Among the six competitors that came for the Women's Amateur Asia-Pacific Golf at the Siam Country Club, Nishna Patel was the only Indian to make the cut.
The 16-year-old Mumbai golfer improved on her first-round 72 with a 1-under 71 to finish the two rounds at 1-under 143.
As the other Indian competitors Avani Prashanth (74-76), Mannat Brar (75-77), Kriti Chowhan (73-84), Sifat Sagoo (77-80), and Ceerat Kang (79-86) failed to make the cut, she was tied for 17th place. At 4-over, the cut was made.
Avani Prashanth had a dismal week despite a strong season that saw her make 10 international appearances and finish tied for 12th in the Women's Indian Open on the Ladies European Tour.
Mizuki Hashimoto (66), the defending champion, claimed the lead at 9-under, according to a release. With a round of six under par, Hashimoto took the lead at half way thanks to her quick putting. The Miyagi native, age 20, made a 70-foot birdie on the first hole to signal her determination. She only required 27 putts to complete the round, making seven birdies and just one bogey.
At the renowned Tohoku Fukushi University, whose alumni include Hideki Matsuyama and Takumi Kanaya, Hashimoto is a second-year student. She now has a total of nine under par, one better than Jiyoo Lim of Korea. The 17-year-old improved with a second straight four-under-par 68 round.
Ting-Hsuan Huang (69), of Chinese Taipei, finished alone in third place at six under par 138, followed by a three-way tie for fourth.
Nishna, who failed to make the cut at the same tournament in Abu Dhabi last year, got off to a strong start with a par on the tenth. She then moved up the leaderboard after making birdies on the eleventh and thirteenth holes. consecutive bogeys pushed her back on the 14th and 15th holes of the Siam Country Club's Waterside course because of the challenging greens.
Nishna, who plays golf at the Bombay Presidency Golf Club with her brother Ronav as her caddie, demonstrated exceptional mental toughness in the hot and muggy weather.
She also demonstrated that she had gained knowledge from her participation in the Women's Amateur Championship and the World Amateur Team Championship. She had ten consecutive pars following her bogeys from the 16th to the seventh, birdied the Par-4 eighth, and concluded with a par on the ninth, which served as her final hole.
India receives a T-17. Nishna Patel (72-71) and the MC Avani Prashanth, Mannat Brar, Kriti Chowhan, Sifat Sagoo, and Ceerat Kang (79-86).a
