Neha, Ankita share lead in Hero golf

Kolkata's Neha Tripathi and Ankita Tiwana from Delhi displayed top form to jointly lead the field on the first day of the ninth leg of the Hero Women's Professional Golf Tour 2014 at the Eagleton Golf Resort here Wednesday.

Both Ankita and Neha finished the first round with an identical score of even par 72 which was also the day's best score.

Neha's front nine was a mixed bag. She began with a bogeys on the first and fourth holes besides a birdie on the second and sixth. She played the back nine more cautiously with just a bogey and a birdie apiece.

Ankita too had a good day at the office, carding a total of three bogeys and as many birdies to return a par score and tie with Neha and none of the other golfers could match it.

Delhi amateur Mehar Atwal once again proved her mettle as she finished third after the first round with a score of two-over 74 with four bogeys and two birdies.

Pune's Shweta Galande and Kapurthala's Gursimar Badwal were tied at the fourth place with identical scores of three-over 75.

Millie Saroha, also from Delhi, was placed sixth with a score of four-over 76 while current Hero Order of Merit leader Vani Kapoor was off colour as she was tied seventh with local girls Anisha Padukone and Ankita Kedlaya with five-over 77.

Vani's indifferent round consisted of five bogeys and a double bogey that negated two birdies while Anisha carded two birdies, but had a string of six bogeys.

Another Bangalore amateur Ankita also had a disappointing day, carding two bogeys on the along with a triple bogey and a double bogey with a lone birdie on the 18th hole.

Chandigarh's Saaniya Sharma finished the day at 10th position with a score of six-over 78 with nine bogeys and just three birdies.