Bengaluru: Kolkata Golfer Neha Tripathi and Delhi Golfer Ankita Tiwana displayed some top form to lead the field on the first day of the ninth leg of the Hero Women’s Professional Golf Tour 2014. Both Ankita and Neha finished the first round with an identical score of even par 72,which was also the day’s best score. The INR 5,00,000 event is currently being played at Bengaluru’s scenic Eagelton Golf Resort and will culminate on Friday 18th July 2014.
Neha Tripathi’s front nine was a mixed bag. She began with a bogey on the 1st hole, but quickly steadied herself with a birdie on the 2nd hole, only to repeat the pattern with another bogey on the 4th and a birdie on the 6th hole. She played the back nine more cautiously, with just a bogey and a birdie apiece on the 14th and 16th holes respectively. Ankita Tiwana too had a good day at the office, carding a total of three bogeys on the 1st, 10th and 15th holes and three birdies on the 14th, 17th and 18th holes. None of the Golfers could card an under-par score in today’s game.
Delhi amateur Mehar Atwal once again proved her mettle as she finished third after the first round with a score of 2 over 74, with four bogeys on the 8th, 9th,10th and 12th holes and two birdies on the 16th and 18th holes. Pune’s Shweta Galande and Kapurthala golfer Gursimar Badwal were tied at the 4th place with identical scores of 3 over 75. Shweta made several unforced errors through the round with four bogeys on the 5th , 6th, 7th and 18th holes and a double bogey on the 2nd hole. She carded a total of 3 birdies on the 10th, 12, and 17th holes. Gursimar on the other hand carded a total of four bogeys on the 4th, 7th, 12th and 18th holes, and had just a lone birdie on the 11th hole.
Delhi Amateur Millie Saroha was placed 6th with a score of 4 over 76 after 18 holes. Her birdieless round consisted of four bogeys on the 1st, 5th, 7th and 11th holes.
Current Hero Order of Merit leader and Delhi Golfer Vani Kapoor has been off colour recently, and her performance in the first round today was no different. The Delhi golfer was tied seventh with local girls and amateurs Anisha Padukone and Ankita Kedlaya with identical scores of 5 over 77. Vani’s indifferent round consisted of five bogeys on the 1st, 6th, 7th, 10th and 11th holes and a double bogey on the 12th hole. She could only card two birdies on the 3rd and 16th holes.
Local girl Anisha Padukone carded two birdies on the 1st and 4th holes, but had a string of bogeys on the 3rd, 5th, 9th, 13th and 14th holes. She also carded a double bogey on the 10th hole. Another Bengaluru amateur Ankita Kedlaya also had a disappointing day, carding two bogeys on the 2nd and 7th holes along with a triple bogey on the 6th and a double bogey on the 16th hole. She could card only a lone birdie on the 18th hole.
Chandigarh’s Saaniya Sharma finished the day at 10th position with a score of 6 over 78, with nine bogeys and just three birdies.
