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Aditi gets past second cut, makes it to final round at ISPS Handa
Galgorm (N Ireland), Aug 14 (Football News) Aditi Ashok was the lone Indian to get past the second cut at the ISPS Handa World Invitational here.
The 24-year-old from Bengaluru closed birdie-birdie after starting from the 10th to card 71 which helped her get past another cut applied after 54 holes.
She was Tied-34th.
There have been two cuts, the first after 36 holes, at which point Tvesa Malik exited, while after 54 holes Diksha Dagar (73-72-76) missed the second cut as only Top-35 and ties moved ahead for the final round.
Amanda Doherty carded a third round of 72 (-1) to maintain a one-shot lead. The LPGA Tour rookie got off to a slower start at Galgorm with a bogey on the third followed by a birdie on the fourth, before a double bogey on the fifth.
However, the 24-year-old soon got into her groove rolling in three birdies around the turn on holes eight, 10 and 12.
Although Doherty dropped another shot on 14, a birdie on the last meant the American reached 12-under-par to keep her one-shot lead with one round remaining.
England's Georgia Hall and Chinese Taipei's Peiyun Chien sit one shot behind the leader on 11-under-par after 54 holes.
Three players are in a share of fourth place on 10-under-par, including 2022 Race to Costa del Sol leader Maja Stark, who fired a round of 69 (-4).
Stark is joined by American Allisen Corpuz as well as Denmark's Emily Kristine Pedersen, who won the 2020 Race to Costa del Sol, and shot a round of level par on day three.
Sweden's Linn Grant is in seventh place on nine-under-par, while England's Liz Young fired the joint-best round of the day –- a six-under 67 –- to be in T8 with South Africa's Lee-Anne Pace.
Also Read : India's Shubhankar Sharma shoots 68, moves to tied 12th
News Source : PTI
India's Shubhankar Sharma shoots 68, moves to tied 12th
Singapore, Aug 13 (Golf News) India's Shubhankar Sharma made a sharp move up with a solid 4-under 68 to get to 9-under which saw him rise to tied 12th in USD 1.5 million third International Series Singapore here on Saturday.
Sharma's card may have looked even better but for a late bogey on 17th. But he quickly made up for it with a birdie on 18th.
Veer Ahlawat continued to be the top Indian even though he barely made a move on the third day. He had a bogey on second and a birdie on 17th and parred the rest, while missing a handful of birdie chances for an even 72. He stayed at 10-under but slipped from overnight third to tied eighth.
Sharma had six birdies against two bogeys and looked in fine form, setting himself up for a strong challenge on the final day.
Malaysian Gavin Green (72) maintained his lead but was joined by Phachara Khongwatmai (69) from Thailand. They were both at 14-under and led by one over Chinese-Taipei's Chan Shih-chang (66) and Thailand's Nitithorn Thippong (68), who had two eagles.
Nitithorn achieved the rare feat of making two eagles on par fours on the front, on three and nine.
Chan and Nitithorn were a shot behind the leaders, following rounds of 66 and 68 respectively, while England's Steve Lewton came in with a 69 to sit a stroke further back.
Jyoti Randhawa, who turned 50 in May this year, started on the 10th and double bogeyed the 11th. But he quickly turned things around with birdies on 13th, 14th and 18th to make the turn in 1-under 35.
On the second nine he had four birdies between third and eighth for a day's work of 67 as he moved to tied 20th, up from overnight tied 46th. Randhawa's eight Asian Tour wins include one in Singapore more than two decades ago in 2000. He also won once in Japan.
Rashid Khan (71) was tied 41st as was Ajeetesh Sandhu (70), while Gaganjeet Bhullar, winner in Indonesia last week, and SSP Chawrasia, both shot 72 and were tied 57th. Aman Raj, who had a stunning hole in one on the second day shot 73 and was tied 67th.
Aslo Read : Diksha and Aditi survive cut in Northern Ireland; Doherty leads
News Source : PTI
Diksha and Aditi survive cut in Northern Ireland; Doherty leads
Galgorm, (Northern Ireland), Aug 13 (Golf news) Diksha Dagar and Aditi Ashok ensured Indian presence over the weekend at the ISPS Handa World Invitational as they made the halfway cut in the USD 1.5 million tournament.
Diksha carded an even par 72 at the Massereene Golf Club with four birdies against as many bogeys. Along with her first round 73 on Par-73 Galgorm Castle course, she was even for two rounds and T-45.
Aditi shot an even par 73 following a 1-over 73. She was 1-over for two rounds and T-55.
India’s third player in the field, Tvesa Malik (77-76) missed the cut as she continued to struggle with her form.
Amanda Doherty continued her impressive form shooting a round of 5-under 67 to lead by one shot at the midway mark.
After a first round of six-under at Galgorm Castle, the 24-year-old, followed it up with a round of five-under at Massereene.
Doherty began her round with back-to-back birdies on the second and third holes, and rolled in three more on six, seven and nine.
Despite a dropped shot on the 11th, the LPGA Tour rookie made another birdie on 13 to finish with a total of 11-under-par after 36 holes.
Denmark’s Emily Kristine Pedersen – winner of the 2020 Race to Costa del Sol – and American Lauren Coughlin sit one shot back on 10-under-par.
England’s Cara Gainer sits in outright fourth place after the opening two days of competition on nine-under-par, having produced a round of five under 67 at Massereene.
Three players are in a share of fifth place including England’s Georgia Hall, who produced a hole-in-one on day two as did Finland’s Tiia Koivisto.
Hall sits alongside Ireland’s Leona Maguire and Chinese Taipei’s Peiyun Chien on eight-under-par, American Allisen Corpuz is alone in eighth place one shot further back.
Five players are in a tie for ninth on six-under-par including 2022 Race to Costa del Sol number one and two Maja Stark and Linn Grant.
The cut fell at 1 over with 62 players making it through.
Also Read : Lahiri starts with 71 as Korea's Si Woo Kim takes lead at St Jude Champs
News Source : PTI
Lahiri starts with 71 as Korea's Si Woo Kim takes lead at St Jude Champs
Memphis (US), Aug 12 (Golf News) Indian golfer Anirban Lahiri carded a disappointing one-over 71 to lie tied 86th after the first round of the FedEx St. Jude Championship here.
Lahiri, who is coming into the FedExCup Play-offs a week after a Top-10 finish, will need to do a lot of work to get into the weekend.
It was a great day for Asian challenger, Si Woo Kim, who holed out for an amazing eagle from 168 yards and shared the lead at 8-under 62 with American J.J. Spaun.
Sahith Theegala, an American of Indian origin, is in third place at 7-under, while Sepp Straka, KH Lee, Tony Finau, and JT Poston are tied fourth at 6-under.
The 27-year-old Kim, who withdrew from the final round of the Wyndham Championship last weekend due to illness, was in sizzling form at TPC Southwind in Memphis where he capped his day by sinking an approach at the par-4 18th hole with an 8-iron. He had seven other birdies and a lone bogey.
Kim is hoping to become the fourth Korean golfer to win this season and the second successive following young compatriot, Joohyung "Tom" Kim's victory at the Wyndham Championship on Sunday.
Lahiri hit 12 of 18 greens in regulation during his first round. Many of his approaches left him some distance from the pins and he also missed a couple of birdie chances from inside and around 10 feet.
Starting from the 10th, Lahiri bogeyed the 12th but found his first birdie on the 395-yard par-4 15th hole. He hit his approach from 115 yards and set up a birdie. He bogeyed first and fifth and in between birdied third to finish at 1-over.
Kim changed his putting grip midway in the round and it worked as he powered home for an inward 28 to mark a career-low nine-hole score. It was also his first ever sub-par round at TPC Southwind in seven rounds.
Kim's compatriots, KH Lee and 'Tom' Kim Joohyung also enjoyed fast starts with rounds of 64 and 66 respectively to be tied fourth and 18th respectively.
Other Asian players in the FedExCup Playoffs, Korean Sungjae Im and Chinese Taipei's CT Pan, carded scores of 70 and 73 respectively and were in danger of missing the cut.
Japan’s Hideki Matsuyama withdrew from the tournament on Wednesday due to a neck injury.
Tony Finau, who won the 3M Open and Rocket Mortgage Classic back-to-back last month, is amongst those who carded 64s, while current FedExCup No. 1 and World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler returned a disappointing 71.
