Ridhima, Hitaashee lone Indians to make Swiss cut

India’s Ridhima Dilawari and Hitaashee Bakshi kept the tricolour flying at the VP Bank Swiss Ladies Open as the only two Indians to advance into the weekend rounds. Both golfers carded identical scores of 71 and 69 to sit at two-under 140, tied for 23rd place at the halfway stage.

It was a challenging second day at the Par-71 Golfpark Holzhäusern, where rain and damp conditions tested the field. Ridhima, playing on an invite and with limited starts on the Ladies European Tour this season, showed resilience with a card featuring five birdies against three bogeys. Her most eventful stretch came between the sixth and 12th holes, where she mixed four birdies with two bogeys and a lone par.

Hitaashee, meanwhile, played a more composed round, returning with four birdies and just a single bogey for her two-under 69.

However, it was a disappointment for the rest of the Indian contingent. Vani Kapoor (74-70), Sneha Singh (70-75), last year’s runner-up Tvesa Malik (72-74), and Pranavi Urs (74-76) all missed the cut, which was set at one-over par.

At the top of the leaderboard, England’s Alice Hewson seized control with a two-shot lead at nine-under par after 36 holes. The two-time LET winner and defending champion recovered from early bogeys on the 12th and 13th to fire six birdies, finishing with a four-under 67. Hewson credited her work with sports psychologist Dan for helping her stay calm and focused.

Ireland’s Lauren Walsh and Australia’s Sarah Kemp are tied for second at seven-under, while Spain’s Nuria Iturrioz, Wales’ Lydia Hall, and Germany’s Celina Sattelkau follow closely at six-under in a share of fourth. A stacked group of five players, including Norway’s Dorthea Forbrigd and France’s Agathe Sauzon, are one shot further back on five-under.

In all, 67 players progressed into the weekend, setting the stage for an exciting finish in Zug.