Smriti takes two-shot lead in 17th leg of Hero WPG Tour

Veteran golfer Smriti Mehra bogeyed the last hole, but still managed to hold a two-shot lead at the end of the opening day of the 17th leg of the Hero Womens Pro Golf Tour at the even par 72 at the Noida Golf club.

Smriti had three birdies against three bogeys that helped her lead over Ridhima Dilawari (74) and Millie Saroha (74) by two strokes while Amandeep Drall was two shots further down at 76, along with Neha Tripathi and Gursimar Badwal.

The surprise of the opening day was Tvesa Malik, the leader on the order of merit and winner of four events this year. She had a terrible run between the sixth and the 12th, as she dropped four bogeys and a double bogey in the stretch and ended the day with a series of six pars and a card of 78.

She is six shots behind Kolkata golfer Smriti.

Amateur Diksha Dagar, who has a win on the pro circuit against her name, Afshan Fatima and Siddhi Kapoor shot 77 each to be tied-seventh. Tvesa was 10th.

Smriti, who is still looking for her first win of the year had a birdie on fourth, but she gave that back on sixth and fell to one-over at the turn with a bogey on Par-4 ninth.

On the back nine, she recovered to red numbers as she birdied the 12th and 14th to get to one-under. However, right at the end on the 18th, she dropped a shot to be get back to even par.

Ridhima was three-over by the seventh, but birdies on eighth and 10th saw her fight back before she dropped another shot on 11th. With seven pars on the last seven holes, she carded 74.

Millie bogeyed four in a row from second to fifth, but came back with birdies on sixth and 10th. She parred the rest for her 74.

In the second round on Thursday, Komal Chaudhary plays with Khushi Khanijau and Saaniya Sharma, while Vaishavi SInha will go out with Mehar Atwal and Tvesa.

In the third group, Siddhi Kapoor, amateur Diksha Dagar and Afshan Fatima will play together, while the penultimate threesome is made up of Gursimar, Neha and Amandeep. The leader group comprises of Millie Saroha, Ridhima and Smriti.

--IANS

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