India's top golfer Smriti Mehra failed to combat strong winds and returned with seven over 80, slipping to tied 15th after the second round of the US $80,000 Hong Kong Ladies Masters on Thursday.
At the end of her error-strewn round, Mehra aggregated 156 at the Jockey Club Kau Sai Chau's North Course (par-73 course).
Mehra scored a birdie on the second but trouble followed soon in the form of double-bogies on the third and fifth and subsequent bogies on the sixth, ninth and 12th.
Amidst the crosswinds, when the desired distance was appearing a next to impossible task, her only second birdie came on 15th before she summed up the round with two bogies on 17th and 18th.
Sweden's Linda Wessberg shot the day's lowest score of 5-under 68 for a 36-hole total of 143 to share the lead with overnight joint leader Zhong Xiao Long of China and Thai amateur Pornanong Phatlum.
Zhong, shot one-over 74 and blamed it on the strong winds.
The leading trio go into the final round tomorrow with a one-stroke cushion over China's Yang Hong Mei who played to 3-under 70 today.
The other joint day one leader Teresa Lu of Chinese Taipei was blown off the fairways after signing out the second round with an eight over-81.
