Golfer Vani leads after first round of Hero women Tour

Bengaluru, June 22 (IANS) Continuing her impressive run, Delhi golfer Vani Kapoor carded one under 70 on the first day to grab the lead in the ninth Leg of the Rs 6,00,000 Hero women’s professional Tour at the Clover Greens Golf Course here on Wednesday.

Trailing Vani in second position is Chandigarh’s Amandeep Drall at one over 72 while Jaipur's Afshan Fatima, Delhi's Gauri Monga and Pune's Shweta Galande share the third place.

Hero order of merit leader Vani started confidently and played an impressive front-nine with three birdies on the third, fifth and seventh holes, but faltered on the ninth with a bogey.

Her back-nine saw her carding a birdie on the 12th hole with bogeys on the 16th and 17th, to finish the round at one under 70.

Amandeep carded birdies on the second, 15th and 16th holes, and bogeys on the eighth, ninth , 10th and 14th to return with a score of one over 72.

Afshan, Gauri and Shweta carded identical scores of two over 73 after the first round. Afshan had bogeys on the ninth, 10th, and 18th holes, with a double on the second.

Her birdies came on the fifth, 13th and 16th holes while Gauri played a birdie less front nine, with bogeys on the first, ninth and a double on the eighth hole. She had a blemish free back nine and carded birdies on the 15th and 17th holes.

Pune girl Shweta did not have a good start, and recorded a bogey on the very first hole. She had another bogey on the 16th along with a double on the third. She was, however, able to repair the damage with two birdies on the ninth and 14th holes.

Chandigarh’s Saaniya Sharma and Delhi’s Ankita Tiwana are placed tied sixth with identical scores of three over 74 after 18 holes. Saaniya’s card on the day included five bogeys on the fifth, 10th, 11th, 14th and 16th holes, with birdies on the 13th and 15th.

Ankita played the only bogey free front nine of the day, with two birdies on the second and third holes. However, she had a string of errors in the back nine, with bogies on the 11th, 13th and 14th, and also a double on the 12th.

Kolkata’s Neha Tripathy is placed eighth with a score of five over 76 followed by Sharmila Nicollet and Gursimar Badwal at tied ninth position with identical scores of six over 77.