Smriti shoots 74 to lie 42nd in Thai Ladies Open

Bangkok: Smriti Mehra had a difficult time on the second nine as she finished with a two-over 74 in the opening round of the Thailand Ladies Open on Wednesday. She was lying tied 42nd, and teammate Neha Tripathi, the other Indian in the field, shot eight-over 80 and is lying tied 98th in a field of 122 players at the Lakewood Country Club.

Four players shared the lead in the opening round. Thailand's Thidapa Suwannapura, Koreans Lee Eun-kyoung and Bae In-ji and newcomer Chihiro Ikeda of the Philippines shot identical 4-under 68 to take a one-stroke lead from four other players - Kongkapan Patcharachuta and defending champion Tanaporn Kongkiatkrai of Thailand, Hsieh Yu-Ling of Chinese Taipei and USA's Jessy Tang - who signed out with 3-under 69 scores.

Smriti started on the tenth and with one birdie and no bogeys on the back nine she was looking good and it became better with a birdie on first. But after that she faltered with three bogeys in a row from second to fourth. After a birdie on sixth she double bogeyed the par-3 seventh and ended with a 74.

Neha, playing her first big event abroad, also started from tenth. She had two birdies, two bogeys and four double bogeys.