November 25, 2015: The first round of the 18th Leg on the Hero Women’s Pro Golf Tour followed a familiar narrative with Vani Kapoor taking a comfortable two shot lead over the field. The Delhi girl was the only golfer to break par at the Rambagh Golf Club, shooting 70 to lead from Ankita Tiwana.
Vani made five birdies after starting the day in the first group alongside Smriti Mehra and Ankita with an 0840am start.
India’s No.1 golfer took 34 shots for her first nine holes of the par-71 course in Jaipur. Birdies at the 1st, 5th and 8th holes were offset partially by bogeys at the par-4 3rd and 7th holes.
The 21 year old took bogeys at the 10th and 18th holes as well, but sandwiched a pair a birdies in between to get through the return stretch in 36 shots.
“I am happy with my round,” said Vani. “I did not practice here, so this was my first look.”
Ankita shot the cleanest round on the day – recovering from two successive bogeys early in the round. She surrendered shots at the 3rd and 4th holes, but made birdie at the fifth before marching home with a sequence of 13 pars to settle into the second spot.
Shweta Galande made 74, taking 36 and 38 shots on either side of her trek around the course. At three over, she is lying four shots behind the leader.
Veteran Smriti Mehra was in a three way tie for fourth on the leaderboard. She signed on a 75, despite making four birdies on the day.
Afshan Fatima and Amandeep Drall also made 75 in the first round. The latter was four over through seven holes, before steadying her hands with a brilliant run of eleven straight pars.
Gursimar Badwal and Kiran Matharu shot 77 each to be tied in seventh place. Neha Tripathi and Ayesha Kapur rounded off the top ten with an 80 in the first round.
