Lakhmehar takes two-shot lead in 14th Leg of Women's Pro Golf Tour

Kolkata, Dec 8 (IANS) Lakhmehar Pardesi, who scored her maiden win on the Women's Pro Golf Tour earlier this year, was at the top of the leader board at the end of the first round of the 14th Leg of the Hero Women's Pro Golf Tour at the Tollygunge Club.

The lanky Lakhmehar shot 1-over 71 as none in the field went under par at the Par-70 course. She led by two shots over Ridhima Dilawari, who is also looking at getting back into the winners' circle after a long time.

Saaniya Sharma carded 74 to be third, while Jyotsana Singh, amateur Jahnavi Prakhya and Shweta Mansingh were tied for fourth at 75.

Lakhmehar did not have the best of starts with three bogeys in the first five holes, but a birdie in between on the second kept her afloat. A birdie on eighth meant she turned in one-over. On the back nine she parred from 10th to 14th, before bogeying the 15th. Back-to-back birdies on 16 and 17 saw her get back to par before a disappointing bogey on the closing hole meant she finished at 1-over.

Ridhima, who won the opening event of 2021, is hoping to finish the year with a second win. She had three birdies on sixth, seventh and 10th, but bogeys on second, fourth and ninth cancelled out those gains. With pars on the next 3 holes, she was even after 13. However, with a bogey on 14th and a double on 18th she was pushed to 3-over.

Saaniya, looking for her first success of 2021, had three bogeys and a double against a sole birdie on 13th.

Amateurs Smriti Bhargav and Nishna Patel were sixth and seventh with scores of 76 and 77, while Neha Tripathi and amateur Zara Anand were tied for ninth after rounds of 78 each.