GURUGRAM: Belgium's Manon de Roey, second on the Ladies European Tour's Order of Merit and needing to win the Hero Women's Indian Open to keep the Merit race alive, took a definite step in that direction as she shot a bogey-free 65 and grabbed a share of the lead.
De Roey (74-74-65) at 3-under shares the lead with Alice Hewson (72-70-71). Liz Young (74-73-67) at 2-under is third. Austria's Emma Spitz, runner-up at German Masters this year, also carded 65 with an eagle on the tough 17th and is fourth at even par.
Both De Roey and Hewson have won once each this year and Belgian's best in India was T-9 in 2019, while she missed the cut in 2018 and 2023. Hewson's best in India was T-12 in 2022. The top Indian after three days is Hitaashee Bakshi, who began the week with a disastrous 80. Bakshi made the cut with a second round 68 and added 73 in the third. She is 5-over and T-15th. The only Indian under par on third day was 17-year-old amateur Mannat Brar (71). She is T-21st.
Mannat, who reached the semis of the 2024 R&A Junior Amateurs, has also been playing well and started from the 10th. She negotiated the tough back nine superbly with eight straight pars and a birdie. On her second nine, she stayed cool while experiencing the ups-and-downs of three 'bogey-birdie' sets for a 71. She is 6-over for 54 holes.