The top-70 ranked golfers in Memphis will progress into next week's BMW Championship, where the field will be further reduced to 30 players for the season-finale, TOUR Championship.
The PGA TOUR's ultimate prize, the FedExCup, will be awarded in Atlanta where the winner will also earn US$18 million.
Also Read : PTI
Have to improve as team before Hockey WC next year: Abhishek
New Delhi, Aug 12 (Hockey News) Young forward Abhishek, who had a memorable outing in the recently-concluded Commonwealth Games, said the focus of the Indian hockey team is to stay in the best shape and form in the run-up to next year's World Cup.
"We all are really eager to return to training and prepare ourselves for the upcoming competitions," Abhishek, who scored two goals in six games in Birmingham, said in a Hockey India (HI) release.
"We all want to improve as a team, and with the World Cup next year, everyone wants to be in the best shape and form in the coming months." The 22-year-old featured in all six games at the CWG, helping India bag a silver medal, after going down to Australia in the summit clash.
"It was quite a memorable experience for me to perform on such a big stage. I learned a lot about my game during the tournament, and understood areas where I can improve upon," Abhishek said.
"We performed as a team throughout the competition, despite facing tough opponents. Every match had a new challenge for us, and we were able to face it head-on. Even though the final against Australia did not go our way, we learned a lot from the match and have to improve upon in training." Abhishek made his debut for India against South Africa at the FIH Pro League earlier this year and played 14 games and performed consistently, based on which he was picked for the CWG squad.
And, the Haryana forward praised and thanked current coach Graham Reid for his advices and suggestions.
"Our Chief Coach Graham Reid had already told me before in training sessions to enjoy the games and to not take too much pressure. This advice really helped me at Commonwealth Games 2022 as I was able to focus on my natural game and was able to play freely," Abhishek said.
"My teammates and coaches told me I performed well considering it was my first major tournament of such scale. There are still a few areas where I have to improve upon, and the Commonwealth Games 2022 experience has motivated me to work even harder to fulfill those shortcomings." The team will return to the National Coaching Camp in Bengaluru on August 29 and will begin preparation for the upcoming FIH Hockey Pro League season which is scheduled to begin in October.
India are scheduled to play New Zealand and Spain at home.
Also Read : India teen golfer Avani Prashanth reaches round eight in Scotland
News Source : PTI
India teen golfer Avani Prashanth reaches round eight in Scotland
Carnoustie (Scotland), Aug 11 (Golf News) Golfer Avani Prashanth's progress at the Royal and Ancient's Girls Amateur championships here continued as she scored her biggest win in the Round of 16.
The 15-year-old beat the Dutch girl Fleur Van Bleek 5&4 to progress into the quarterfinals.
Earlier in the Round of 32, she beat Italian Rebecca Galasso 3&2.
She will now meet England’s Rachel Gourley, who beat Spain’s Martina Lopez-Lanchares 2-Up.
Avani, playing on a Links Golf Course for only the third time, came through to the Matchplay segment after finishing in Top 64 from a field of 144 players.
With just the topper, Paula Martin Sampedro scoring 2-under for the two rounds, all other scores were over par at the notoriously tough Par-71, which is also an Open venue.
Avani shot 74-76 as she finished 14th and made the matchplay stage at the Carnoustie Golf club, considered as the fourth toughest Golf course in the world.
Apart from Avani, the event had another Indian, Zara Anand (82-82), but she got eliminated with the top 64 out of 144 making the matchplay stage, which is a knockout format.
Avani had been playing in a series of events outside India as she seeks to gain more experience.
Since May, she has played in the Queen Sirikit Cup in Singapore, the Women’s Amateur in Scotland, the Amundi German Masters in Germany on the Ladies European Tour, which is a professional Tour.
She took part in the R&A Junior event where she finished at T-21, and participated in the European Ladies Amateurs as well.
Also Read : In-form Bhullar, Rashid to lead Indian challenge
In-form Bhullar, Rashid to lead Indian challenge
Singapore, Aug 10 (Golf News) Gaganjeet Bhullar and Rashid Khan, the winner and runner-up last week on the Asian Tour, will lead a strong Indian challenge at the International Series Singapore.
The USD 1.5 million event has five players inside the world's top 100 and it also includes former Masters champion Patrick Reed.
Bhullar ended a long Indian title drought on the Asian Tour by winning the Mandiri Indonesia Open, even as Rashid finished tied second.
Bhullar will be hoping to maintain the momentum and Rashid will be looking to win his third Asian Tour title, and the first since the 2014 season when he won two times.
The Indian group of 16 is a mix of young and experienced players. Apart from Bhullar and Rashid, the others include Shubhankar Sharma, Shiv Kapur, Viraj Madappa, SSP Chawrasia, Chiragh Kumar, Aman Raj, Ajeetesh Sandhu, S Chikkarangappa, Rahil Gangjee, Honey Baisoya, and Veer Ahlawat.
There are also two legends of Indian golf. One is Jeev Milkha Singh, who this year is a rookie on the Senior's Tour and has had some good finishes including a Top-3 in Germany, with the other being Jyoti Randhawa.
Both Jeev and Randhawa have tasted success in Singapore. Amateur Yash Majumdar also finds a place.
Jeev said, "I am getting a feel of the game once again and am excited as I did well in some of the Senior events. At the end of the day it is a question of putting together a good round and a good week. Singapore has great memories for me and I love the city." Bhullar has 10 wins on the Asian Tour including one co-sanctioned with Europe.
"A win is always great and I am feeling very confident," said Bhullar, one of the current standard bearers of Indian golf.
Also Read : Refreshed Lahiri eyes good show in FedExCup Playoffs to qualify for Tour Championships
News Source : PTI
Refreshed Lahiri eyes good show in FedExCup Playoffs to qualify for Tour Championships
New Delhi, Aug 10 (Golf News) A rejuvenated Anirban Lahiri is looking to make a late charge to qualify for the year-ending Tour Championships with a good show in FedExCup Playoffs after cleaning up his game during his recent trip back home.
The 35-year-old Indian snapped a poor run of form with a tied eighth finish at the Wyndham Championship on Sunday which has put him in a buoyant mood as he prepares for his fifth Playoffs, starting with the FedEx St. Jude Championship on Thursday.
The next couple of weeks will be crucial for Lahiri as he seeks to qualify for his first-ever appearance in the season-finale, the TOUR Championship, and also a third appearance at the Presidents Cup for the International Team.
"You want to get hot at the right time of the year. There's never a bad time to play well, but if there's ever a good time to play well, it's now," said Lahiri, who begins the post-season in 63rd position on the FedExCup standings, said in a release.
"You can have a pretty average year, but if in your good week, you're in the Playoffs, it will give the entire season a different outlook." The top-125 qualified for the first of three Playoffs event this week, with the top-70 progressing into next week's BMW Championship and finally the top-30 make it to the TOUR Championship which crowns the new FedExCup champion.
Lahiri will also seek to break into the top-8 of the International Team standings by the end of next week to make his third Presidents Cup team. He is currently ranked 15th with two qualifying weeks remaining.
He spent nearly two weeks in India last month to work with long-time coach Vijay Divecha, partly due to him missing four cuts in five appearances since May.
The dismal run spoilt an otherwise strong 2022 which saw him finish an impressive runner-up at TOUR's flagship tournament, THE PLAYERS Championship in March.
He notched another top-10 and two top-15s in his next four starts before his game hit a road bump following a break from competition to welcome the arrival of his son, Avyaan in early May.
"Just felt like I needed to clean up on my game," said Lahiri of his trip home.
"I hadn't been playing my best. So I'm coming in with some rest, with some good work under my belt and looking to make a charge late in the season.
"This is the time of the year to play your best and hopefully make it all the way to the TOUR Championship, that's definitely one of the goals." Talking about his time with coach in India, he said: "I think it was long overdue to see Vijay. We spent a good 10 days or so and we worked on a bunch of different things.
"We looked at my grip, my posture, which has been my long-standing issue and then we also looked at kind of taking those aspects, those factors and finding a way to put it into my pre-shot routine." Travelling on TOUR on a weekly basis can take its toll and Lahiri said spending time at home with his close friends and fellow golfers was the anecdote he needed to recharge his batteries.
"I also spent some time with my friends, which is always chicken soup for my soul and that always makes me feel very upbeat." Lahiri's best finish in the FedExCup was 51st in 2017 and he is aiming to achieve so much more.
