Pune, Feb 26 (IANS): Vaishnavi Sinha managed to keep her lead despite carding three-over 75 on the second day of the Hero-Oxford Women’s Professional Golf Championship at the Oxford Golf & Country Club here Thursday.

Trailing Vaishnavi by a single stroke are Vani Kapoor and Gursimar Badwal, who are joint second with identical scores of 144 after 36 holes.

Overnight leader Vaishnavi had an indifferent day as she carded four bogeys on the second, eighth, 11th and 13th holes. However, thanks to her lone birdie on the 12th hole, she managed to maintain her lead with a total score of 143 after the second round. '

Hero Order of Merit leader Vani Kapoor played a bogey-free front nine with a birdie on the fourth hole. However, she could not sustain the momentum in the latter half, carding two bogeys on the 13th and 16th with an equal number of birdies on the 10th and 17th.

She finished with a score of one-under 71. Kapurthala golfer Gursimar carded 70, getting three birdies on the second, ninth and 16th holes, while dropping just one shot on the fourth hole.

Veteran Smriti Mehra, Panchkula golfer Amandeep Drall and Indian origin English golfer Kiran Matharu are tied fourth with identical scores of 145. Smriti scored 69 with five birdies on the second, ninth, 13th, 15th and 17th, while dropping shots on the 12th and 18th.

Rookie Amandeep too made a strong come back, playing a card of 70. She carded three birdies on the second, 15th and 17th with a lone bogey on the 12th.

Kiran carded five birdies on the second, eighth, ninth, 15th and 17th. However, bogeys on the fifth, sixth, seventh, 12th, 13th and 18th and a double-bogey on the 11th marred her scorecard. She scored 75.

Kolkata’s Neha Tripathi is placed seventh with a total score of 146. She carded three bogeys on the fourth, 12th and 13th with her lone birdie on the 15th.

She finished the day with a score of 74. She is followed by local player Shweta Galande and Sharmila Nicollet, who are tied eighth with identical scores of 150.