Pranavi, Ridhima share Leg 1 lead of Hero WPGT in Pune

By Rahul Banerji

Pranavi Urs, a former winner on the domestic professional tour despite her amateur status, and Ridhima Dilawari shared the lead in the first leg opener of the Hero Women’s Pro Golf Tour 2020 at the Poona Golf Club on Wednesday.

Mysore-based Pranavi and Delhi’s Ridhima, last year’s most successful player on the tour, shot 1-under 70s each on the day.

Urs and Dilawari led the fancied Diksha Dagar (72) by two shots after she finished bogey-bogey despite being two-under through 16 holes.

Late blip

Pranavi, who won on the pro tour at Bangalore’s Eagleton course in 2018, played steady golf after starting with a bogey. She recovered with three birdies but dropped a further shot two holes from the end.

Riddhima dropped two shots before making the turn but recovered strongly with three birdies on ensure a sub-par card, the only one on the day besides her co-leader.

Diksha was one-under after 16 holes with two birdies against a bogey when she came to the 17^th tee, but she dropped a shot each on both the closing holes for a 72.

Saaniya Sharma, Afshan Fatima and Amandeep Drall carded 73s and were tied fourth. Drall’s card was spoilt by a late double bogey on Par-4 16^th.

Neha Tripathi (74) was seventh, while Khushi Khanijau, Vani Kapoor and Ananya Datar were tied-eighth with rounds of 75 each.

Hero Order of Merit winner for 2019, Gaurika Bishnoi, was lying T11 with a round of 5-over 76 with four bogeys, a double against a lone birdie

Tee times for Round 2

8:30 am: Trimann Saluja 86;  Geetika Ahuja 84

8:40 am: Oviya Reddi 84; Ishvari Prasanna 83; Anousha Tripathi 81

8:50 am: Gursimar Badwal 81; Ayesha Kapur 80; Gurjot Badwal 79

9 am: Shriya Vivek 78; Jyotsana Singh 77; Sonam Chugh 76

9:10 am: Tanirika Singh 76; Gaurika Bishnoi 76; Mehar Atwal 76

9:20 am: Anisha Agarwalla 76; Siddhi Kapoor 76; Ananya Datar 75

9:30 am: Vani Kapoor 75; Khushi Khanijau 75; Neha Tripathi 74

9:40 am: Saaniya Sharma 73; Afshan Fatima 73; Amandeep Drall 73

9:50 am: Diksha Dagar 72; Ridhima Dilawari 70; Pranavi Urs (A) 70

Also read: Nationals winners Aryan, Sneha lead field for Faldo Series India leg