Gaurika takes 2-shot lead in first round

Gaurika Bishnoi opened up a two-shot lead despite finishing the first round with a bogey in the fifth leg of the Hero Women's Pro Golf Tour here, Wednesday.

Gaurika, who is looking for her first win this season, had finished runner-up in the fourth leg and was placed third in the third leg.

Smriti Mehra, Siddhi Kapoor and Gursimar Badwal are all tied for second at two-over 74, while rookie Ananya Datar and experienced Neha Tripathi are Tied-fifth with three-over 75 each.

Gaurika had a flying start with birdies on first and fourth but she gave away those gains with bogeys on fifth and seventh. She dropped yet another bogey on Par-4 10th, but quickly made up on the Par-3 11th.

A birdie on Par-5 14th indicated an under-par finish before she dropped a shot on the Par-5 18th.

Smriti had one birdie on Par-3 second and after that she dropped shots on seventh, 11th and 14th for a 74, while Siddhi's sole birdie of the day came on Par-4 seventh, the only player to birdie the hole. She had three other bogeys.

Also on 74 was Gursimar, winner of the second leg. She was three-over for the front nine, before she picked up her first birdie on the Par-5 14th, which afforded the maximum birdies on the day. She bogeyed 16th and birdied 17th to finish at 74.

Ridhima Dilawari, who won the fourth leg, had an unimpressive three-over 39 on the back nine and carded four-over 76 to be seventh, while Khushi Khanijau with four bogeys in last four holes shot 77 to be eighth.

Amateur Natalii Gupta and Anisha Padukone shot 78 each to complete the Top-10.