Amateur Seher Atwal struck a brilliant 2-under 70 to share the lead with seasoned Tvesa Malik and Neha Tripathi, after the first round of the 10th leg of the Hero womens Pro golf Tour at Clover Greens here on Wednesday.
Seher, one of India's most promising amateurs back home on a break from Rollins College in the United States, had a steady round with a birdie-birdie start and with three birdies against one bogey, to finish with 2-under 70.
Seher was very solid and dropped just one shot on the Par-4 eighth hole to share the lead with Tvesa and Neha, who hold the top two spots on the Hero WPGT order of merit.
Neha, who has one win this season, has been in good form but has been unable to string three good rounds together for more wins. She had no less than six birdies, but started and finished the day with a bogey and in between had a double bogey on the Par-5 seventh hole.
Tvesa, who has been having a great season with one win, three second place and three third place finishes, was 1-over through 10 holes, but three birdies against no bogeys in the last eight holes saw her end in red numbers at 2-under 70.
On a day when there were four sub-par scores, Amandeep Drall shot 1-under 71. She shot two birdies and as many bogeys in the first half to be level till the 10th hole. She birdied the 11th and parred the rest.
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Vani Kapoor, who has been playing outside India, clearly needed time to adjust to the greens at home, as she carded 1-over 73 and is lying tied-5th with Gaurika Bishnoi. Vani had just one birdie against two bogeys, while Gaurika had two birdies and three bogeys.
Amateur Shweta Mansingh and Suchitra Ramesh were tied seventh with scores of 74 each, while Millie Saroha and Sonam Chugh were tied-9th at 75. Four players, Khushi Khanijau, Trisha Sunil, Siddhi Kapoor and Afshan Fatima were tied 11th with cards of 76.
Gursimar Badwal, the only player with multiple wins this season, was way down in 15th place with a birdie-less round of 77 with five bogeys.
--IANS
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