Gurgaon: Upbeat from her successive titles in the last two events, Smriti Mehra will be eyeing a hat-trick in the eighth leg of the Hero Women’s Professional Golf Tour 2015. The veteran golfer is in terrific form and will start as firm favourite at the par 72 Classic Golf & Country Club, Gurgaon. The INR 7,00,000 event will see 18 professional golfers and Gurjot Badwal, the lone amateur, fighting it out for the top spot and will be played from 11th to 13th March.

Smriti Mehra is currently placed second in the Hero Order of Merit with total earnings of INR 5,47,000 from seven appearances and would be keen to reduce the gap at the top of the table. However, Smriti is expected to face tough competition from Delhi youngster Vani Kapoor, Indian origin English golfer Kiran Matharu, Chandigarh’s Saaniya Sharma, Kolkata’s Neha Tripathi and Noida’s Vaishavi Sinha. This event will also see Delhi’s Mayali Talwar making her debut as a professional.

Hero Order of Merit leader Vani Kapoor has been off colour in the last two legs and would be keen to regain her form. She sits atop the money list with total earnings of INR 7,06,067 from seven appearances and will look to consolidate her position. Vaishavi Sinha, who missed the last leg at the Poona Club Golf Course, would be eager to win her second title of the season. Chandigarh’s Saaniya Sharma and Kolkata’s Neha Tripathi have had a decent show in the last few events and will be hoping for a podium finish at the Classic Golf & Country Club. Other players to watch out for are Delhi’s Ankita Tiwana and Panchkula golfer Amandeep Drall.