhan (73-84), Sifat Sagoo (77-80) and Ceerat Kang (79-86) missed the cut.
The 16-year-old Mumbai girl, Nishna, who missed the cut last year at the same tournament in Abu Dhabi, followed up her first 72 with a 1-under. She had a good start with a par on the tenth that was followed by birdies on 11th and the 13th as she rose up the leaderboard. Back-to-back bogeys on 14th and 15th on the tricky greens at the Waterside course of the Siam Country Club, pulled her back.
Nishna, who plays at the Bombay Presidency Golf Club, then displayed great mental strength hanging in despite hot and humid conditions, which even led to a play in a group ahead of her having fainted due to heat and needing to be taken away. Nishna, whose experience includes playing at the Le Golf National at the World Amateur Team Championship and the Women’s Amateur Championship, steadied her play with ten pars in a row from the 16th to the seventh on the front stretch of the course. She holed a neat birdie on the Par-4 eighth and then parred the ninth, her closing hole.
With her brother, Ronav on the bag, Nishna hit well off the tee and showed some good iron play. She did give herself a lot of chance, but the tricky greens took a toll, but she did not give anything except on the 14th and 15th.
The highest ranked Thai player in the field Natthakritta Vongtaveelap, reached eight-under par in her round at one stage, but dropped four shots in three holes late in her round for a 73 that saw her drop to tied seventh place alongside overnight leader, Malaysia’s Liyana Durisic.
Indian scores T-17 Nishna Patel (72-71); MC: Avani Prashanth (74-76), Mannat Brar (75-77), Kriti Chowhan (73-84), Sifat Sagoo (77-80), Ceerat Kang (79-86)
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