Golfer Amandeep aims for second consecutive title (Preview)

Buoyed by her maiden victory this season, Amandeep Drall will eye her second consecutive title in the seventh leg of the Hero Women's Professional Golf Tour at the Classic Golf and Country Club here.

The Rs.7 lakh event will see 21 professionals and lone amateur Tavleen Batra fight it out for the top spot. The event will be played from March 16 to 18.

Amandeep is currently sixth in the Order of Merit with total earnings of Rs.2.89 lakh in three appearances this season and will be eager to make up lost ground due to her overseas participation. She can, however, expect a run for her money from Neha Tripathi, Kiran Matharu and Vani Kapoor.

Kolkata's Neha Tripathi currently leads the Order of Merit with total earnings of Rs.4,30,900 in six appearances. She has been in good form and will be eager to continue in the same vein.

Kiran is placed second in the Merit list with Rs.3,96,400 in six appearances. She is yet to win a title this season and will be keen to get off the mark. This course has been a happy hunting ground for her where she carded 17 under 199 last year. This has been the best three-day total in the tour's history.

Vani has two victories to her credit, and like Amandeep, lost momentum due to her overseas commitments. She is placed fifth in the Order of Merit with Rs.3,34,200 in three appearances and will be keen to regain her top position.

Kolkata's Smriti Mehra is another golfer to watch out for. She is still searching for her first win in the ongoing season and would like to draw inspiration from her second place finish in Pune, and also her course record of 7 under 65 at the same venue last year.

Bengaluru's Sharmila Nicollet has struggled to make an impact this season. She will be eager to make amends and will be hoping for a podium finish. Others in the fray are Chandigarh's Saaniya Sharma, Kapurthala's Gursimar Badwal and Delhi's Ankita Tiwana.

The picturesque par 72 Jack Nicklaus Signature Course is all set to play host to some of the best women professionals in the country.