File photo of Nayanika Sanga, day one leader at Boulder Hills in Hyderabad on Wednesday. Image courtesy WGAI.
By Rahul BanerjiÂ
Gurgaon golfer Nayanika Sanga, looking for her maiden win on the Hero Women’s Pro Golf Tour, held a one-shot lead after the first day at the Boulder Hills Golf and Country Club in Hyderabad on Wednesday.
Nayanika, 20, had seven birdies, including three in a row on the back nine.. Her 4 under par 68 gave her a one shot edge over last week’s winner, Hitaashee Bakshi (69) and Jasmine Shekar (69).
Amandeep Drall, Gaurika Bishnoi and Sneha Singh, alongside Sri Lankan amateur Kaya Daluwatte were tied for fourth with cards of 2 under 70, the WGAI said.
Nayanika, who turned pro in 2022, had an early bogey but two birdies thereafter ensured she would turn in 1 under par.
Strong recovery
Another early dropped shot pulled her back to even par, but a hat-trick of birdies from hoke 11 to 13 and two more on 15 and 18 with a bogey in between saw her finish on 68.
Hitaashee too had an early bogey but three birdies over the next five holes saw her turn in a healthy 2 under 34. On the back nine, she birdied twice and dropped one shot to finish on 3 under 69.
Jasmine Shekar made a flying start with four birdies in the first seven holes, but then three bogeys against one birdie between holes 9 and 13 saw her fall back.
A closing birdie ensured she too would finish on 69 and close on the leader’s heels
Khushi Khanijau (71) was sole eighth while Vidhatri Urs, Anvitha Narender, Seher Atwal and amateur Srihita Mandava were tied for ninth on 1 over 73s.
Scores and round 2 tee times
7:30 am: Ravjot K. Dosanjh 84, Yashita Raghav 82;
7:40 am: Gauri Karhade 81, Yaalisai Verma 81;
7:50 am: Karishma Govind 78, Snigdha Goswami 78, Geetika Ahuja 77;
8 am: Anaggha Venkatesh 77, Pihoo Chauhan (A) 76, Ridhima Dilawari 75;
8:10 am: Rhea Purvi Saravanan 75, Shweta Mansingh 74, Ananya Garg 74;
8:25 am: Srihitha Mandava (A) 73, Vidhatri Urs 73, Seher Atwal 73;
8:35 am: Anvitha Narender 73, Khushi Khanijau 71, Kaya Daluwatte (A) 70;
8:45 am: Sneha Singh 70, Gaurika Bishnoi 70, Amandeep Drall 70
8:55 am: Jasmine Shekar 69, Hitaashee Bakshi 69, Nayanika Sanga 68
Also read: Merit list topper Hitaashee favoured for final leg of Hero WPGT
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