Pune, Feb 20 : Vani Kapoor played one of her best rounds in a long time as she carded a bogey-free 5-under 66 to open a five-shot lead in the third leg of the Women's Pro Golf Tour (WPGT) at the Poona Club Golf Course here on Thursday. With three birdies on the front nine and two more on the backstretch, Vani added 66 to her first-round 70 to get to six-under 136 for 36 holes.

Vani, the player with the most titles among all the active players on the Tour, is five ahead of Sneha Singh, winner of the second leg. Sneha, who opened bogey-bogey shot even par 71 and is 1-under 141. Amandeep Drall (70) and Hitaashee Bakshi (71), playing her first Tour event of 2025, are tied for third at even par 142.

Vani birdied the second, sixth, and ninth to turn in 3-under and added further gains on the tenth and the 14th for a great card of 5-under 66. Vani's last win came at the 12th Leg at her home course, the DLF Golf & Country Club, Gurugram in September last year.

Sneha opened bogey-bogey but picked birdies on the ninth and 14th to finish even par. Amandeep had an action-packed day with five birdies against four bogeys. Hitaashee Bakshi had birdies on the second and the fifth and dropped bogeys on the sixth and the 16th for an even-par 71.

Kriti Chowhan was 1-over 72 for the second day running and is the sole fifth, while three players, Vidhatri Urs (73), Neha Tripathi (74), and the first-round leader Shweta Mansingh (76) are tied for sixth.

Lavanya Jadon (71), winner of the opening leg Rhea Purvi Sarvanan (73), and Seher Atwal (74) are tied for 10th. The top amateur was Mannat Brar (76-74) at T-14, while Saanvi Somu (73-78) was 16th.

The cut fell at 13-over 155 and 24 players made the grade for the final round.

/IANS