By Rahul Banerji
Still in search of a first win this season, Amandeep Drall finished with a hat-trick of birdies to take a share of the lead alongside Gaurika Bishnoi and Gursimar Badwal on day one of the Rs.10 lakh seventh leg of the Hero Women’s Pro Golf Tour in Hosur on Wednesday.
Drall has a special relationship with the layout at the Clover Greens, winning both events staged at the venue last year.
Amandeep, Gaurika and Gursimar were all on 1-under 71, one shot ahead of Hero Order of Merit leader Neha Tripathi, and Ananya Datar who had level par 72s each.
In a field of 26 pros and three amateurs, the largest ever assembled at a domestic event on the Hero WPG Tour, four players including Ridhima Dilawari, the only multiple winner this year, Khushi Khanijau, Millie Saroha and Astha Madan had 73s to be tied sixth.
Tvesa Malik was sole 10th with a round of 74.
Solid record
This was Amandeep’s sixth successive sub-par round at the Clover Greens. The last time she shot worse than sub-par was a level par 72 in the first round of the eighth leg of the 2018 Tour, which she won.
Drall topped the 10th leg too with three straight sub-par rounds.
Gursimar had two birdies against one dropped shot while Gaurika, who won the fifth leg this season, opened with a birdie but dropped two shots. On the back nine, though she birdied twice for her 71.
Neha had just birdie against one dropped shot while Ananya Datar had three birdies and three bogeys.
Astha Madan was two-under through 11 holes, before dropping thee shots in the last seven, while Ridhima dropped three shots in four holes. She made up one with a birdie on Par-3 16th.
Tvesa Malik at sole 10th birdied twice, but she had a double on the 11th and two more bogeys.
D’Souza tops Champions Tour event
In Bangalore, the two-day AVT Champions Tour at the Eagleton course saw former India international, David D’Souza of Bangalore emerge winner. Another local face, G.S. Ravifinished second
Playing on the par-72 Eagleton course in individual stroke play format, D’Souza had a gross score of 152 with rounds of 79 and 73 over 36 holes. Ravi grossed 159 with rounds of 79 and 80.
In the four-man club team category Team KGA comprising of D’Souza, Pramod Kurian, Sumit Rathore and Sanjeev Mehera were declared winners with a gross score of 487.
There were individual prizes for the women golfers who participated with best gross winner being Suparna Mahesh on a score of 85 and best nett winner being Dolly Mangath on 74.
The AVT Champions Tour is only the second national-senior (50 years and above) golf tournament in this country and saw over 100 participants in the Bangalore leg from 10 different cities.
They included star senior golfers like former Asian Games double gold medalist Lakshman Singh who was the runner-up in individual age category of 65 years and above along with former all-India senior champion Gangesh Khaitan.
Asian Games gold winner and reigning IGU senior all-India national champion and first leg winner Rishi Narain was second in the 55-59 years individual age category behind Jasprit Bakshi.
Anil Jul topped while Vijay Kumar finished runner-up in the 60-64 years age category.
The third leg of the AVT Champions Tour will be played in September in Pune to be followed by the national final.
Overall gross winners:
65 years & above: Gangesh Khaitan, gross score 161 over 36 holes
60-64 years: Anil Jule, gross score 164 over 36 holes
55-59 years: Jasprit Bakshi, gross score 161 over 36 holes
50-54 years: Utpal Desai, gross score 162 over 36 holes
Also read: Ladies pro event prize pot hits the million-rupee mark
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