GOLF
Aditi Ashok holds six shot lead with one round to go in Kenya Ladies Open
Aditi Ashok moved closer to her fourth Ladies European Tour win as she fired a bogey-free round of 4-under 69 to hold a six shot lead heading into the final round of the Magical Kenya Ladies Open.
Avani Prashanth shot 73 and moved up to tied 19th place, while Amandeep Drall (83) slipped to tied 53rd.
Thailand’s April Angurasaranee sits in second place on the leader board on seven-under-par after shooting a round of 3-under 70 on day three.
The teenager dropped two shots during her round but made up for it with a birdie on the seventh plus two eagles on the par-five 11th and 15th holes.
Three shots back in third place is England’s Cara Gainer on four-under-par after she produced a round of 2-under 71.
Gainer made an eagle, two birdies and two bogeys in tough and windy conditions.
Australia’s Gabriela Ruffels sits in outright fourth place on three-under-par having carded a round of 2-under 71, which included three birdies and one bogey.
England’s Alice Hewson sits in solo fifth place on two-under-par with America’s Gurleen Kaur and Germany’s Esther Henseleit one shot further back in T7.
Rounding out the top 10 are Finland’s Noora Komulainen, Scotland’s Kylie Henry and Denmark’s Amalie Leth-Nissen who sit in a share of eighth place on level par.
-PTI
Lahiri, Sharma lie T19th in Saudi
Anirban Lahiri finally found form, while Shubhankar Sharma continued his steady show as the Indian duo was tied 19th after the third round of the Saudi International golf tournament here.
After rounds of 71-69 on the first two days, Lahiri carded five-under 65 with six birdies and one bogey at the Royal Greens Golf Club to get to five-under.
Sharma added 69 to his first two rounds of 67-69. His one-under third round card had four birdies, including on the closing 18th, against three bogeys.
Shiv Kapur, who began the week strongly with 67 and followed up with 71, added 72 and was tied 55th at even par total. Rashid Khan (76), the only other Indian to make the cut, was 71st.
Mexico’s Abraham Ancer held the lead for the third consecutive day after posting a flawless six-under-par 64 to progress to 17 under.
-PTI
Atwal yet to complete third round at Pebble Beach Pro-Am, Malnati leads
India’s Arjun Atwal was two-under through 10 holes when strong wind forced a suspension of play in the third round of the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, which will now have a Monday finish.
Atwal, who shot 73-75 at Pebble Beach and Spyglass, is two-over for 46 holes and still needs a few more birdies to make the cut, which will now be 65 and ties.
Atwal, the only Indian to have won on the PGA Tour, birdied 10th and 16th after starting from the 10th. That two-under through 10 holes helped him move up from 130th to 101st.
Peter Malnati was atop the leader board at 12 under with six holes left in his round at Pebble Beach. He started on the back nine along the ocean in calmer conditions but play was stopped when he was on green, coming off three straight birdies.
The 54-hole cut typically is top 60 to account for the 25 amateurs. Now it will revert to top 65 and ties, and it will be professionals only for the final round.
-PTI
Ridhima starts season with a fine tied 13th place in South Africa
Indian golfer Ridhima Dilawari’s 2023 season got off to a good start as she finished tied-13th at the SuperSport Ladies Challenge in the Sunshine Ladies Tour’s season-opener.
Ridhima shot 73 in the final round after 76-71 in the first two rounds. The other Indian player in the field, Pranavi Urs missed the cut earlier on.
Casandra Alexander cruised to a six-stroke victory as she ended with a closing birdie on the 18th at Gary Player Country Club.
-PTI
FOOTBALL
Kerala FA drops Viknesh from Santosh Trophy team, brings in Asif
The Kerala Football Association dropped M. Viknesh from its team for the Santosh Trophy’s final phase which begins in Bhubaneswar on February 10.
The KFA had included Viknesh in the team announced on Saturday but with news coming in that the forward had failed a dope test taken during the National Games in Gujarat in October last year, the association had to change its stand.
Viknesh had tested positive for terbutaline, a specified substance which does not call for an automatic suspension but his inclusion could have posed problems for the Kerala team, the defending Santosh Trophy champion, later.
“Even though he (Viknesh) is not suspended from participating in the National championship, we can’t keep him with the team,” said P. Anilkumar, the KFA secretary, on Sunday.
“So we have decided to drop him from the Kerala team. Ernakulam’s O.M. Asif, the reserve player, will replace him.”
Kerala opens its Group ‘A’ campaign against Goa on February 10.
-Stan Rayan
BADMINTON
Tanya Hemanth stuns top-seed Tasnim Mir to win Iran Challenge
India’s Tanya Hemanth stunned top seed and compatriot Tasnim Mir in straight games to win the women’s singles title at the 31st Iran Fajr International Challenge here on Sunday.
Tasnim was of no match for Tanya as she went down 7-21 11-21 in what was the shortest match of the day.
This was also the first win for Tanya over Tasnim in a BWF tournament.
Tasnim had defeated Tanya in their previous two meetings.
-PTI
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