Qualifying for the TOUR Championship is a priority as it will open up playing opportunities, especially in the majors and elevated events on the PGA TOUR.
"It's been a very up and down sort of season. I haven't obviously had the consistency that I was looking for or I would like but at the end of the day, the life cycle of the way a lot of the years pan out for professional golfers, you play well in patches," he said.
"Ideally if I go deep into the Playoffs, if I get to the TOUR Championship, in an ideal situation, then I'm looking at a different schedule."
Also Read : Lahiri finishes 8th ahead of play-offs, Kim wins maiden title at Wyndham
News Source : PTI
Lahiri finishes 8th ahead of play-offs, Kim wins maiden title at Wyndham
Greensboro (US), Aug 8 (Golf News) Anirban Lahiri rounded off the week with a 2-under 68 in a tournament that made 20-year-old Korean Joohyung "Tom" Kim a hero.
Kim added to his stature of a rising star with an emphatic five-shot victory over compatriot Sungjae Im and John Huh of the U.S. at the Wyndham Championship here on Sunday.
Lahiri, whose rounds for the week included 66-67-68-68 for a 11-under total, finished tied eighth.
The Indian had five birdies against three bogeys on a day when he missed quite a few chances. Yet he will rise to 66th as the Play-offs start with St. Jude Invitational.
At 20 years, one month and 17 days, Kim became the second-youngest winner since the second World War. The youngest being Jordan Spieth at the 2013 John Deere Classic. He is also the first PGA Tour winner born in the 2000s.
He closed with a stunning final round of 9-under 61, that included an 8-under 27 front nine. He totalled 20-under winning total. His 20-under came after a quadruple bogey on his first hole on the first day.
Kim, who became a temporary member last Sunday, needed to win to be able to play in the lucrative FedExCup Playoffs.
Also Read : Diksha Dagar, Aditi Ashok miss cut at Women's Open
News Source : PTI
Diksha Dagar, Aditi Ashok miss cut at Women's Open
Murifield (Scotland), Aug 6 (Golf News) Diksha Dagar and Aditi Ashok missed the halfway cut at the AIG Women's Open here.
Dagar (77-70) and Aditi (73-74) were both 5-over and two shots outside the cut line.
It was a disappointing week for the Indian duo who played well in 18-hole qualifier to earn a place in the last Major of the season. Aditi was playing a record 23rd Major.
Korea's In Gee Chun produced a round of 66 (-5) to climb to the top of the leaderboard at the halfway stage.
The three-time Major champion made the most of the afternoon conditions making two birdies and one bogey on her front nine before rolling in four birdies on her back nine to reach a total of eight-under-par.
And Chun, who leads by one shot, has a goal for the two rounds over the weekend thanks to caddie Dean Herden.
Sweden's Madelene Sagström and South Africa's Ashleigh Buhai sit one shot back in a tie for second place on seven-under-par.
It was an excellent day for three-time LET winner Buhai after she made the turn in 30 (-6) with four birdies and one eagle on her scorecard.
Korea's Inbee Park sits in fourth place on six-under having shot a round of 67 (-4) on day three with Japan's Miyuu Yamashita and Australia's Hannah Green one shot further back in T5.
France's Celine Boutier is in a share of seventh place on four-under-par alongside Australian pair Minjee Lee and Steph Kyriacou, as well as 2019 AIG Women's Open champion Hinako Shibuno.
The cut fell at +3 with 65 players making it through to the final two rounds at Muirfield.
Also Read : Aditi, Ashok make disappointing start at LPGA tour in Scotland
News Source : PTI
Aditi, Ashok make disappointing start at LPGA tour in Scotland
Muirfield (Scotland), Aug 5 (Golf News) Indian golfers Aditi Ashok and Diksha Sagar made a disappointing start at the 2022 AIG Women's Open here. The Indians came into this tournament through their qualifiers at North Berwick earlier this week.
Aditi opened with a 2-over 73 and was at T-56, while Diksha scored a 77 and was at T-118th.
The Indians will need a strong second round to keep the hopes alive of making a cut.
Japan's Hinako Shiburo leads the chart as she fired an opening round of 65 (-60) as she had a one-shot lead over American Jessica Korda, who sits alone in second place on five-under-par.
The 23-year-old Shibuno won the Open in 2019 at Woburn, her first event outside her country.
She got off to a quick start with three birdies in a row before dropping a shot on the fourth.
The Japanese star rolled in birdies on the fifth and ninth holes to make the turn in 32 (-4) before making three more birdies and one bogey on her back nine for a round of six-under-par.
Scotland’s Louise Duncan and Mexico’s Gaby Lopez share third place on four-under-par with Lopez having a bogey-free day.
Duncan, who won the Smyth Salver in 2021 at Carnoustie, had an up and down round with two bogeys, four birdies and an eagle for her 67.
Five players are in a tie for fifth place on three-under-par after 18 holes including 2022 Race to Costa del Sol leader Maja Stark, France’s Celine Boutier and England’s Jodi Ewart Shadoff.
Also Read : Indian-American Aman Gupta finishes 49th, Crocker wins Hero Open
News Source : PTI
Indian-American Aman Gupta finishes 49th, Crocker wins Hero Open
St. Andrews (Scotland), Aug 1 (Golf News) Indian-American golfer Aman Gupta squandered a promising start to finish a disappointing T-49 at the 2022 Hero Open.
Gupta, who had carded 69 and 63 in the opening two rounds that brought him into Top-10, had a tougher weekend as he shot 77 and 70.
Sean Crocker kept his foot on the pedal and secured his maiden DP World Tour title after holding off Eddie Pepperell to claim a wire-to-wire victory.
Crocker began the day with a two-shot lead but was joined at the top early on as the chasing pack closed in on him.
He led by one at the turn before starting the back nine with three birdies in four holes to reach 22-under par and stretch his advantage to two. Englishman Pepperell set the clubhouse target on 21-under.
Crocker endured a nervous finish as he parred his way home to sign for a closing 68 to win by a single shot.
Crocker, who started the 2022 season with eight missed cuts and a retirement in his first nine events, was visibly relieved as he holed his four-foot par putt at the last to secure the trophy.
Pepperell finished alone in second, one shot behind Crocker after firing a brilliant 65, while home favourite David Law and Adrian Otaegui shared third place on 19 under.
Swede Jens Dantorp and Denmark's Oliver Hundebøll were a shot further back, while another Dane in Søren Kjeldsen, Wilco Nienaber of South Africa and Englishman Callum Shinkwin rounded out the top ten at 17 under.
Also Read : Jeev drops from third to disappointing 22nd on final day of JCB Seniors golf
News Source : PTI
Jeev drops from third to disappointing 22nd on final day of JCB Seniors golf
Uttoxeter (England), Aug 1 (Golf News) Indian golfing legend Jeev Milkha Singh faltered in the third and final round of the JCB Senior Championships here as he dropped to T-22.
Jeev, who shot 64 in the first round and then 73 in the second, dropped further with 6-over 78 for a total of 1-under 215 after being 8-under on the first day.
"It was disappointing for sure, but that’s the nature of the game. I enjoyed my events on the Legends Tour and it was great to catch up with a lot of old friends with whom I played on the European Tour. I will be back for sure many of the events I played this year and more,” Jeev said.
Jeev is likely to travel to Japan next where he is scheduled to take part in as many as nine events.
Meanwhile, Germany’s Alex Čejka posted rounds of 69, 66 and 70 to secure the win by two shots ahead of Ireland's Paul McGinley who was second.
Cejka was 11-under with McGinley (70-68-69) at 9-under, while North Ireland's Darren Clarke, the Senior Open winner last week, South Africans Retief Goosen and James Kingston all finished on 8-under par in joint third position.
The German’s last victory on European soil came at the Trophée Lancôme in France on October 2002 and admits that any win is special especially when the leaderboard is full with so many legendary names.
The 51-year-old Cejka’s seniors’ career has been nothing short of a fairy tale.
Last year, he won two major titles at the KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship and the Regions Traditions and says that he is happy that he managed to keep cool under the pressure and win another title.
The 1999 Open Champion Paul Lawrie and The Masters champion from 2000 Vijay Singh finished in a tie for sixth position on 7-under par one shot ahead of eight-time European Tour Number One Colin Montgomerie in joint eighth position.
