Anika Varma gets India off to a good start in Queen Sirikit Cup

A fighting 74 by Anika Varma helped secure a spot inside the top ten after the first round of the 41st Queen Sirikit Cup at the Glenelg Golf Club in Adelaide

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Anika Varma is lying T7 in Queen Sirikit Cup

06 March 2019: Even as Korea took charge of the lead in the Queen Sirikit Cup, Indian trio Anika Varma, Hitaashee Bakshi and Jahanvi Bakshi gave India a solid start in the 41st edition at the Glenelg Golf Club in Adelaide. Anika made a fighting 74 while Hitaashee and Jahanvi scored 76 and 77 respectively. Ye-Been Sohn was at the top of the leaderboard with a two under score of 71 with Uhjin Seo tapping on her heels at 72. Keeping Seo company in T2 are Japan’s Yuri Yoshida and Thai golfer Yosita Khawnuna.

Anika is lying in T7 with Angela Aung of Myanmar. Hitaashee was in T18 with Jahanvi is in the group behind at T21. The three young girls made the Indian team through the IGU conducted selection trials over six legs at the Noida Golf Course and Jaypee Greens Golf Course from January 26-30.

Anika and Hitaashee are 14 years old while Jahanvi is 16. The three girls are seeking to emulate a good performance last year by Anika, Diksha Dagar and Pranavi Urs who finished sixth in Thailand last year.

The Indians all played off the first tee on Wednesday. Anika made a fine birdie on the first hole, but Jahanvi conceded a double bogey six to start her round. A bogey at the fourth was quickly repaired by another birdie at the 7th, Anika securing the turn in 37 strokes on this par-73 course.

Hitaashee was also a disciplined customer on the forward nine, erasing a bogey at the third with a good birdie at the next hole. Jahanvi improved to even par despite that double at the first, with birdies at the 2nd and 5th helping her erase the early damage. But a bogey at the ninth meant that she turned in 39 strokes.

Life on the course turned worse for Jahanvi when she continued bleeding strokes on the way home. She made bogeys at 11, 12, 15 & 17 punctuated by a third birdie on her card at the 13th hole.

Hitaashee was sailing on an even keel through the 13th after undoing a bogey at the 10th with a birdie at the 12th. But her boat was rocked soon after that. The 14-year-old conceded three bogeys in four holes through the 17th as she slipped to a 76.

Anika moved to one under when she posted a birdie at the 15th hole. But back to back bogeys at the next two holes stained her card as she closed out with a par on the 18th hole.