By Rahul Banerji
Order of Merit leader Amandeep Drall and Hitaashee Bakshi shared the lead with 3-under par 68s after the first round at the Poona Club Golf Course on Wednesday.
Both players survived a double bogey each to stay ahead of the fourth leg field of the Hero Women’s Pro Golf Tour on the par-71 layout.
They were a shot clear of surprise third placed Jyotsana Singh, who overcame two late bogeys for her 69.
Amandeep, who showed signs of a revival in fortunes last week with a runner-up finish in MUmbai, carded six birdies, a bogey and a double.
Hitaashee, who had a run of four birdies in five holes, also had a bogey and a double.
Hitaashee’s elder sister Jahanvi and Ridhima Dilawari rounded off the tally of those under par with 70s.
Seven players shot level par for sixth place including Tvesa Malik, Diksha Dagar, Vani Kapoor, Seher Atwal, Ananya Datar, Khushi Khanijau and amateur Khushi Hooda.
Amandeep opened with birdies on the first and fourth holes but dropped a shot on the fifth and then a double even before the turn.
Good recovery
She recovered well with four birdies against no further damage on her back nine.
Hitaashee, who broke through for her first pro win in December 2020, birdied three in a row from 12th and had three other birdies.
She dropped a shot on the par-4 eighth and a double on the par-4 11th.
Tvesa Malik, playing her first event in 2021 after a stint on the :adies European Tour, was disappointed that two of her three bogeys came on par-5s.
Last week’s winner amateur Avani Prashanth did well to recover from a difficult bogey-bogey start for a 2-over 73 and T15.
For the second week running, there was a hole-in-one as Rhea Purvi Sarvanan aced the Par-3 182-yard 16th hole, but she also had a triple bogey and carded 2-over 73.
There were also two eagles on the day. Shriya Vivek (73) holed her second shot on the Par-4 10th and Ishvari Prasanna eagled the Par-5 12th.
Scores and round 2 tee times
8:30 am: Saaniya Sharma 83; Marshneil Prasad 83
8:40 am : Durga Nittur 82; Disha Kavery 82
8:50 am : Mehar Atwal 81; Nishna Patel (A) 80; Astha Madan 80
9 am : Trimann Saluja 80; Anousha Tripathi 79; Geetika Ahuja 78
9:15 am: Rhea Jha 78; Asmitha Sathish 77; Shweta Mansingh 76
9:25 am : Ishvari Prasanna 76; Shagun Narain 75; Gaurika Bishnoi 75
9:35 am : Nayanika Sanga (A) 74; Puneet K. Bajwa (A) 74; Oviya Reddi 74
9:45 am : Neha Tripathi 74; Rhea Purvi Saravanan 74; Avani Prashanth (A) 73
10 am: Shriya Vivek 73; Sneha Singh (A) 72; Gauri Karhade 72
10:10 am: Khushi Khanijau 71; Ananya Datar 71; Diksha Dagar 71
10:20 am : Khushi Hooda (A) 71; Tvesa Malik 71; Seher Atwal 71
10:30 am : Vani Kapoor 71; Ridhima Dilawari 70; Jahanvi Bakshi 70
10:40 am : Jyotsana Singh 69; Hitaashee Bakshi 68; Amandeep Drall 68
Also read: Poona Club will see young brigade challenge established order again
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