Vani Kapoor looks to carry SA form into Aamby Valley event

By Rahul Banerji

Vani Kapoor, who is back after a good run on the Sunshine Tour in South Africa, will be one to watch for in the fourth leg of the Hero WPGT that tees off near Pune on Wednesday.

Such is also the case with Amandeep Drall, who will soon turn her focus to the Ladies European Tour after the Aamby Valley event.

Vani played three events in a row in South Africa, bringing in top-20 finishes in each of them.

She was 11^th at the DImenson Data Ladies Pro-AM, followed by a T17 finish at the SuperSport Ladies Challenge and T20 at Jabra Ladies Classic.

Amandeep Drall, who is still on the reserves list for the Saudi Ladies International, is however confirmed for the Joburg Ladies and Women’s South African Open.

She will be hoping to get some good tournament practice before she ventures out overseas again.

Solid field

For this fourth leg, the field is again a sizeable one with 33 entries in all, including six amateurs teeing off at the par-72 Aamby Valley Green Golf Course.

The first three legs of the Hero WPGT have so far been won by three different players.

Last week’s winner Hitaashee Bakshi and her sister Jahanvi will be among the front runners, as will Pranavi Urs.

Amateur Sneha Singh, who won the second leg and finished runner-up behind Hitaashee at Bombay Presidency, is not playing this week.

Among others looking at some exposure outside India this summer are Gaurika Bishnoi, Ridhima Dilawari and Pranavi Urs.

The six amateurs in the field are Smriti Bhargava, Heena Kang, Rishika Muralidhar, Jasmine Shekhar, Jia Kataria and Vidhatri Urs.

Round 1 tee times

8:30 am: Seher Atwal; Jyotsana Singh; Khushi Khanijau

8:40 am: Saaniya Sharma; Oviya Reddi; Jahanvi Bakshi

8:50 am: Astha Madan; Ishvari Prasanna; Ridhima Dilawari

9 am: Neha Tripathi; Gauri Karhade; Asmitha Sathish

9:15 am: Riya Yadav; Shweta Mansingh; Smriti Bhargav (A)

9:25 am: Suchitra Ramesh; Heena Kang (A); Anisha Agarwalla

9:35 am: Durga Nittur; Vani Kapoor; Rishika Muralidhar (A)

9:45 am: Amandeep Drall; Mehar Atwal; Jasmine Shekar (A)

10 am: Pranavi Urs; Rhea Jha; Jia Kataria (A)

10:10 am: Ayesha Kapur; Hitaashee Bakshi; Lakhmehar Pardesi

10:20 am: Vidhatri Urs (A); Rhea Purvi Saravanan; Gaurika Bishnoi

Also read: Hitaashee settles an old score with Sneha at BPGC pro event