Amandeep 2nd as Oviya takes lead on Day 1

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, February 12

Panchkula’s Amandeep Drall carded a 2-over 74 to finish a shot behind leader Oviya Reddi on the opening day of the third leg of the Women’s Pro Golf Tour in Chennai on today.

Oviya shot her best round as a professional, a 1-over 73, to take sole lead.

The 19-year-old Oviya, who turned professional in the middle of the 2019 season, shot four birdies against three bogeys and a double.

Oviya was four-under through the first seven holes at the TNGF Cosmo layout, but a double bogey on the par-3 8th and three more bogeys thereafter meant that she finished 1-over for the day.

Amandeep, whose last win was at the 10th leg last season, shot a 74 with a bogey each in the first and the last-nine.

Ananya Datar, who was in the lead group, was 1-over after the 15th with two birdies against three bogeys. She then dropped shots on 16th and 18th to fall to 75 and sole third.

Amateur Sneha Singh, who registered a win on the Women’s Pro Golf Tour last year, seemed fine at 1-over after 10 with a double on the 8th and a birdie on the 10th. Thereafter she dropped four shots in a row from the 12th to 15th but a birdie on the par-3 17th gave her some consolation as she ended the day at 76.

Six players, including Ishvari Prasanna, who had the day’s only eagle two with a hole out on the par-4 second, shared the fifth place with 77 each.

Sonam Chugh, Siddhi Kapoor, Afshan Fatima, Neha Tripathi and Kapurthala’s Gursimar Badwal were tied with Ishvari.

Some of the more fancied names had a tough day with the winner of the second leg, Pranavi Urs, struggling to 8-over 80 in her first round after turning pro.

Vani Kapoor carded 79 with one birdie against eight bogeys, six of which came on the back nine.