Jasmine Shekar opened with a 2-under 70 to take a one-shot lead after the first round of the fifth leg of the Hero Women’s Pro Golf Tour at DLF Golf & Country Club.
The winner of the season’s opening leg overcame two late bogeys to finish the day under par on the demanding Gary Player-designed layout. Amateur Lavanya Gupta sits second after a 1-under 71.
Mannat Brar is third with an even-par 72, as only three players in the field managed to shoot par or better on a challenging opening day.
The tournament has attracted a record field of 57 players, including 49 professionals, competing for a purse of Rs.18 lakh.
Jasmine built her round steadily with a birdie on the fifth and another on the 11th to reach 2-under. Despite dropping shots on the 14th and 16th, she recovered with a closing birdie on the 18th to secure the lead.
Lavanya looked set for an even lower score after reaching 3-under through 12 holes with birdies on the fifth, 10th and 12th. However, late bogeys on the 17th and 18th saw her settle for a 71.
Mannat mixed three birdies with three bogeys to stay in contention heading into the second round.
A group of young players including Vidhatri Urs, Lavanya Jadon and Jahnavi Prakhya returned 2-over 74s to remain within striking distance.
Among the leading names, Amandeep Drall and Saanvi Somu carded 75s to sit tied seventh, while former Hero Order of Merit winner Sneha Singh opened with a 76. Tvesa Malik posted a 77, and fourth-leg winner Ridhima Dilawari struggled to a 78 after a round that included four bogeys and a double.
With scores tightly packed behind the leader, the field heads into round two with little margin for error on the demanding DLF layout.
Photo – WGAI
