Pranavi leads strong field in BPGC leg of women’s pro tour

By Rahul Banerji

Already a winner and runner-up from her two 2021 starts, Pranavi Urs starts as favourite in the third leg of the Hero Women’s Pro Golf Tour at Bombay Presidency Golf Club on Wednesday.

Second to Ridhima Dilawari in the opening leg and then winner of the second leg last month, Pranavi leads the largest-ever field in WPGT history

Also entered is Ladies European Tour (LET) winner Diksha Dagar, who will be playing her first event of the year. 

The BPGC event offers a Rs. 10 lakh purse to the 37-strong field that includes six amateurs, an indication of the growing strength of professional women golfers in India.

Among the amateur entrants is national champion Sneha Singh of Hyderabad, Khushi Hooda and Pranavi’s sister Vidhatri.

Also in the fray are Ridhima and Order of Merit leader Amandeep Drall.

Amandeep, who won the eighth leg of the 2020 season and finished runner-up in the ninth and last event last year, has hit a dip in form.

She was ninth in the two opening events of 2021 and will be hoping to get back to last year’s form.

Contenders galore

Hitaashee Bakshi, second in the second leg, and her sister Jahanvi are expected to stake a strong claim. Also in the fray is the seasoned Vani Kapoor, who has been winless for some time now.

Astha Madan, who played a few LET events last year, and past winners Gauri Karhade and Neha Tripathi also feature in the field.

Of the six amateurs in the running – Avani Prashanth, Khushi Hooda, Nayanika Sanga, Nishna Patel, Sneha and Vidhatri Urs – Sneha has already tasted victory on the pro tour.

Tee times and first round groups

8 am: Geetika Ahuja; Ishvari Prasanna

8:10 am: Shweta Mansingh; Marshneil Prasad

8:20 am : Seher Atwal; Lakhmehar Pardesi; Khushi Hooda (A)

8:30 am : Avani Prashanth (A); Diksha Dagar; Ananya Datar

8:40 am : Vani Kapoor; Vidhatri Urs (A); Rhea Jha

9:05 am : Sneha Singh (A); Astha Madan; Shriya Vivek

9:15 am : Pranavi Urs; Shagun Narain; Ayesha Kapur

9:25 am : Nayanika Sanga (A); Amandeep Drall; Trimann Saluja

9:40 am : Asmitha Sathish; Jyotsana Singh; Saaniya Sharma

9:50 am : Nishna Patel (A); Khushi Khanijau; Durga Nittur

10 am M : Jahanvi Bakshi; Oviya Reddi; Neha Tripathi

10:10 am: Ridhima Dilawari; Hitaashee Bakshi; Gauri Karhade

Also read: Hitaashee Bakshi wins on second Hero WPGT start as a pro