Ridhima, Saaniya among favourites for Tolly leg of Hero WPGT

By Rahul Banerji

Ridhima Dilawari will have the chance to pick up a title as the Hero Women’s Pro Golf Tour comes to its closing stages with the 14^th leg of the Tour in Kolkata from Wednesday.

The field is relatively lean as some of the in-form regulars are participating in the Ladies European Tour Q-School in Spain.

As many as 12 Indian pros are in Spain this week, 10 in the pre-qualifier and two in the final.

Those playing the pre-qualifiers include Jahanvi and Hitaashee Bakshi, Seher Atwal, Sharmila Nicollett, Durga Nittur, Pranavi Urs, Suchitra Ramesh, Gauri Karhade, Ashmita Satish and Gaurika Bishnoi. 

Ridhima, Saaniya Sharma, Neha Tripathi, Smriti Mehra and Lakhmehar Pardesi are among those starting as favourites for the event, which carries a purse of Rs. 7 lakh.

Five amateurs, Rishika Muralidhar, Jahnavi Prakhya, NIshna Patel, Smriti Bhargav and Zara Anand, are also in the running at the Tollygunje Golf Club.

Hero Order of Merit leader, Amandeep Drall has skipped the event but with some of the other contenders also not playing in Kolkata, she is assured of Order of Merit honours.

Round 1 tee times

9 am: Jyotsana Singh; Riya Yadav; Rhea Jha

9:10 am: Smriti Mehra; Rishika Muralidhar (A); Oviya Reddi

9:20 am: Lakhmehar Pardesi; Nishna Patel (A); Smriti Bhargav (A)

9:35 am: Geetika Ahuja; Neha Tripathi; Jahnavi Prakhya (A)

9:45 am: Khushi Khanijau; Shweta Mansingh; Ridhima Dilawari

9:55 am: Marshneil Prasad; Saaniya Sharma; Zara Anand (A)

10:05 am: Ishvari Prasanna; Rhea Purvi S.; Anisha Agarwalla

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