Also Read : Hero Open: Aman Gupta slips in third round, American Crocker still on top
News Source : PTI
Hero Open: Aman Gupta slips in third round, American Crocker still on top
St. Andrews (Scotland), Jul 31 (Golf News) Indian-American golfer Aman Gupta suffered a 14-shot swing from his second to third round as he carded a 5-over 77 after a 9-under 63 on the second in a low-scoring Hero Open here.
Alongside his first round 69, Gupta is now 7-under and at T-49.
However, the other Indian origin golfers such as Julian Suri and Jack Singh Brar both missed the cut.
Sean Crocker's sensational chip-in eagle at the 18th handed him a two-shot lead going into the final round as he bids to secure his maiden DP World Tour title.
The 25-year-old American golfer showed impressive patience on a testing third day to get a 18-under par and remain on course for a smooth victory.
After making four birdies and a single bogey in his opening 12 holes on Saturday, Crocker ran into trouble at the 13th as he could not find a way out of the thick rough after two shots and also had a wall to worry about as he prepared to take his third.
He took time to think about his next step and, instead of taking any risks, he opted for a drop and walked away with a double bogey.
Crocker soon put that to the back of his mind, though, pulling off some battling par saves in breezy conditions before chipping in at the last to sign for a 69.
Sweden's Jeans Dantorp, who is in the second spot, is two shots further back on 16 under par after posting a bogey-free 69.
Dantorp is one ahead of both home favourite David Law and Spaniard Adrian Otaegui.
South African Louis De Jager, Victor Dubuisson of France, Welshman Oliver Farr and England's Eddie Pepperell are all at 14 under and at T-5.
Also Read : Indian trio misses cut at Women’s Scottish Open after disappointing show
News Source : PTI
Indian trio misses cut at Women’s Scottish Open after disappointing show
Troon (Scotland), Jul 30 (Golf News) The Indian trio of Aditi Ashok, Diksha Dagar, and Tvesa Malik all drew a blank at the Women's Scottish Open, after missing the halfway cut here.
Aditi (74-74), Diksha (75-76), and Tvesa (77-74) crashed out after the second round as the cut fell at 1-under.
It was a disappointing week for the Indians as Aditi had just one birdie against three bogeys and Tvesa once again bogeyed first and second and despite three birdies later on she had a card of 2-pover 74.
Diksha, on the other hand, double bogeyed the first for the second day running and had three more bogeys on front nine to turn in 5-over. On the back nine, she had three birdies against two bogeys and finished the day with 76.
World number four Lydia Ko produced another bogey-free round of 65 to lead by two shots at the midway mark.
The New Zealander, who began her second round on the 10th tee, had a slower start only making one birdie on her front nine.
However, Ko had an excellent back nine with four birdies and an eagle to put her in pole position on 14-under-par.
Two shots behind Ko in second spot is American Lilia Vu, who carded a round of 67 (-5) to reach a total of 12-under-par after 36 holes.
Vu, a three-time Epson Tour winner rolled in back-to-back birdies on 11 and 12 before dropping a shot on the 17th but soon made up for it with further birdies on two, six, seven and nine.
Korea’s Eun-Hee Ji sits in third place on 11-under-par having fired the joint-best round of the day, along with Sweden’s Johanna Gustavsson, and equalling the course record with a 64 (-8).
Thailand’s Wichanee Meechai and France’s Celine Boutier are in a share of fourth place on 10-under-par having shot rounds of 65 and 69, respectively.
Four players are one shot further back on nine-under-par including Germany’s Leonie Harm, who produced a bogey-free round of 68 on day two.
England’s Georgia Hall and France’s Pauline Roussin are two of the six players in a share of 10th place on eight-under-par.
Also Read : Indian-American Aman Gupta shoots 63, rises to 8th at Hero Open
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Indian-American Aman Gupta shoots 63, rises to 8th at Hero Open
St. Andrews (Scotland), Jul 30 (Golf News) Indian-American golfer Aman Gupta shot a 9-under 63 to rise up the leaderboard to get into the Top-10 at the halfway stage of the 2022 Hero Open here.
Gupta, playing in his rookie season in Europe, shot 69 in the first round and now with 63 he is 12-under and lying Tied-8th.
Gupta had 10 birdies against one bogey and trails the leader Sean Crocker (63-66) by three shots.
Crocker maintained his narrow one-shot lead after following up Thursday's round of 63 with a bogey-free 66 in round two on what was another low scoring day.
The American made the most of favourable morning conditions to fire six birdies - three on each side of the course – to get to 15 under par.
Although the course record he set in the first round was broken by both his playing partner and home-favourite Ewen Ferguson and afternoon starter Wilco Nienaber of South Africa - who each produced bogey-free rounds of 61 - Crocker still remains in pole position as he vies for his first DP World Tour victory.
"It’s always tough to come back out the next day after playing really well. It was a little bit calming and nice to get out there, get off to a decent start, and just keep plodding along through the golf course," Crocker said.
"I just want to have some fun, have some laughs on the golf course, hit good golf shots and see what the total adds up to at the end of the week," he added.
Scotland’s Scott Jamieson is alone in second spot on 14 under after 36 bogey-free holes, one stroke ahead of his compatriot David Law, English pair Jonathan Thomson and Ross Fisher, Sweden's Jens Dantorp, and Spaniard Adrian Otaegui.
Five players, including new joint-course record holder Nienaber, are one shot further back on 12 under par.
Also Read : Disappointing start for Indian trio at Women’s Scottish Open
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Disappointing start for Indian trio at Women’s Scottish Open
Troon (Scotland), Jul 29 (Golf News) India's Aditi Ashok (74), Diksha Dagar (75) and Tvesa Malik (77) started their campaign on a disappointing note at the Trust Golf Women’s Scottish Open.
With Korea’s Hye-Jin Choi firing a course record of 8-under 64, the Indians would need low second rounds to make the cut at the event which is co-sanctioned by the LPGA and the Ladies European Tour.
Aditi was T-97, while Diksha was T-122 and Tvesa was T-127.
Aditi had just one birdie against three bogeys, while Diksha had three birdies but those were negated by two bogeys and two doubles on first and second.
Tvesa, who went home to take a break was, once again, in for disappointment with one birdie against six bogeys.
The 22-year-old Hye began her round with two pars before making a bogey on the third hole, but after that she found her rhythm and rolled in an eagle on the fifth.
Choi then made three consecutive birdies on holes seven through nine before adding four more on her back nine including on the 18th to reach eight-under-par.
Three players are tied for second place just one shot back with France’s Celine Boutier, American Lilia Vu and New Zealand’s Lydia Ko all on seven-under-par.
It was a bogey-free day for Boutier, who rolled in four birdies on the front nine and three on the back nine and contended with the heavy mid-afternoon rainfall. It was a similar day for world number four Lydia Ko, who also produced a bogey-free round at Dundonald Links.
Two players sit in a share of fifth place with England’s Georgia Hall and Korea’s Narin An both producing rounds of six-under 66.
Also Read : Indian-American Aman Gupta shoots 69 in first round of Hero Open
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Indian-American Aman Gupta shoots 69 in first round of Hero Open
St Andrews (Scotland), Jul 29 (Golf News) Indian-American golfer Aman Gupta turned in three-under 69 to lie T-57th at the end of the first day of the 2022 Hero Open at Fairmont St Andrews here.
Sean Crocker shot a superb course-record round of nine-under 63 to lead by a single shot.
A dozen players shot seven-under 65 or better. Crocker was the sole leader, while Frenchman Romain Langasque, English duo of Ben Stow and Ashley Chesters, Swede Jens Dantorp and Spaniard Adrian Otaegui were in a tie for second spot on eight-under.
Another group of six players, including home favourites David Law and Connor Syme were one shot further back.
Indian-American Julian Suri carded one-over 73 and Jack Singh Brar (74) are lying far back and will need a solid second round to make the cut.
American Crocker, 25, picked up six shots in five holes on the front nine after going birdie-birdie-birdie-eagle-birdie from the third.
After dropping his only shot of the day at the 10th, he made four birdies in his next five holes to get to nine-under par.
Also Read : Tvesa joins Aditi and Diksha at the Women’s Scottish Open
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Harmanpreet talks about need to develop 'killing attitude' ahead of CWG opener
Birmingham, Jul 28 (Cricket News) Indian women's cricket team captain Harmanpreet Kaur wants her players to develop the "killing attitude" that champion teams of the past possessed.
