Nishna best-placed Indian on day favourites struggle at WAAP

From a Correspondent

Pattaya, Thailand: Mumbai’s Nishna Patel was the best-placed Indian after the first round of the Women’s Amateur Asia-Pacific Championship on Thursday.

The 16-year-old was tied 30^th while Kriti Chowhan (73) was the next best in shared 43^rd on a day few pre-event favourites were able to make a mark.

India’s highest-ranked entrant and national champion, Avani Prashanth (74) was tied 52^nd on the Waterside Course at the Siam Country Club in Pattaya.

Of the three other Indians, Mannat Brar (75) at three-over was tied 61^st, Sifat Sagoo (77) at five-over was T71 and Ceerat Kang (79) at seven-over was T78.

Nishna, who represented India at the Women’s Amateur in Scotland and the World Amateur Team Championship in France, trains at the Bombay Presidency Golf Club.

She missed the cut at the WAAP last year in Abu Dhabi.

Nishna started with two bogeys but fought back with two birdies to get to even par.

Narrow lead

Malaysia’s Liyana Durisic had seven birdies, five of them in the last six holes in a round of six-under 66 to hold a one-shot lead over Australia’s Kelsey Bennett and local girl Natthakritta Vongtaveelap, who shot 67s.

Bennett and Vongtaveelap were among the three players who tied for second place in 2021 behind 2021 winner Mizuki Hashimoto.

On Thursday, the defending champion from Japan was tied fifth on three-under 69.

The winner of the Women’s Amateur Asia-Pacific Championship gets a spot in the Women’s Open and the Evian Championships, besides berths at the Augusta National Women’s Amateur and the Hana Financial Service event in Korea.

Avani had some great saves, but she also dropped shots when she went into the bunker and failed with up-and-down for pars.

She also three-putted the ninth, which was her closing hole. Avani had four bogeys and two birdies.

Kriti Chowhan, who was tied 34^th in the 2021 edition of WAAP, shot a 73 with two birdies against three bogeys.

Durisic, 21, from Kuala Lumpur, is at Iowa State University, and has made the cut at all three previous WAAP events. 

Also read: Avani heads Indian challenge at regional women’s amateur c’ship