Harpal Singh Bedi
Chandigarh, 15 November : Ridhima Dilawari, Gaurika Bishnoi, Hitaashee Bakshi start as strong contenders in the tough field at the 15th Leg of the Hero Women’s Pro Golf Tour at the Chandigarh Golf Club which starts here from Wednesday.
Ridhima, who claimed a five-shot win at Panchkula last week, will once again face a strong challenge from the likes of Gaurika Bishnoi and Afshan Fatima.
Afshan after a long time was in contention and finished second last week while Gaurika, a Top-10 finisher at the Hero Women’s Indian Open on the Ladies European Tour, was third despite a second round 78 which she improved upon by 10 shots on the final day to rise to third.
Sneha Singh, who is still in search of her first pro title, will be looking to make up for a disappointing finish last week, when she was 10th. Another player hoping to make up for last week will be the hugely talented teen Hitaashee Bakshi, who had an up-and-down 14th Leg, where she was tied fifth.
Hitaashee, currently second on the Hero Order of Merit, will be looking to keep her narrow lead over Seher Atwal. The gap between them is a mere Rs. 3,425.
Meanwhile, experienced stars like Neha Tripathi and Saaniya Sharma will also be looking at a good finish at the Chandigarh Golf Club, a course quite familiar to all of them.
The field also includes six amateurs led by Avani Prashanth, fresh from her appearances at global events, including the Women’s Asian Amateur Championship, the World Amateur Team Championship and many others.
Coming back after a gap to the Hero WPGT after sometime is Avani Prashanth, the top ranked amateur star, who has in the past tasted success while playing with the pros.