Taoyuan (Chinese Taipei), Oct 31 (IANS) Pranavi Urs, who has been building a strong run of results in recent weeks, had a difficult third round at the Wistron Ladies Open, carding a 1-over 73 to slip to tied 23rd at Sunrise Golf and Country Club in Taoyuan, Chinese Taipei, on Saturday.

Pranavi arrived in Chinese Taipei on the back of a second successive top-four finish at the Women’s Indian Open, continuing a promising spell of form. After opening with a 70 and following it with a 68, she had moved into contention at 6-under par. However, a challenging third round left her at 5-under 211, alongside Thailand’s Pornanong Phatlum, who also shot 73 after rounds of 71 and 67.

At the top of the leaderboard, home favourite Ching Huang produced the round of the day, firing a seven-under 65 to take a one-shot lead into Sunday’s final round.

Huang, who won on the Taiwan Ladies Professional Golf Association (TLPGA) Tour earlier this year, moved to 14-under 202 with rounds of 70, 67 and 65. Her latest effort featured eight birdies and one bogey, an impressive return in the testing conditions.

Pranavi found it difficult to build momentum in the windy conditions. She made eight consecutive pars before picking up her first birdie on the ninth. Two successive bogeys on the 10th and 11th holes put her on the back foot, and further dropped shots on the 15th and 17th left her with plenty to do.

Birdies on the 16th and 18th helped limit the damage, but Pranavi will need a strong final round to improve her position. Her ball-striking remained reasonably steady despite the difficult scoring conditions. She found the fairway with all but two of her tee shots and hit 13 greens in regulation.

Huang began her birdie run on the fifth and made four consecutive birdies before dropping her only shot on the ninth. Further gains on the 10th, 12th, 16th and 18th holes helped her establish control of the tournament.

South Africa’s Casandra Alexander, the Ladies European Tour (LET) Order of Merit leader, is second at 13-under 203 after a four-under 68. The three-time LET winner made eight birdies but also dropped four shots in a fluctuating round. Alexander has already won twice this season and is looking to add another title to her collection.

England’s Hannah Screen occupies third place at 12-under 204 after a two-under 70. Despite a double bogey on the first, she recovered well, making birdies on the eighth, 13th, 14th and 17th holes.

England’s Mimi Rhodes is fourth at 11-under 205 following a four-under 68, while China’s Taipei’s Cheng-Hsuan Shih, the second-round leader, is fifth at 10-under 206 after a three-over 75.

Five players — Pei-Ying Tsai, Phoebe Yao, Denmark’s Smilla Tarning Soenderby, Thailand’s Cholcheva Wongras and Juliana Hung — share sixth place at nine-under 207.

With one round remaining, Pranavi will look to rediscover the form that brought her back-to-back top-four finishes and close the week strongly.

–IANS

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