Golfer Vani favourite for Hero golf in Pahalgam

Delhi's Vani Kapoor has had a dream run so far this season in the Hero Women's Professional Golf Tour with three victories and two runners-up finishes in five events.

Vani is the firm favourite for the sixth leg and will also look forward to consolidate her position at the top of the Order of Merit. The sixth leg will be played at the picturesque Lidder Valley Golf Course here June 17-20.

The Rs.7 lakh event will see Vani face stiff competition from veteran Smriti Mehra, who is second in the Order of Merit with one victory and one runners-up position. She will aim to reduce the gap between Vani and herself.

Sharmila Nicolett will be missing the event as she is due to play the Slovak Open on the Ladies European Tour June 19-22.

The field will consist of 12 professional and two amateurs which include Pune's Shweta Galande, Chandigarh's Saaniya Sharma, Kolkata's Neha Tripathi and Delhi's Ankita Tiwana.

At an altitude of over 7,250 feet with snow-capped hills in the background, the course will test mental skills and physical fitness.

The tour comprises 15 legs spanning across India.