Golf: Amateur Avani Prashanth cards 68 to take 5-shot lead in the 15th Leg of Hero WPGT

Harpal Singh Bedi

Chandigarh,  16 November : Avani Prashanth, returned a superb 4-under 68 to lead the field after the first day of the 15^th Leg of the Hero Women’s Pro Golf Tour at the Chandigarh Golf Club on Wednesday.

The teenager had a bogey free 4-under front nine, but had two bogeys and two birdies on the back nine for the day’s only under par round. 

 Avani  16, already a two-time winner in 2021 on the pro circuit, birdied second and then three in a row from fourth to sixth and later had birdies on the 12^th and 13^th. The dropped shots came on 10^th and 15^th. She is now five shots clear of eight players who are tied at 1-over 73. 

The eight includes last week’s winner Ridhima Dilawari and two amateurs, Heena Kang and Jia Kataria. The others are Siddhi Kapoor, Rhea Purvi Saravanan, Anisha Agarwalla and Lakhmehar Pardesi.

Gaurika Bishnoi, who began with a double bogey and a bogey on the first two holes, finished with 74 and was tied ninth alongside Hitaashee Bakshi.

Among other prominent names, Sneha Singh (77) was tied 13^th, Neha Tripathi and Seher Atwal were tied 19^th with 78 and Afshan Fatima, runner-up last week, was 23^rd with a round of 79.

Last year Avani won the third and the 11^th Legs at BPGC, Mumbai and Panchkula Golf Club on the Hero WPG Tour. She was also runner-up at the seventh leg in DLF, Gurugram and the 10^th leg at the same Chandigarh Golf Club.