India are still some distance away from becoming world beaters but all the players who are here for the Commonwealth Games have bought into an idea suggested by all-rounder Pooja Vastrakar during the Sri Lanka tour last month.
Harmanpreet, who began her all-format captaincy stint with the Sri Lanka series, feels a ruthless approach is needed even when the chips are down.
"During the Sri Lanka tour, we had a meeting with the players. I asked the girls how they want the team to play. Pooja gave a good answer about the killing attitude.
"Right now we are working on that whether we are training or playing. Everyone is talking about that in the team. All players have bought into this and Pooja is someone who comes up with funny ideas all the time," said Harmanpreet on the eve of the opener against Australia at the Birmingham Games.
Pooja however is not part of the team yet as she was forced to stay back in India after returning a positive COVID-19 test a day before the squad's departure for Birmingham.
"She has been doing well for the past one year. Normally senior players give a lot of ideas but she came up with this and spoke about it and I really liked it." India had an optional training session on Thursday with six players travelling to Edgbaston.
Harmanpreet, who was seen swinging golf clubs during training on Wednesday, stayed back in the team hotel. With the team having a morning game, it is unlikely that it will go for the opening ceremony on Thursday night.
"Things are looking well. We have got three practice sessions so far. We are in great shape. The conditions will help the bowlers but it will be good for batting as well. However, we just need to worry about the execution," said the skipper.
The team will be looking to form the right balance in the T20 format.
"We have a balanced side and we need to shuffle our batting and bowling here and there for the right combination." With women's cricket making its CWG debut, all eight teams are staying in the same hotel which has been converted into a village. The players have been going out for meals from their city centre hotel and getting used to the Games vibe.
Barring all captains, players of the eight teams have been sharing rooms which they otherwise don't need to during bilateral series.
"Staying in the village is different from usual. We are enjoying and adapting and are getting used to it," said Harmanpreet.
The Australia clash will be followed by the big game against Pakistan on July 31.
"We know the stakes are high but when you are playing you just think about doing well on the day. When we were kids we have seen the men's Indo-Pak games. We used to get excited as kids but as players these things don't matter," she added.
Also Read : BCCI should allow Indian cricketers to participate in foreign T20 leagues: Gilchrist
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Tvesa joins Aditi and Diksha at the Women’s Scottish Open
Troon (Scotland), Jul 27 (Golf News) Indian golfer Tvesa Malik hopes her return to action after a short gap at the women's Scottish Open will end her none-too-good run this season on the Ladies European Tour.
Tvesa, who was in Top-20 of the LET Order of Merit last season, has been struggling to make cuts and finishing way down on the leaderboard this season.
Now she hopes her fortunes will turn as she tees up at the Dundonald Links in Troon as the Scottish summer of golf continues.
The other Indians in the field are Aditi Ashok and Diksha Dagar.
With the event being co-sanctioned by the LPGA, this is a great chance for the European players wanting to move to the LPGA. Also, the fact that it comes ahead of the AIG Women's Open means a chance to get into the field for the Major.
Aditi comes to Europe after numerous starts with modest results on the LPGA, while Diksha Dagar, after some moderate results, had Top-20 finishes in Amundi German Masters and Big Green Egg Open.
Aditi will play with Yealimi Noh of the US and Swiss golfer, Kim Metraux, while Tvesa plays with the 2019 Hero Women's Indian Open winner Christine Wolf, who is back after a four-month break from golf, and Allisen Corpusz of the US.
Diksha Dagar tees off in the company of Scot Hannah McCook and Lauren Stephenson of the US.
Austria’s Wolf has not featured on the LET after the season’s curtain-raiser at the Magical Kenya Ladies Open. She then put aside her golf bag and traveled through South America.
"It's something I've always wanted to do and I felt like it's a good time to step away for a little bit, and come back more motivated than ever. Our world has so much to offer and I am so grateful I got to do this trip and put some things in perspective as well," she said.
After four months on the road, Dundonald Links is her first destination back on tour.
Also Read : Aditi Ashok misses cut at Evian Championship in France
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Aditi Ashok misses cut at Evian Championship in France
Evian-les-Bains (France), Jul 24 (Golf News) Indian golfer Aditi Ashok missed the cut at the Evian Championship after carding a one-over 72 in the second round here.
Aditi, who made a record 22nd Major appearance, needed a birdie on the final hole to stay on in the event but failed to do so as the cut fell at even-par.
Canadian Brooke Henderson continued her fine run as she carded a 3-under 68 in the third round to hold on to her top position in the leaderboard.
The 24-year-old, who is aiming for a second major title of her professional career, is at 17-under, two strokes clear of two-time major champion So Yeon Ryu of Korea and four strokes ahead of LPGA Tour rookie Sophia Schubert of USA.
For Schubert, this could be a true breakthrough moment in her five-year professional career.
After reaching the LPGA Tour by finishing fourth on the Epson Tour’s 2021 Race for the Card, the 27-year-old American has struggled through her rookie season, missing five cuts and only finishing inside the top-15 one time.
But she closed her third round with four consecutive birdies to take a spot in Sunday’s penultimate group.
Five players are tied for sixth at 11-under, including No. 1 Jin Young Ko and No. 3 Nelly Korda.
Korda entered the day in solo second but dropped off the pace with a round of even-par 71 on Saturday.
Also Read : Jeev Milkha Singh makes early exit on Senior Open debut in Scotland
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Jeev Milkha Singh makes early exit on Senior Open debut in Scotland
Gleneagles (Scotland), Jul 24 (Golf News) Indian golfing legend Jeev Milkha Singh carded a second successive 75 to bow out early on his Senior Open debut here on Sunday.
Coming into the tournament after securing a third-place finish at the Winstongolft Open in Germany, Jeev was unable to get his game together and missed a series of putts.
"It just did not happen this week and I was quite disappointed considering it was a Major and my first Senior Open and the golf course is a great one," Jeev said.
"I have never played the Kings Course, but it was a great one and a fine challenge for golf. Hopefully I will be able to make some other time here," he added.
Meanwhile, Darren Clarke (65-67-69), who entered day three with a two-shot advantage, extended his lead to three just after the turn.
But as rain began to pour on the King's Course, the Northern Irishman made back-to-back bogeys and a hat-trick of gains sent 2016 champion Paul Broadhurst (65-70-66) to the summit as he signed for a 66.
Clarke had played beautifully all day without seeing the putts drop but after some deep study of an eight-footer on the final green, he made a closing birdie to sign for a 69 and share top spot at nine-under.
So, Broadhurst and Clarke shared the lead heading into the final round after a dramatic day in tough conditions at Gleneagles.
Kiwi Steven Alker and American Jerry Kelly were a shot off the lead, two clear of former Ryder Cup captains Pádraig Harrington and Colin Montgomerie, four-time Major Champion Ernie Els, Australian Stuart Appleby and Thailand's Thongchai Jaidee.
Clarke is looking to be just the fourth player after Gary Player, Bob Charles and Tom Watson to win both The Open and Senior Open and he is determined to get over the line after leading for 36 holes last year and finishing third behind Stephen Dodd.
Clarke said: "Tomorrow I give myself an opportunity again. I did it last year and I gave myself an opportunity. Felt like I didn't quite play well enough on the Sunday.
"Doddy came through and played great. Hopefully hit a couple more putts and give myself a better chance coming down the last few holes." Jaidee and Appleby also carded rounds of 67, Montgomerie birdied his last three holes in a 68, and Els and Harrington both signed for 69s.
Also Read : Jeev Milkha Singh to miss cut at his maiden Senior British Open
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Jeev Milkha Singh to miss cut at his maiden Senior British Open
Gleneagles (Scotland), Jul 22 (Golf News) India's Jeev Milkha Singh is likely to exit earlier than expected as he was unable to find his way back after a disappointing 5-over on the first day of the Senior British Open golf.
Playing in his first season on the senior circuit (for over 50s), Jeev was third last week in Germany, but here at the King’s Course at the Gleneagles, he just did not get going.
Jeev found his first birdie of the day on the Par-5 10th after dropping three shots on the front nine. But, he gave away that shot on the very next hole and was once again 3-over for the day and 7-over after 29 holes.
With the 36-hole cut likely to fall at 3-over, it could be curtains for Jeev.
