Joburg, April 20 (IANS) Pranavi Urs ended her week with a steady performance, carding a 1-under 72 to secure a tied-36th finish at the Joburg Ladies Open. The only Indian golfer to make the cut, she experienced a rollercoaster round highlighted by a remarkable four-hole stretch from the second to the fifth, where she recorded par, birdie, eagle, and bogey. Overall, her round included two birdies, one eagle, and three bogeys.

The other Indian participants—Diksha Dagar, Tvesa Malik, Avani Prashanth, and Hitaashee Bakshi—missed the cut.

Meanwhile, France’s Agathe Laisne clinched her second Ladies European Tour (LET) title of the season after a dramatic playoff victory over Australia’s Kirsten Rudgeley. The pair, along with South Africa’s Casandra Alexander, were tied at 19-under par after 72 holes, forcing a playoff at Randpark Golf Club.

Alexander, who had bogeyed the final hole in regulation despite a strong 7-under 66, was eliminated on the first playoff hole after failing to match the birdies of Laisne and Rudgeley at the par-5 18th.

Laisne and Rudgeley continued head-to-head for several more playoff holes, matching each other shot for shot as daylight faded. Rudgeley narrowly missed a seven-foot birdie putt for victory on the third playoff hole. With limited light remaining, the 18th hole was shortened to an 78-yard pitch. Laisne seized the opportunity, hitting her shot to within 10 feet and sinking the birdie putt, while Rudgeley’s eight-foot attempt missed, sealing the win for the French golfer. This marks Laisne’s second victory in two months, following her triumph at the Ford Women’s NSW Open in Australia.

Celine Herbin finished fourth at 16-under par, while England’s Cara Gainer and Slovenia’s Pia Babnik shared fifth place at 15-under.

Pranavi Urs was the only Indian golfer to advance to the weekend rounds at the Joburg Ladies Open, narrowly making the cut at Randpark Golf Club in Johannesburg. After an impressive opening round of 3-under 70, she followed up with a 1-over 74 in the second round to finish right on the cutline. Despite a tense finish, Pranavi managed to hold her position and was placed tied 52nd.

Her second round was a mixed performance. She started steadily, going 1-under through the front nine, but encountered difficulties later with four bogeys offset by just two birdies. A bogey on her final hole, the ninth, put her qualification in doubt, but she ultimately scraped through by the narrowest margin.

The rest of the Indian contingent failed to progress beyond the cut. Tvesa Malik and Diksha Dagar both fell short by a single stroke, each posting rounds of 72 and 73. Avani Prashanth (75-74) and Hitaashee Bakshi (77-74) were further behind and missed the cut by wider margins.

The Ladies European Tour now moves to Cape Town for the upcoming Investec SA Women’s Open.

–IANS

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