Johannesburg, March 1 (PTI) India’s Pranavi Urs turned in a two-under 71 to lie tied 15th after the opening round of the Joburg Ladies Open here.
Urs, winner of four events in 2022 season and the topper of the Hero Order of Merit in India, was four-under through 14 holes after teeing off in the first group in the morning.
She was then hit by back-to-back bogeys on 15th and 16th, but she managed to hang in for 2-under 73 at the Par-73 Modderfontein Golf Club.
Though Pranavi began with a par on Par-5 first, three of her four birdies came on Par-5s. She birdied the fifth and eighth, both Par-5s on the front nine and she added further gains on Par-3 11th and Par-5 13th.
Among the other five Indian girls, who are playing in the USD 300,000 event on the Ladies European Tour, Ridhima Dilawari was the next best placed Indian.
Ridhima, who has been playing well in the Sunshine Ladies Tour in South Africa, was even par through 16 holes and was tied 32nd, but Vani Kapoor (2-over 75), Amandeep Drall (3-over 76) and Diksha Dagar (6-over through 17 holes) were way behind.
Alice Hewson of England and Smilla Tarning Soenderby of Denmark finished with 5-under 68 each to be co-leaders.
Lauren Holmey of the Netherland was also 5-under, but she still had eight more holes to play. Teeing off from the tenth Holmey began with a bogey on the 10th, but then had six birdies in next nine holes including five in a row from 15th to the first.
Moe Folke of Sweden was tied fourth alongside former Hero Women’s Indian Open champion Christine Wolf of Austria and Swiss golfer, Kim Metraux at 4-under 69.
The tournament will have four rounds with the cut coming after the second.
Source: PTI News
