Beijing: Despite being under the weather, Sharmila Nicollet kept herself in the title hunt with a steady two-under 70 that brought her to 6-under for 36 holes at the Le Coq Sportif Beijing Ladies Classic.
Sharmila is lying tied-2nd and one shot behind the leader, a 16-year-old amateur Liu Wenbo, who shot six-under 66 on the second day. Liu carded 71 on first day.
Sharmila shares the second place with China’s 19-year-old Shi Yuting (73-66) and Sui Xiang (71-68). Shi, who plays on Japan Ladies Tour, retained her Chinese National title last week and also helped her side win the team event.
Sharmila, one of the five co-leaders after the first round, said she was still running slight fever for the last few days. She opened with a bogey but soon steadied herself. She had birdies on 13th, her fourth hole of the day, the par-3 17th and Par-5 fourth and no more bogeys.
Solid start for Lahiri
Fort Worth: With a new putter in his bag, Anirban Lahiri reeled off three birdies in a row and finished the day at a solid three-under 67 in the first round of the Fort Worth Invitational at the Colonial Country Club. Lahiri, who had put the new putter in his bag a day earlier, carded five birdies against two bogeys and was T-19th after the opening day.