Noida, Sep 24 (IANS) Shashank Sachin Gadre extended his lead in the Category A & B Boys section, Gauri Sharma surged ahead in Category A & B Girls, while Chaitanya Pandey continued his stellar run in Category B in the 26th NCR Cup Junior & Amateur Golf Tournament, the flagship event that carries official World Amateur Golf Ranking (WAGR) points, in Noida on Thursday.
Day 2 marked the critical penultimate round for Category Amateur, A, and B contenders battling for WAGR position, while also welcoming Categories C, D, and E into the championship fray for their opening round.
Shashank Sachin Gadre backed up his opening 67 with a polished 3-under-par 68 to take his 36-hole tally to 7-under 135, holding a three-shot cushion heading into the final round. Sakshity Pureandre mounted the charge of the day, scorching the course with a blistering 5-under-par 66 to leap into solo second at 138 (-4).
Category B phenom Chaitanya Pandey continued his stellar run, shooting 70 to sit comfortably atop Category B and tied for third overall at 140 (-2) alongside Category A stalwarts Arshvant Srivastava (71) and Smyaan Gupta (71). Zoravar Singh Toor recorded a sparkling 68 (-3) to climb the ladder. In Category B, Aditya Tiwari and Ayan Khan share second place at 150 (+8), ten strokes behind Pandey.
In Category A & B Girls, Gauri Sharma produced a commanding display under pressure, firing a 2-under-par 69—the only sub-par round across the girls’ division—to break away from an overnight three-way tie and seize the 36-hole lead at 145 (+3).
Round 1 co-leader Aahana Kashyap remains well within striking distance in solo second at 147 (+5) after posting an even-par 71. Samaira Tomar sits solo third at 148 (+6) after a resilient 71.
Category B leader Dalisha Chetry turned in another rock-solid performance with a 1-over 72, cementing her position at 149 (+7).
Amateur Divisions: Ritik Madan Extends Dominance
In Gentlemen Amateur, Round 1 leader Ritik Madan delivered an exceptional level-par 71—highlighted by a flawless 3-under 32 on the back nine—to move to a two-day aggregate of 143 (+1). Madan holds a commanding 14-stroke lead over Kushagra Gaur, who sits second at 157 (77-80). Harssh Ranna occupies third place at 160.
In Ladies Amateur, Anoop Singh took over the lead of the ladies division.
Category C (Boys & Girls): Avviraaj fired a composed 3-over-par 74 (39-35) to lead Category C Boys by a single stroke over a three-way tie featuring Mohammad Rehan, Drona Singh Dhull, and Shan Alvi, who all signed for 75 (+4). In Category C Girls, Aaliyah Kalra stole the spotlight with a brilliant 1-over 72 (38-34), opening up an 11-stroke lead over Samaira Handa and Aadya Kaushal (83 each).
Category D (Boys & Girls): Taanush Kumar carded the round of the tournament, firing a breathtaking 6-under-par 65 (33-32) to dominate the Category D Boys leaderboard. He leads Priyansh Jain (72, +1) by seven shots. In Category D Girls, Mahira Sharma delivered an equally dominant performance, posting a 2-over 73 to establish a commanding lead.
Category E (9 Holes): Zowra Veer Sikand led the Boys division with an under-par 5-under 31 over 9 holes, holding a two-stroke advantage over Lakshit Deswal and Siddhik Chaturvedi (33 each). In Category E Girls, Manasvi Rathor set the pace with an under-par 32 (-4), four clear of Kaaira Khunga (36).
–IANS
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