Women's golf tour to start in Ahmedabad

Following the conclusion of the 2015 season which saw 11 winners, the first leg of the 2016 Hero Women's Professional Golf Tour will be held at the Kensville Golf and Country Club here from January 5 to 7.

The Rs.7 lakh event will see 13 professionals vie for the top honours at the par 72 course.

Delhi's Vani Kapoor won five out of 18 events last year with total earnings of Rs.17,43,900 to claim the Player of the Year award for the second year in succession. She would be eager to continue her form and will start as firm favourite.

Vani is expected to face stiff competition from Panchkula's Amandeep Drall, who was impressive in her rookie year, winning two titles with total earnings of Rs.13,59,935 and in the process winning the Rookie of the Year award.

Kolkata duo of Neha Tripathi and Smriti Mehra, who finished third and fourth respectively in the 2015 Order of Merit, are expected to give Vani and Amandeep a run for their money.

Smriti won two titles last year while Neha, who had a quiet year by her own standards, will be eager to make amends. Others to look out for are Delhi's Ankita Tiwana, Chandigarh's Saaniya Sharma, Pune's Shweta Galande and overseas player Kiran Matharu.

The first leg will also see Delhi's Mehak Sharma make her debut, adding to a growing list of professionals in the country.