Magenta Shores (Australia), March 7 (IANS) India’s Pranavi Urs remained in strong contention at the Australian Women’s Classic, finishing the third round in tied fifth place despite a late setback. Pranavi carded a third-round score of 70 to move to eight-under par overall after rounds of 72, 66, and 70.

The 21-year-old looked set for an even better finish in the round but suffered a costly double bogey on the 17th hole. Despite that slip, she managed to hold her place among the top contenders heading into the final round.

Australia’s Kelsey Bennett will enter the last day with a narrow one-shot lead. Bennett posted rounds of 66, 68, and 70 to reach 12-under par, maintaining her advantage at the top of the leaderboard.

Another Indian golfer, Diksha Dagar, also improved her standing on Saturday. After struggling with a 73 in the previous round, Diksha bounced back impressively with a three-under 69 to reach five-under overall. She now sits in tied-14th position with one round left to play.

Pranavi’s round had its share of ups and downs. She started well with a birdie on the second hole, but dropped shots on the fourth and fifth. However, she regained momentum with birdies on the eighth and ninth to turn one-under at the halfway mark.

On the back nine, Pranavi produced some excellent golf, picking up birdies on the 11th, 13th, and 15th holes to move further up the leaderboard. The double bogey on the 17th briefly stalled her progress, but she still finished the day among the tournament’s top performers.

Diksha’s round also began shakily with bogeys on the fifth and sixth holes. She responded strongly with birdies on the eighth and ninth before adding three more birdies on the back nine to finish the round in style.

Meanwhile, Bennett continued her steady run at Magenta Shores as she chases her first Ladies European Tour title on home soil. England’s Meghan MacLaren, a previous winner of the event, remains among the leading contenders, while fellow English player Alice Hewson holds fourth place at nine-under par.

With just 18 holes remaining, the competition remains wide open as players battle for the title.

–IANS

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