Wessberg leads by a shot at HWIO as Drall heads home challenge

By Rahul Banerji

Sweden’s Linda Wessberg opened with a superb seven-under 65 to take the lead after day one of the $400,000 Hero Women’s Indian Open on Thursday.

The Swedish veteran, now in her 19^th year on the Ladies European Tour, was a shot ahead of Frenchwoman Anais Meyssonnier, who holed eight birdies against two bogeys for a 6-under 66.

Amandeep Drall opened with a bogey-free five under par 67 to share third place and was the best-placed Indian of a 30-strong home contingent two shots behind Wessberg. 

Tvesa Malik finished her round in fading light to share seventh place on three-under 69 as just 21 players from a field of 114 finished with sub-par scores. 

Winner in 2016, Aditi Ashok was in a share of 11^th place on two-under 69 while Gaurika Bishnoi was the other Indian in red figures, tied for 16^th on one-under 71. 

“Everything was good as I expected it because I’ve been playing well of late,” Drall said of her round.  

“I’ve been hitting well so there were very few errors. I just missed one green on the 17th and I hit it quite close on a couple of holes. I holed two average-range putts, the rest were all really close.”

Amandeep rode her short irons to set up a host of birdie and par putts and said it came from having spent time in Europe recently. 

Gaining focus

“When you’re playing more on the Ladies European Tour, the girls are so good, so you know every shot, it really matters.

“You know you can’t be loose during any shot like you have to be like 100 per cent. That’s what I learned and you have to be good on the greens. 

“I was just in my zone today, really calm and composed, and I just took it one shot at a time. And it’s three more rounds to go, so it’s a long journey ahead. But to have a good start is always helpful.”

Tvesa had her progress interrupted by a double-bogey seven on the par-5 15^th, her only blemish of the day.  

For the rest of the round she was faultless, bouncing back from the double with consecutive birdies on the final two holes of the front nine. 

Tvesa would pick up a further three shots on her way back to the clubhouse. 

“It was a good comeback from the way I started,” she said later. 

Steady golf

LPGA regular and event favourite Aditi Ashok, also starting on the back nine, mixed two bogeys with three birdies before the turn and played steady golf thereafter. 

“I made four birdies which was pretty good,” Aditi said later. “But I feel like I had at least three-four putts which I could have holed for birdie as well. 

“I had a three-putt on the 17th from 15 feet. That’s not usual for me. I could have done better on the greens, but I think 2-under is not a bad score still.

“I hit almost every fairway today, I think, except for the last hole and I had. I missed only three greens which was also pretty good.  

“But I missed I think three-four putts which were inside of 10 feet. But overall, I am in a position where I can shoot good rounds and catch up with the leaders.” 

Gaurika Bishnoi was in the top-five midway through the day but was pushed down the order as the afternoon starters came back in. 

“The round was good,” she said later. “There were two bogeys that came on par fives, but other than that I had a decent round today.  

Interesting run

“Three bogeys, four birdies with three of them back-to-back so that was definitely interesting.  

“But all in all, I’m happy with the way I came back because I wasn’t off to a good start. I was through two over through 11 holes. And to finish one under – I’m not complaining about it.” 

Of the rest, Nishtha Madan and Vani Kapoor were on level par 72 and tied for 23^rd place, while Seher Atwal, Htaashee Bakshi, Pranavi Urs and Diksha Dagar were in shared 35^th place on one-over 73s. 

Wessberg, who has never missed the cut in eight starts on the Hero Women’s Indian Open had an ace on the par-3 fifth hole that added Rs 2 lakh to her final takings.

Amandeep shared third place with another India regular, Finland’s Noora Komulainen, who has never missed a cut in her previous five starts in the Hero Women’s Indian Open.

Tied for fifth were Swedish colleagues Caroline Hedwall, the 2011 champion, and Elin Arvidsson, playing her first full season on the LET after some years on the Epson Tour in the US.

Second ace

Wessberg’s hole-in-one was not the only ace of the day as Scotland’s Gabrielle MacDonald also aced the 145-yard 16th, but finished on four-over 76.

Solheim Cup star Wessberg said later, “I felt like I wasn’t playing great actually, but I gave myself some really good chances and I rolled in some good putts and I took advantage of those.

“Obviously, the hole-in-one on hole five, which helped the score.”

“I haven’t had a great year. I’ve been playing pretty decent but haven’t been putting well at all so when you finally see the balls drop in the hole it, it always helps and it’s good for the confidence.”

Meyssonnier, who has never won but came close at her home Open, the Ladies Open de France with a T3 in 2021 and T4 this year, said, “I felt nice about my entire game today.

“I think I hit 16 greens in regulation and 11 fairways. So from the tee to the green, it was perfect. The only thing that was not so nice today was my chipping.

“My pitching was good too, I hit a lot of shots near to the pin. It was just a good one with a lot of good shots. Just like play one zone and after you go for the green.”

Also read: High expectations from largest-ever home squad at HWIO 2022