By Rahul Banerji
US-based Anika Varma carded a bogey-free 69 for a share of fifth place on the opening day of the Women’s Amateur Asia-Pacific in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday.
The 17-year-old, one of eight Indians in the field, had three birdies in her maiden appearance at the continental amateur championship Abu Dhabi Golf Club’s National Course.
Yet the only thing on Anika’s mind after her solid performance was that she needed to finish her homework.
The Sacramento-based Anika, who took a fifth-place finish as a 15-year-old at the 2019 Hero Women’s Indian Open, was three shots behind Thailand’s ‘Ms 300 yards’, Natthakritta Vongtaveelap.
The long-hitting Thai held a two-shot lead after a brilliant six-under 66 that featured seven birdies on Wednesday.
Eight Indians are in contention at the championship – two of them nominated by host nation UAE.
Purdue University’s Sifat Sagoo and 15-year-old Avani Prashanth, of Bangalore, were tied 21st on 1-under par.
Sneha Singh, Junior and Amateur all-India winner in 2019, closed on 1-over par 73 (T39). Kriti Chowhan (76, T-60) and Nishna Patel (78, T-68) were the other players in the Indian team.
Pressing engagement
Varma, who has committed to the University of Oregon next year, was happy with her round.
“It was pretty good. I hit my irons well and I was good off the tee. I did not make all the putts, but that’s okay.
“Three birdies in a bogey-free round is always good,” said Varma, whose last World Amateur Golf Ranking event was a second place finish in West Coast Women’s Amateur in the US.
“I’m just going back to my room to finish my assignments. I am not thinking much about the round, and I am not expecting much from tomorrow’s round.
“I don’t set any numbers…just stay in the moment and play. I just want to play to the best of my ability. Doesn’t matter if I shoot a five-under or a even-par. As long as I know I gave it my best shot, I am happy.”
Late stumble
Sagoo, who started from the 10th tee, was going well nicely at 3-under par, before making late bogeys on the fifth and seventh holes.
“I played well, except for that stretch of holes 5 to 7. I just became a bit conservative there and paid the price,” Sidat said..
“That’s one thing I want to do tomorrow – stay aggressive throughout the round,” she added.
Prashanth was two-under par after 17 holes, before failing to make an up-and-down on the par-4 ninth hole – her last.
“That finish was very disappointing. I am a good bunker player and nine times out of 10, I will back myself to make a par from where I was.
“But I did all right out there and tomorrow is another day,” said Prashanth, who has won two Hero Women’s Golf Association of India events this season.
Natthakritta, who earned her nickname because of the length she generates off the tee made an early bogey on the par-5 second hole. She was rarely in trouble on the golf course after that.
A group of three – Chun-Wei Wu of Chinese Taipei, Mizuki Hashimoto of Japan and Viera Permada Rosada of Indonesia – were in tied second place on 4-under par 68.
A total of 78 players from 16 APGC nations are taking part this week.
Rich reward
The WAAP is one of the most important events for players from the Asia-Pacific region, with the champion getting guaranteed entries in the AIG Women’s Open and The Amundi Evian Championship (both major championships), as well as an invitation to play in the Augusta National Women’s Amateur.
Hyderabad-based Sneha, and Anika, who moved to the US for high school studies and golf, have chosen completely different routes to the championship.
Sneha is the leading Indian player at 153 on WAGR by playing extensively in domestic amateur tournaments and the occasional Hero Women’s Golf Association of India Tour.
She has won three titles playing against the professionals in the last three years.
“I have been playing very well this year, but more than my finishes (three wins and five top-8s in nine starts), what I am really happy about is that I have managed to post good scores,” Sneha said ahead of the WAAP,.
“It is my first time representing India at such a big stage, and I am just going to enjoy myself and do all the things that I do well on the golf course,” she added.
Also read: Jaglan finishes T11; Nakajima wins Asia Pacific crown
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