Tvesa Malik dropped three birdies in a row in the middle of the round between the 10th and 12th, but managed to hang in with 3-over 70 and a share of the fourth place alongside Durga Nittur and Ananya Datar.

Seher seemed to struggle with a string of six pars and a double bogey on the Par-4 seventh. She then dropped shots on the 10th and 11th and was 4-over through 11 holes. Three more pars followed before she birdied 15tth and the 18th.

Sneha also had a tough start with bogeys on second and third. She had two more bogeys, but also birdied sixth and ninth.

With amateurs doing well in recent weeks on the Hero WPG Tour, Mannat ensured the trend continued. She began bogey-birdie-bogey and added a bogey on seventh to turn in 2-over. A bogey on 11th and a birdie on 18th meant she shot 69 at the Par-67 course.

Gaurika Bishnoi, making a return after missing the last two legs, had just one birdie in her round of 4-over 71 and she was tied seventh with Gauri Karhade.

Six players Oviya Reddi, Jasmine Shekar, Hitaashee Bakshi, Saaniya Sharma, Shweta Mansingh and amateur Prakruthi Sastry shot 5-over 72 and were tied ninth.

Last week’s winner, Neha Tripathi had a rough start with 6-over 73 with double bogeys and two other bogeys and was tied 15th.