Avani Prashanth Takes Sole Lead After Three Rounds at Hulencourt Women’s Open

Hulencourt (Belgium): India’s Avani Prashanth surged into the sole lead at the Hulencourt Women’s Open after a composed third-round score of 3-under 68 on Saturday, setting herself up for a strong finish heading into the final day.

The LET (Ladies European Tour) rookie carded four birdies in cooler conditions at the Hulencourt Golf Club, with her only mistake coming on the 18th hole. Heading into Sunday’s final round, the 18-year-old enjoys a one-shot lead.

Among the other Indian golfers who made the cut, Diksha Dagar posted rounds of 72-73-70 to sit at 1-under and tied for 32nd, while Tvesa Malik followed closely at 1-over (76-70-71) and tied for 42nd. Vani Kapoor, Sneha Singh, Amandeep Drall, and Hitaashee Bakshi missed the cut.

Reflecting on her round, Avani said: “The wind changed today, so it felt like a completely different course. I had to play conservatively in a few spots, which I don’t usually like, but I stayed patient throughout.”

A highlight of her round came at the 14th, where she holed a brilliant birdie putt from off the green. “I misjudged the yardage a bit, but thankfully it worked out. The cooler temperatures definitely helped today. Yesterday was tough with the heat, and by the 8th or 9th hole, I was exhausted. Today was much more manageable.”

Looking ahead to the final round, the teen added, “Of course there will be some nerves, but I try not to focus on them. I love playing under pressure and usually enjoy chasing, but I’m glad I don’t have to do that this time. I’ll just give it my all and see how things unfold.”

Tied for second place are France’s Nastasia Nadaud and Wales’ Darcey Harry, both at nine-under-par. Nadaud started the day four shots behind but made a strong push with a solid third-round performance. “It was a very good day—I struck the ball well and gave myself plenty of chances,” said the 20-year-old French golfer.

She also welcomed the change in weather, saying, “It was extremely hot yesterday, so the rain today was actually refreshing.”

Nadaud is no stranger to pressure situations, having claimed victory in a three-way playoff at last year’s Aramco Team Series – London.

Overnight leader Helen Briem of Germany sits in solo fourth at eight-under after an even-par round. Her scorecard included two bogeys, which she immediately recovered with two birdies.

With inputs from IANS