Pranavi Urs is early leader in Hero pro tour event at BGC

Pranavi Urs
File photo of three-time winner this year and BGC event leader Pranavi Urs. Image courtesy WGAI.

By Rahul Banerji

Thrice a winner already this season, Pranavi Urs led the Hero WPGT ninth leg field with a 2-under par 67 at the Bangalore Golf Club on Wednesday.

Seher Atwal showed signs of a return to form with a 1-under 68 in the Rs 11 lakh event.

Gauri Karhade, a one-time winner on the Hero WPG Tour who has been struggling for consistency, was third with a 2-over 71, while Sneha Singh, making her pro debut, had a 72 for fourth place.

Pranavi, who now seems to have recovered almost fully from injuries, had a superb front nine to be 3-under at the turn.

She dropped two shots on the back nine but balanced that with two birdies before a final bogey saw her finish on 2-under for the day.

Seher who opened with a bogey made amends quickly, picking up two shots by the turn.

She had one more birdie but gave that away four holes later to finish at 68, one shot behind Pranavi.

Mixed bag

Gauri Karhade had two birdies, two bogeys and a double bogey while Sneha had three birdies against six bogeys in her 72.

Amateur Vidhatri Urs, Hitaashee Bakshi, Anisha Agarwalla and Shweta Mansingh shot 73s each to be tied for fifth.

Four others, Khushi Khanijau, Afshan Fatima, Disha Kavery and Ananya Datar were T9 with 5-over 74s each.

The event marked the professional debut of former national women’s champion Sneha Singh, a four-time winner as an amateur winner on the Hero Women’s Pro Golf Tour.

Sneha Singh
Former national women’s amateur champion Sneha Singh of Hyderabad, who made her professional debut in Bangalore on Wednesday. Image courtesy WGAI.

The Hyderabad golfer, who turned 18 last month, has won once each in the last four years.

This year, Sneha won in Visakhapatnam in the second leg of the season and was runner-up in the third leg.

The absence of many of the leading players, who are busy with the Ladies European Tour, will also give the younger players a chance to bid for a maiden title in the Garden City.

Pranavi leads the Hero Order of Merit with Jahanvi Bakshi and Ridhima Dilawari way behind. Jahanvi and Ridhima are not in the field for the ninth leg, which will give Pranavi a chance to extend her lead.

Tvesa Malik, Diksha Dagar, Amandeep Drall, Vani Kapoor, Neha Tripathi, Ridhima and Suchitra Ramesh are all playing in Europe currently.

Scores and round 2 tee times

8:40 am: Agrima Manral 83; Rhea Purvi Saravanan 83

8:50 am: Sonam Chugh 83; Millie Saroha 82; Heena Kang (A) 82

9 am: Rhea Jha 82; Khushi Hooda (A) 81; Anaggha Venkatesh 80

9:10 am: Ishvari Prasanna 78; Saaniya Sharma 78; Shagun Narain 78

9:25 am: Asmitha Sathish 78; Nayanika Sanga 77; Durga Nittur 77

9:35 am: Geetika Ahuja 77; Jasmine Shekar (A) 76; Gaurika Bishnoi 76

9:45 am: Saanvi Somu (A) 76; Oviya Reddi 75; Jyotsana Singh 75

9:55 am: Ananya Datar 74; Disha Kavery 74; Afshan Fatima 74

10:10 am: Khushi Khanijau 74; Shweta Mansingh 73; Anisha Agarwalla 73

10:20 am: Hitaashee Bakshi 73; Vidhatri Urs (A) 73; Sneha Singh 72

10:30 am: Gauri Karhade 71; Seher Atwal 68; Pranavi Urs 67

Also read: Hero WPGT regulars invited to inaugural Simone Cup golf


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