Sep 20, 2017: Tvesa Malik, who won her maiden Hero Women’s Pro Golf Titles in the seventh leg at Eagleton, Bengaluru, took a share in the three-way lead alongside Afshan Fatima and Siddhi Kapoor, at the end of the first day at the Delhi Golf Club on Wednesday. The trio shot two-over 74 each and held a three shot lead over the more fancied Gaurika Bishnoi and Gursimar Badwal, who carded 77 each.
While the 21-year-old Tvesa has one career title, which she won in July this year, Afshan, also 21, and Siddhi, 19, are looking for their maiden success on the Hero WPG Tour. On a day when birdies were hard to come by, Tvesa had two on the par-4 sixth and ninth, while Siddhi and Afshan had one each. Afshan had to wait till the 18th to hole a birdie.
This is the 12th leg of the 2017 season, which has produced six different winners and it remains to be seen is either Siddhi or Afshan can add to that number.
Siddhi’s best this season has been the third place in the 10th leg, while Afshan’s best was the fifth place in fourth leg in Kolkata.
The favourites, Gaurika Bishnoi and Gursimar Badwal, had an off day with cards of 77 each.
Gaurika had three bogeys on the front nine, and as many on the back nine with a solitary birdie on 10th. Gursimar opened the day with a birdie and then had two bogeys and two doubles in her 77.
Mehar Atwal was the only other player to break 80 and she shot 79 to be sixth, while Ayesha Kapur (81) was seventh. Smriti Mehra, Trisha Sunil and Saaniya Sharma, the winner of the 11th Leg, had 82 each in Tied-8th place.
In the second round, the leading trio, Tvesa, Afshan and Siddhi Kapoor will go out together in the final group.
WGAI Tour Release