Meanwhile, the 2011 Open champion Darren Clarke, who shot 5-under 65 on the opening day, added 3-under 67 and led the field at 8-under. He was three shots clear of six players who were at 5-under. The group included four-time Major winner Ernie Els, who has two US Open and two British Open wins against his name.
David Frost was the other player to have finished at a total of 5-under with 67-68, while four players -- overnight co-leader Stephen Ames, Jerry Kelly, Miguel Angel Martin and Kent Jones -- were all 5-under but were yet to finish their rounds.
Also Read : Seher edges past Neha in second round of Hero WPGT 10th leg
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Seher edges past Neha in second round of Hero WPGT 10th leg
Bengaluru, Jul 21 (Golf News) Determined to end her string of runner-up finishes, Seher Atwal played a fine back nine and carded two-under 70 in the second round to edge past overnight co-leader Neha Tripathi (71) in 10th leg of the Hero Women's Pro Golf Tour here on Thursday.
Sneha Singh, playing only her second tournament as a professional, shot a second straight 71 and was placed third at two-under 142, while Nayanika Sanga also shot one-under 71 to be fourth at one-under 143 for two rounds at the Prestige Golfshire course.
Pranavi Urs made some amends for her first round of 76 with a three-under 69 that saw her rise to fifth place at one-over 145, but still five shots behind the leader, Seher.
Seher, who was runner-up in the eighth and ninth legs of the Hero WPG Tour, made a slow start with one birdie against two bogeys for one-over in the front nine, while Neha Tripathi had one birdie and one bogey to get into sole lead.
On the back nine, Seher birdied three times on 11th, 14th and 15th and had no bogeys while Neha also had no bogeys but only one birdie on the 18th. That handed Seher a morale boosting one-shot lead going into the final round.
Sneha had back-to-back birdies on third and fourth and then back-to-back bogeys on seventh and eighth to turn in even par. On the back nine she birdied 10th, and then had eight straight pars to finish at 71.
Nayanika Sanga had three birdies on front nine and one double bogey on back nine.
Pranavi birdied first, seventh, 16th and 18th and dropped just one shot on Par-4 fourth as she played steady throughout the day.
Gaurika Bishnoi, following her first round 73 with another similar card, was sixth while Hitaashee Bakshi (76-71), Jyotsana Singh (76-71), Gauri Karhade (73-74) and amateur Vidhatri Urs (71-76) were all tied for seventh.
Also Read : Neha shares lead with Seher after first round in 10th leg of Hero WPGT
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Neha shares lead with Seher after first round in 10th leg of Hero WPGT
Bengaluru, Jul 20 (Golf News) Neha Tripathi carded a two-under 70 in the opening round to enjoy a share of the lead in the 10th leg of the Hero Women's Pro Golf Tour here on Wednesday.
Neha, who has not won on the Hero Women's Pro Golf Tour since the first leg of the 2019 season, shared the lead with Seher Atwal at the Prestige Golfshire.
Three players, amateur Vidhatri Urs, Sneha Singh and Ishvari Prasanna carded one-under 71 each, while two other players, Nayanika Sanga and Shweta Mansingh scored even par 72 each to be tied sixth.
Gaurika Bishnoi, who had a triple bogey eighth on the Par-5 third and Ananya Datar, were Tied-eighth with 73 each, while Saaniya Sharma and Gauri Karhade shot two-over 74 each to be Tied-10th.
Neha, who has been playing on-and-off on the Ladies European Tour, had five birdies on first, sixth, ninth, 11th and 16th and dropped shots on eighth, 13th and 15th.
Seher, who won last year in Pune and was runner-up in her last two starts, also shot 70 despite suffering a double bogey on the Par-5 16th, which was her only blemish on the day.
She had four birdies on first, sixth, 10th and 14th, at which point she was four-under before the double bogey saw her drop.
Four-time winner this season, Pranavi Urs had a rough day as she had three double bogeys and a bogey against three birdies in a card of four-over 76 that placed her T-13.
However, Pranavi has shown an ability to fight back over the last two days and this may well be yet another occasion.
Also Read : Vani Kapoor finishes career-best tied 3rd in Netherlands
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Vani Kapoor finishes career-best tied 3rd in Netherlands
Arnhem (The Netherlands), Jul 18 (Golf News) Indian golfer Vani Kapoor recorded a career-best result on the Ladies European Tour, finishing tied third in the 2022 Big Green Egg Open here.
Kapoor, whose lone Top-10 finish was a tied-sixth spot at the Hero Women's Indian Open in 2017, lost her form and status on the LET, but has worked hard to get back into the tour.
Kapoor, who shot 69-70-71 in the first three rounds, added 73 in the final round to total five-under, just two shots shy of Anna Nordqvist, a three-time Major winner.
Nordqvist carded an even par 72 to finish one shot clear of Sarah Schober (72), as three players Kapoor, Sophia Witt (67) and Nuria Iturrioz (72) were tied for the third spot.
Diksha Dagar, who was also in the running after the first two rounds, dropped to T-17 with a final round of 77, that included four bogeys between sixth and 12th and then a double on Par-5 17th.
Amandeep Drall (76) finished T-48 while Ridhima Dilawari (74) was T-57.
Kapoor had a bogey on the second, before she earned a shot back with a birdie on the eighth. Another dropped shot on the 14th saw her fall a shot back behind the leading pair once again.
She eventually recorded the best finish of her career, just as it was for Witt, who shot five-under for the week.
Momoka Kobori's strong performances in Europe continued with a sixth-place finish on -4. The final round score of 72 was enough to keep the New Zealander in the top 10, while Whitney Hillier finished seventh on -3 after a final round 73 (+1).
Having gone into the final round with a slender one shot advantage, Nordqvist had to hold off challenge from a number of golfers throughout the day to get her hands on the trophy.
A level-par round of 72 was enough for Schober to secure a career-best finish on the LET. She finished the week on six-under par.
Also Read : Jeev warms up for Senior Open with third place finish in Germany
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Jeev warms up for Senior Open with third place finish in Germany
Vorbeck (Germany), Jul 18 (Golf News) India's Jeev Milkha Singh, playing his first year on the Legends Tour (for over 50), secured his first top-3 result at the Winstongolf Senior Open here.
Jeev, who will feature in his first Senior Open next week at Gleneagles, finished the final round with a superb 5-under 67 for a total of 6-under 210. His first two rounds were 70-73 at the 54-hole tournament.
Jeev, who started the week with a terrible run of a bogey and a double bogey in his first nine, improved thereafter with five birdies on his second nine which was the front side of the Winstongolf Championship course.
He carded 70 on first day and then added 73 on the second day, when his card included a double bogey.
On the final day, he played seven pars for a start and then birdied eighth and ninth. On the back nine, he birdied 14th and 15th but dropped a shot on 16th and the closed birdie-birdie for 67.
“I have been playing well. I was a bit underweather the previous week when I finished T-56 (in Switzerland) but my game had started turning after the first two rounds. I shot 69 in the final round,” said Jeev.
“Today I was quite close to getting into a play-off, where Richard Green beat Philip Archer.
“The is my best result and best performance since becoming a Senior rookie golfer after turning 50 at the end of last year. I am very proud of my performance this week.” Jeev said he has been putting well and recently got a tip from an old friend, Michael Campbell from New Zealand. “He told me a couple of things and it helped. He is a former US Open champion.” This week’s tied-third finish performance earned Jeev €21,000 and carried him up to 35th place in the 2022 Legends Tour Order of Merit. He was 84th at the start of the week, so it was an upward move of 49 places.
Also Read : Aditi-Pajaree finish 24th in Great Lakes Invitational
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Aditi-Pajaree finish 24th in Great Lakes Invitational
Midland, (US), Jul 17 (Golf News) The Indo-Thai par of Aditi Ashok and Pajaree Annanarukarn finished T-24 despite a 7-under final round of the Dow Great Lakes Bay Invitational here.
In an event where Aditi and Pajaree finished third a year ago, they shot 72-62-69 in the three rounds.
Personally, Aditi had a good round as she closed with five birdies, three of them in the last four holes. She will now take this form to Europe, which has two Majors -- Evian Championship and AIG Women’s Open with the Scottish Open in the next three weeks.
Aditi is confirmed for the Evian and the Scottish Open events.
