Shagun Narain is early leader at first leg of Hero WPGT in Pune

By Rahul Banerji

On the hunt for her maiden Hero WPGT title, Shagun Narain led the season-opening field after the first round at the Poona Club Golf Course on Wednesday.

The course, which is hosting a Women’s Pro Golf Tour event for the first time since 2021, did not yield low scores with Shagun’s level par 71 being the best card of the day.

The promising Nayanika Sanga, also looking for her breakthrough win, was in close proximity with a round of two-over par 73 alongside the experienced Neha Tripathi.

Event favourite Seher Atwal and amateur Vidhatri Urs carded 74s and four players including Sneha Singh and Ridhima Dilawari shot 75s besides amateur Ananya Garg and Khushi Khanijau.

Rocky start

Shagun, who made a bogey-birdie start closed her front nine with bogeys on eight and nine. On the return journey she birdied three times and dropped one shot for her 71.

Nayanika had a rough bogey-bogey start, but she recovered well with birdies before the turn. On the second nine, she had two bogeys for a 73. Neha had two birdies against three bogeys.

Seher Atwal carded four birdies, but they were undone by four bogeys and a disastrous triple.

Vidhatri suffered two late double bogeys in her round of 74 that also had three birdies and two bogeys.

Scores and round 2 tee times

9 am: Sachika Singh 86; Ketaki Sood (A) 86

9:10 am: Geetika Ahuja 85; Anaggha Venkatesh 84

9:20 am: Marshneil Prasad 84; Rhea Purvi Saravanan 83; Afshan Fatima 83

9:30 am: Suchitra Ramesh 82; Saaniya Sharma 82; Jyotsana Singh 81

9:45 am: Anisha Agarwalla 80; Rhea Jha 80; Karishma Govind 79

9:55 am: Agrima Manral 79; Lakhmehar Pardesi 79; Shweta Mansingh 79

10:05 am: Jasmine Shekar 78; Gauri Karhade 78; Ananya Datar 76

10:15 am: Lavanya Jadon (A) 76; Nishna Patel (A) 76; Oviya Reddi 76

10:30 am Ridhima Dilawari 75; Ananya Garg (A) 75; Sneha Singh 75

10:40 am: Khushi Khanijau 75; Vidhatri Urs (A) 74; Seher Atwal 74

10:50 am Neha Tripathi 73; Nayanika Sanga 73; Shagun Narain 71

Also read: Seher opens Hero WPGT season at venue with happy memories