Amandeep blazes on back nine to take 3-shot lead in 5th Leg of Hero WPGT

Amandeep Drall, preparing herself for a busy European Tour season, played a sublime back nine with four birdies and no bogeys to make up for two lapses on the Par-5s on the front nine, to take the lead after the first round in the fifth leg of the Hero Women’s Pro Golf Tour on the Gary Player layout at the DLF Golf and Country Club. Amandeep Drall, who is yet to win on the domestic Tour this season, was the only player to score under par.

Amandeep took a three-shot lead over Jahanvi Bakshi (72), while Rhea Purvi Saravanan and Nayanika Sanga shot 2-over 74 each to occupy the Tied-second place.

Pranavi Urs, the current leader on the Hero Order of Merit, Seher Atwal, Astha Madan and Durga Nittur carded 3-over 75 each and were Tied-fifth.

Six players including one amateur were Tied 9th at 76 each. Apart from amateur Nishna Patel, there were Rhea Jha, Asmitha Sathish, Gaurika Bishnoi, Ridhima Dilawari and Saaniya Sharma. Hitaashee Bakshi, who already has a win this season, was 15th.

Amandeep began with a birdie on Par-3 third but dropped a shot on Par-5 fourth, which was not playing easy – though Vani Kapoor (78) and Neha Tripathi (78) birdied the same hole. Amandeep had a second bogey on Par-5 eighth and turned in 1-over 37. On the back nine she picked shots on 10th, 14th, 15th, and the 17th.

Jahanvi dropped three bogeys between third and sixth but also had a birdie on fifth. She steadied herself and birdied the ninth to turn in 1-over 37. On the back nine she had one birdie on Par-5 15th and parred the rest for a day’s work of 72.

Rhea had three birdies against three bogeys and a double bogey, while Nayanika had two birdies against four bogeys.

Tee times for Round 2 of the fifth Leg of the Hero Women’s Pro Golf Tour at the DLF Golf and Country Club, Gurugram:

1 8:30 am : Anisha Agarwalla 90; Saanvi Somu (A) 88;

2 8:40 am : Smriti Mehra 87; Geetika Ahuja 87;

3 8:50 am : Shagun Narain 86; Kriti Chowhan (A) 85; Smriti Bhargav (A) 85;

4 9:00 am : Riya Yadav 83; Oviya Reddi 83; Ishvari Prasanna 83;

5 9:10 am : Suchitra Ramesh 83; Heena Kang (A) 82; Agrima Manral 82;

6 9:20 am : Lakhmehar Pardesi 82; Jyotsana Singh 82; Afshan Fatima 81;

7 9:35 am : Shweta Mansingh 81; Khushi Khanijau 80; Zara Anand (A) 79;

8 9:45 am : Trimann Saluja 78; Vani Kapoor 78; Neha Tripathi 78;

9 9:55 am : Hitaashee Bakshi 77; Saaniya Sharma 76; Ridhima Dilawari 76;

10 10:05 am : Gaurika Bishnoi 76; Asmitha Sathish 76; Rhea Jha 76;

11 10:20 am : Nishna Patel (A) 76; Astha Madan 75; Durga Nittur 75;

12 10:30 am : Pranavi Urs 75; Seher Atwal 75; Nayanika Sanga 74;

13 10:40 am : Rhea Purvi Saravanan 74; Jahanvi Bakshi 72; Amandeep Drall 69;