Jennifer Kupcho and Lizette Salas won the event, closing with a 9-under 61 in best-ball play for a five-stroke victory in the LPGA Tour's lone team event.
The U.S. Solheim Cup partners finished at 26-under 254 at Midland Country Club. Kupcho won for the third time this year and in her career, while Salas won her second tour title.
Matilda Castren and Kelly Tan were second after a 62 as Stacy Lewis and Maria Fassi shot a 59 to finish third at 20-under. Cheyenne Knight and Elizabeth Szokol had a 61 to match Tiffany Chan and Haeji Kang at 19 under Chan and Kang shot a 62.
The 51-year-old Annika Sorenstam and Madelene Sagstrom, tied for the first-round lead, closed with a 66 to tie for 28th at 11 under.
The tournament ended Saturday so players could head to France for the fourth major of the year at the Evian Championship, which will start the European portion of the LPGA Tour schedule.
Also Read : Vani, Diksha lie third in Netherlands on Ladies European Tour
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Vani, Diksha lie third in Netherlands on Ladies European Tour
Arnhem (the Netherlands), Jul 16 (Golf News) Indian duo of Diksha Dagar and Vani Kapoor were well placed at Tied-third midway through the Big Green Egg Open golf tournament.
Diksha, who was lying third after the first round 70, added a 71, while Vani, who opened with 71, shot 70 in the second round. They are now five-under and three shots behind the leader, Whitney Hillier.
Hillier shot a second successive round of four-under 68 and is now eight-under at the halfway mark. The 31-year-old Hillier is chased by Sarah Schober (67-70) at the top of the leader board.
Among other Indians, Amandeep Drall (73-72) at T-30 and Ridhima Dilawari (74-76) at T-45 also made the cut. Neha Tripathi (79-76) missed the cut.
In the second round, Kapoor registered 15 consecutive pars after starting on the tenth tee, before finding two birdies in her final three holes to shift up the leader board.
"I played pretty solid, I was hitting fairways and greens but didn't give myself enough chances - I wasn't hitting it that close - but I was just hoping that sometimes a putt would drop and they did on the 7th and 8th so that was nice," she said.
"It's a very tight course and you have to place your ball and be very careful, so that's what my plan was - to play fairway, green, fairway, green - and hopefully the putts drop.
"I'm a very accurate player and don't miss too many fairways, so I guess that's what's helping me out here. Its one of the tightest courses we played at it seems to be suiting me." For the second day running Dagar came flying out the blocks with early birdies on the eleventh and twelfth, putting her name at the top, before dropping a shot on the par-five 15th.
A birdie on the 17th soon got her back on track, only for a dropped shot on the ninth - her final hole of the day - seeing her sit three shots off the lead with the weekend still to come.
"The difference today was that my putts didn't go in, and I had troubles with my club selection and some of my shots were short," Dagar said.
"I started really well and made some long putts but then I made some silly mistakes later in my round. I had some trouble on the first par-five on the back nine and then had some bad breaks on my final two holes.
"I had a good bunker shot on the ninth that lipped out, then the putt was breaking the opposite way. Some of the greens were tricky today.
"It's very good for me and Vani to be near the top, I’m always happy to see Indians doing well, for her to be on five-under as well, that's good golf." Amateurs Alexandra Försterling and Mayka Hoogeboom share fifth spot with Nuria Iturrioz as Saturday approaches, with all three catching the eye on a tough day for scoring in The Netherlands.
Also Read : Pranavi keeps Seher at bay to win season's 4th Hero WPGT title
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Pranavi keeps Seher at bay to win season's 4th Hero WPGT title
Bengaluru, Jul 15 (Golf News) Pranavi Urs struck form just when it was most needed as she fired four birdies in a span of five holes on the back nine in the final round to win the ninth leg of the Hero Women's Pro Golf Tour at the Bangalore Golf Club here on Friday.
Her fourth win of the season extended her lead at the top of the Hero Order of Merit.
Pranavi shot two-over 71 with four birdies against six bogeys and totalled two-over 209, while Seher Atwal (71) with one birdie against two bogeys, aggregated five-over 212.
The scoring and conditions were tougher this week as none of the players finished with an under-par total and there were only two under par rounds, one each by Pranavi and Seher in the tournament.
Starting the final round with a three-shot lead at the Par-69 Bangalore Golf Club course, Pranavi overcame an early charge from Seher over the first 10 holes.
As Seher lost momentum, Pranavi came into her own and raced to victory by three shots despite a bogey-bogey finish.
Seher was two-over for the front nine, while Pranavi was three-over. That cut the lead by one. On the 10th, Pranavi bogeyed again, while Seher birdied the hole for a two-shot swing which saw the two level with eight holes to go.
Then between the 12th and 16th Pranavi birdied four times and Seher managed only pars.
As Pranavi bogeyed the last two holes, Seher dropped a shot on the 18th and Pranavi was three ahead, as she was at the start of the day, but by now the trophy and the winner's cheque was also hers.
Pranavi, who feels she is fully fit and ready to go full throttle, won the first, fourth and seventh legs before this week. She was also second in the fifth and eighth legs. In short, she has finished first or second in six of the nine legs held so far.
As Seher finished second for the second time in succession, Hitaashee Bakshi, winner of third and sixth legs, was third. Hitaashee carded 72 for a total of 215.
Sneha Singh, winner of fourth Hero WPGT title as an amateur, finished fourth in her professional debut. She carded the final round's best score of even par 69 and finished with a total of 216.
Oviya Reddi (70) and Gaurika Bishnoi (71) were tied for fifth and Afshan Fatima (73) and Nayanika Sanga (76) were tied seventh. Amateur Jasmine Shekar (72) was ninth while Gauri Karhade (74) and Ananya Datar (76) were tied 10th.
The 10th leg of the Hero WPG Tour will also be held in Bangalore, but at the Prestige Golfshire from July 20-22.
Also Read : Adit-Pajaree duo lie T-22nd at Great Lakes Bay Invitational golf
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Adit-Pajaree duo lie T-22nd at Great Lakes Bay Invitational golf
Midland (US), Jul 15 (Golf News) Indian golfer Aditi Ashok, playing with Thai Pajaree Anannarukarn, moved to tied-22nd after the second round of the Dow Great Lakes Bay Invitational tournament, a team event on the LPGA Tour here.
Aditi and Pajaree, who finished tied-third a year ago at this event, put up a vastly improved performance in the second round as they tallied eight-under in better-ball after a two-over showing in alternate-shot play on the first day.
On three of the holes, both players birdied, while Aditi's birdies on fourth, fifth and 11th added to the gains.
Pajaree added to the kitty with her own birdies on ninth and 14th, which the Indian parred. There were eight holes where both parred and once when Aditi bogeyed 16th, Pajaree saved the situation with a par.
Meanwhile, Pauline Roussin made a hole-in-one and teamed up with fellow rookie Dewi Weber to take a three-stroke after the second round.
The first round leader, the legendary Annika Sorenstam and Madelene Sagstrom, fell five shots behind the leaders.
The 51-year-old Sorenstam and Sagstrom shot an opening five-under 65 in alternate-shot play on Wednesday.
They had 65 on first day and 66 on second. Roussin and Weber had a 61 at Midland Country Club in the better-ball round to reach 14-under 126. The pair had 65 on the first day and are now 14-under as against 11-under total for Jennifer Kupcho and Lizette Salas, who shot 68-61.
The teams will play alternate shots in the third round and finish on Saturday with better ball.
Sorenstam is making her second LPGA Tour start of the year and only her third since retiring after the 2008 season.
The Hall of Famer missed the cut in the US Women's Open last month and then tied for fourth last week in Nevada in the mostly male American Century Championship.
Roussin, the Frenchwoman playing on Bastille Day and her mother's birthday, aced the par-3 seventh with a 46-degree wedge.
Also Read : Suchitra Ramesh lies T-40 at Trust Golf Link Series
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Suchitra Ramesh lies T-40 at Trust Golf Link Series
North Berwick, July 15 (Golf News) Indian golfer Suchitra Ramesh shot a 6-over 78 in the opening round of the Trust Golf Link Series to finish at T-40 here at the end of the first day.
Germany's Patricia Isabel Schmidt and Chiara Noja have shared the lead after firing rounds of four-under 68 each.
Both Schmidt and Noja are one shot clear of the chasing pack heading into round of the competition.
