Neha Tripathi takes one-shot lead in 12h Leg of WPGT

Gurugram, Sep 13 (IANS) Neha Tripathi dropped a late bogey on the 17th hole but managed to take a one-shot lead after the first round of the 12th Leg of the Women’s Pro Golf Tour at the Golden Greens Golf Club.

Neha, who ended a title drought of more than four and a half years when she won the 10th Leg of the WPGT this season in July, carded 4-under 68.

Trailing Neha by one shot were Gaurika Bishnoi and Anisha Agarwalla, who shot 69 each, while Riya Yadav, who had an eagle and a hole-in-one in the space of four holes, and Ridhima Dilawari shot 2-under 70 each. Asmitha Sathish was the other player to shoot under par at 1-under 71 in sixth place.

Tvesa Malik, who had a bogey and a triple bogey on the first and second holes, scored 3-over 75 and was T-13.

Neha started strongly with birdies on the second and the fourth and added a third birdie on the ninth and turned in 3-under. She landed an eagle on the Par-3 11th to go 5-under. A string of pars over the next five holes was followed by her lone bogey on 17th.

Anisha had a steady front nine with one birdie and no bogeys. She dropped a double bogey on 10th, but recovered with an eagle on the 11th. A bogey on the 12th was followed by three pars and three birdies in the last three holes for a roller-coaster ride on the back nine.

Gaurika had three birdies on either side of the Golden Greens course, but also dropped shots on the first, 10th and 11th.

Riya Yadav had a memorable round which had one bogey in first four holes followed by an eagle on the Par-5 fifth. Three holes later she had a hole-in-one on the Par-3 eighth and she followed it with a birdie on ninth to make the turn in 4-under 32. On the back nine she had a double bogey on 13th and a bogey on the 14th but closed with a birdie on 18th.