The ‘Rest of the World’ team beat ‘Asia’ 3-1 in a Skills Challenge on the first and ninth holes of the newly opened ‘Black Knight’ course at the DLF Golf and Country Club ahead of the Hero Women’s Indian Open, 2015.
The ‘Rest of the World’ team comprised defending champion Gwladys Nocera, Melissa Reid, Carly Booth and Cheyenne Woods, who won INR 90,000 in prize money while Vani Kapoor, Sharmila Nicollet, Thidapa Suwannapura and Kongraphan Patcharajutar had to be content with a prize purse of INR 30,000.
The Skills Challenge teed-off with the ‘Longest Drive’ competition. Rest of the World beat Asia in this format after Ladies European Tour star Melissa Reid let loose a drive of 270-yards. Asia’s best reply in this contest came in the form of a 267-yard effort by Kongkraphan. Gwladys Nocera added to Asian’s woes with a brilliant shot which landed just 2 feet and 9 inches from the pin in the ‘Pitching Competition’, far better than Vani’s effort of 5 feet and 11 inches.
In the ‘Bunker Shot’ contest, Scotland’s Carly Booth ensured a ‘Rest of the World’ victory when her shot from 85 yards landed just 9 foot 5 inches from the pin in comparison to Kongkraphan’s shot, which landed 15 feet and 4 inches away. Asia pulled one back, thanks to Sharmila’s exceptional shot in the ‘Putting Competition’ which stopped just 3 inches away from the pin, easily bettering Melissa Reid’s effort of 6 feet and 2 inches. Sharmila said afterwards: “The course is really good, very challenging. Putting is my new favourite skill. I’ve always gone with the long drives but unfortunately I missed by a few yards.”
