Chiara Tamburlini remains the player to catch at the Hero Women’s Indian Open as the Swiss star carded a round of 70 (-1) on Day Two to move to six-under par for the tournament.
Related: Tamburlini takes Day 1 honours in HWIO, Pranavi in hot pursuit
Chasing a fourth victory on the Ladies European Tour (LET), she leads home favourite Pranavi Urs and Argentina’s Magdalena Simmermacher by two shots heading into the weekend at DLF Golf & Country Club.
View this post on Instagram
After a 67 (-5) on Thursday, the returning Tamburlini got off to the perfect start in Delhi birdying her opening hole at the par-4 10th. This was followed by an incredible run of pars as the 26-year-old made 15 in a row from the 2nd to the 16th. For the second day in a row Tamburlini would then bogey the par-5 8th after finding water before bouncing back with a clutch birdie at the par-4 9th.
“It was definitely a bit more stressful than yesterday,” the 2024 LET Order of Merit winner said. “I made 15 pars in a row, and they weren’t all tap-in pars, but I made them so that was good. My putter was really good to make pars, but it wasn’t very good to make any birdies.
“I was majorly in trouble off the tee only once. Other than that, I was pretty much always in play and hit most of the fairways, and that was really nice. Making a lot of pars on this course is still pretty good. I didn’t have as many good birdie chances, so it was a lot of two-putt pars and some really good up-and-downs. It was different from yesterday, but I’m still happy.”
View this post on Instagram
Tamburlini is making just her sixth start on the LET in 2026 this week having competed on the LPGA for the majority of the season. The Swiss star now has plenty to smile about as she leads the way heading into the weekend on her return to action.
“It’s always fun to see your name up there,” Tamburlini said, who last competed on the circuit at the AIG Women’s Open in July. “It’s motivating, and I think it makes it easier to accept a bad shot because you know you’re up there and have the game to bounce back. I haven’t been in contention on the LPGA this year. It’s been a bit more difficult this year, so it’s really nice to be up there again. Hopefully, I’ll be in one of the last few groups tomorrow and get that fun feeling of being in contention in a tournament.”
Two back from the three-time LET winner is Pranavi. Despite battling sickness, the Indian carded a second round 70 (-2) on home turf to play her way into Saturday’s final group. Just three weeks ago, Urs made history when she won a Gold Medal at the Asian Games in Japan.
“It was a grind out there today,” the Indian said, who bogeyed her opening hole at the par-4 10th before recovering with birdies at the 2nd, 5th and 8th. “I didn’t get off to a good start like yesterday but kept it all together and rolled in some nice putts on my back-nine.
“I’m very excited [for tomorrow]. We [me and Chiara Tamburlini] played together last year as well, so it’s always nice to go out and play with good players. Obviously, she’s the 2024 Order of Merit winner, so it’ll be a good battle.”
Magdalena meanwhile will also tee up in Saturday’s final group after following up Thursday’s 68 (-4) with an even-par round. The Argentinian made three birdies at the 12th, 15th and 7th with dropped shots coming at the 14th and 4th (a double-bogey).
View this post on Instagram
Having made just three cuts in 2026 prior to this week, Simmermacher said: “Yesterday I had a lot of messages about the round because I haven’t played this good in a while. I knew that once I got on the course, I would be comfortable because I’m hitting the ball good.
“The key has been my caddie [Mossy Prendiville] to have someone I trust on my bag and I told him you’re giving me this [freedom] to enjoy myself on the course again, before it would be about everything else and practicing, but when the tournament came, I was very anxious. It’s about enjoying and I told him when you’re around, you make it easier for me to be on the course and stay present. I wasn’t enjoying it that much on the course [before].”\
View this post on Instagram
In a tie for fourth on three-under par sit Czech Republic’s Sara Kouskova, Norway’s Dorthea Forbrigd and France’s Camille Chevalier. The latter, a winner here in 2017, hit one of the shots of the week when she holed out for eagle at the par-5 18th.
India’s Vani Kapoor and France’s Ariane Klotz are one back in a tie for seventh on two-under par. Kapoor, a member of DLF Golf & Country Club, hit the shot of the day holing out for eagle at the par-4 14th with a 5-wood.
View this post on Instagram
Elsewhere on day two, 13-year-old Ojaswini Saraswat made history becoming the youngest player to make the cut the Hero Women’s Indian Open. The Indian is also the second youngest player in LET history to make a cut after Ariya Jutanugarn made the weekend aged 12-years-old at the 2008 Finnair Masters.
One player is yet to complete their second round after darkness set in Delhi. Alexandra Swayne of the U.S. Virgin Islands sits on the cut line at nine-over par and will return on Saturday morning to complete her final hole at DLF Golf & Country Club. A total of 62 other players will compete over the weekend after making the cut.
