03 July 2019: The course in Bengaluru has always proved to be a stern test of golfers. On the first day of the eighth leg on the WGAI’s HWPGT, the enterprising women on the tour fought a bleeding battle of attrition, trying to make an early impression. Amandeep Drall secured a two-stroke advantage over Afshan Fatima, Suchitra Ramesh and Ridhima Dilawari after an eventful first round at the iconic course.
It took Amandeep as many as four birdies to just stay even with the course. The eleven-time winner on the WGAI circuit is still looking for her first win this season. In her eighth start this year, Amandeep knocked in birdies on the third, seventh, eighth and fifteenth holes, but also surrendered a double bogey and two bogeys for her 72.
In second at 74 are three women. Afshan had an undulating start and a rocky finish with the middle phase offering her much needed respite. Four bogeys and two birdies in the first six holes meant that she got off to an incident packed launch before settling down to produce nine straight holes without any damage. Afshan also made a birdie at the 11th to reduce her deficit. Bogeys at the 16th and 17th were partly offset by a birdie at the last hole, putting a 74 on her card.
Suchitra and Ridhima swapped scores on their cards as they too went on to make 74. The former took 38 strokes on the front nine against 36 for Ridhima before reversing the pattern on the way home. Both golfers made three birdies in the opening round.
Gaurika Bishnoi had a lone birdie at the 6th as the order of merit leader got off to a 75. She is in the fifth place.
Khushi Khanijau absorbed a couple of bogeys on either side in posting 76. She is tied in sixth place with Gursimar Badwal. Neha Tripathi is in 8th at five-over 77.
Siddhi Kapoor and Astha Madan brought up the rear end of the top ten as the two women closed out the first day at 78.
Komal Chaudhary (89) and Anisha Padukone (92) were forced to make an early retreat on the plus-16 rule, which stipulates that any golfer trailing by 16 strokes or more is dropped at the end of the first round.