The English duo of Gemma Clews and Amy Taylor are tied in third place at three-under 69 while Czech Republic's Sara Kouskova is another shot back after the opening round.
At one-under-par 71 are Thailand’s Arpichaya Yubol, Scotland’s Kirsty Mitchell, and Italy’s Clara Manzalini as the three share the sixth spot. Wales’ Lea Anne Bramwell and Dutch Lizzy Peeters round out the top 10 at level-par.
Also Read : India's Diksha lies T-3, Vani T-5 in Big Green Open golf in Netherlands
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India's Diksha lies T-3, Vani T-5 in Big Green Open golf in Netherlands
Arnhem, (The Netherlands), Jul 15 (Golf News) India's Diksha Dagar got off to a flying start in the opening round with a superb card of four-under 68 that placed her tied-third at the Big Green Egg Open golf tournament here.
Diksha, the 2019 Investec Women's South Africa Open winner, was just one shot adrift of co-leaders Sarah Schober and Liz Young, who had opening round scores of 67 (-5) at the Rosendaelsche Golf Club in the Netherlands.
Another Indian in fray Vani Kapoor (69) was tied-fifth, while Ridhima Dilawari (72) was T-28, Amandeep Drall (73) was T-41 and Neha Tripathi (79) was T-111.
Diksha opened with a par but then birdied the next three to get to three-under in four. Another birdie on ninth saw her turn in four-under 32.
On the back nine, she birdied 12th and 17th but dropped shots on 10th and 13th.
Diksha was delighted with her performance on the greens.
"It was a really good day. I've been working on my putting and I was feeling confident about my putts so I was making more of them, and that was helping my hitting too," she said.
"Because I've been practising I found it easier to read the greens and find the lines. My hitting was also very good, I was able to attack the flag and make the putts. I was only in the rough once but I was lucky that I had a good lie so I was able to make par from there, otherwise I was hitting all the fairways." Vani had a slow start with one bogey on the front nine, but then had five birdies against just one more bogey for a fine round of three-under 69 that put her inside Top-5.
Ridhima started from the 10th had three birdies against one double bogey and one bogey.
Sitting one shot behind co-leaders Schober and Young are Dagar and Whitney Hillier, with the duo both shooting 68 (-4) as they made the most of the fine weather.
Local hopes lie with Pasqualle Coffa after the opening round with the Dutch star shooting 69 (-3) to sit three shots off the lead.
Four others including Vani shot 69.
Also Read : Indian Golfer Pranavi extends lead in 9th leg of Hero WPGT
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Indian Golfer Pranavi extends lead in 9th leg of Hero WPGT
Bengaluru, Jul 14 (Golf News) Overnight leader Pranavi Urs extended her lead as Seher Atwal faltered towards the fag end of second round under rainy conditions in the 9th leg of Hero Women’s Pro Golf Tour here on Thursday.
The conditions at the Bangalore Golf Club made scoring difficult.
Seher, who started the day one shot behind Pranavi, caught up with the leader at the turn.
Pranavi, playing with Seher, birdied the sixth, as did the latter. Then Pranavi dropped shots on eighth and ninth to be 1-over for the front nine, while Seher was even. At that stage, both were on level terms at 2-under through 27 holes at the Par-69 Bangalore Golf Club.
On the back nine, Pranavi was steady with pars from 10th to 16th before dropping a shot on the par-5 17th, but Seher dropped a shot on 11th and then bogeyed 15th and double bogeyed the Par-5 17th to fall three behind the leader.
Pranavi carded 2-over 71 to be even par 138 for 36 holes while Seher shot 4-over 73 to get to 3-over 141.
Hitaashee Bakshi (70), with the day’s second best round, climbed up to sole third, while Nayanika Sanga (69) had the day’s best card and was fourth. Ironically, Nayanika started with a double bogey and a bogey on the first two holes but then picked birdies on fourth, sixth and 15th to finish even par.
It was not a great second round for the newly-minted pro Sneha Singh, who followed up her first round 72 with a 75 and was fifth.
Gaurika Bishnoi (76-72) and Ananya Datar (74-74) were tied for sixth as Oviya Reddi (75-74), Afshan Fatima (74-75) and amateur Vidhatri Urs (73-76) were tied for eighth.
On a day when it rained, the Par-4 sixth produced the highest birdies and the Par-5 17th took the highest toll with numerous bogeys.
The cut fell at 157 and 24 players, including four of the five amateurs who started, made it through.
Also Read : Diksha Dagar, Amandeep Drall to lead Indian challenge in Netherlands
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Diksha Dagar, Amandeep Drall to lead Indian challenge in Netherlands
Arnhem (the Netherlands), Jul 13 (Golf News) Diksha Dagar and Amandeep Drall will spearhead the five-player strong Indian challenge at the Big Green Egg Open on the Ladies European Tour here this week.
The other Indians in the field are Vani Kapoor, Ridhima Dilawari and Neha Tripathi.
Tvesa Malik, who has been in poor for some time now, has gone back to reset her game with her coaches in India.
Two weeks ago, Dagar, the gold medallist at the Deaflympics this year, was T-16, indicating that she was finding her form.
Amandeep Drall has been slowly but steadily working on her game and last week, she was the best Indian at T-37 at the Estrella Damm Ladies Open. She has been making a lot of cuts, but needs to get her first Top-10 of the year.
Swedish superstar Anna Nordqvist is looking to start her summer in the best possible way at the Big Green Egg Open. The three-time Major champion is the star attraction at Rosendaelsche Golf Club this week, as she looks to head into the crunch part of the season in the finest form.
With the Amundi Evian Championship just around the corner, Nordqvist has taken the opportunity to adjust to familiar surroundings earlier than most, with two weeks spent with family back in Sweden before teeing it up this week.
She is also looking forward to competing in the Netherlands, and getting back in the swing of things after some time away from the course.
The innovative format this week sees local amateurs join the field over the weekend once the cut has been made, with young Dutch talent able to tee it up with some of the world’s best.
Also Read : Amandeep ends 37th in Spain, Ciganda wins title by 2 shots
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Amandeep ends 37th in Spain, Ciganda wins title by 2 shots
Sitges (Spain), Jul 11 (Golf News) Indian golfer Amandeep Drall could not make up for the two bogeys and a double in her first eight holes as she carded a disappointing 1-over 73 in the final round to finish a modest T-37 at the Estrella Damm Ladies Open.
Amandeep finished with an even par 288 for four days, while her compatriot Vani Kapoor had an even par 72 and finished at 3-over 291 and T-50.
The other Indians in the field Diksha Dagar, Tvesa Malik, Neha Tripathi and Ridhima Dilawari had missed the cut.
Local star Carlota Ciganda completed a wire-to-wire victory for her sixth LET title at Club de Golf Terramar.
The Spanish star, who had previously won the event in 2019, held a four stroke advantage heading into the final round and seemed to be on the cusp of a comfortable victory. She managed to hold on for a two-shot win.
Argentinian Magdalena Simmermacher, who began the day five shots off the pace, picked up shots at the first and third holes and then made a run of four straight birdies from the eighth through to the 11th to gain the outright lead after Ciganda double bogeyed the ninth hole.
However, a three-putt bogey from Simmermacher on the long 12th hole ended her rally and from that point, Ciganda fought for every single shot and rallied back.
Ciganda birdied the 12th and made a great sand save at the 13th, holing a clutch putt from 20 feet. Although she slipped out and made a bogey on 14, she closed out in some style, with an eagle on 16th, a birdie on 17th and then a bogey on 18th for a final round of 70 and a 72-hole total of 270, 18-under-par.
Scotland’s Laura Beveridge, who fired a 66, ended two strokes behind for her career-best finish of second, a week after her tie for fourth in the Amundi German Masters. Simmermacher and Elin Arvidsson of Sweden finished in joint third on 15-under-par.
Sweden’s Maja Stark finished in fifth place, extending her lead in the season-long Race to Costa del Sol.
Also Read : Amandeep Drall shoots 71 to improve to 32nd place in Spain
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Amandeep Drall shoots 71 to improve to 32nd place in Spain
Sitges (Spain), Jul 10 (Golf News) Indian golfer Amandeep Drall continued her steady run at the Estrella Damm Ladies Open as she carded a 1-under 71 to move up to T-32 after the third round of the Ladies European Tour event.
Amandeep, who was tied-34th after the second day, is now 1-under 215 for three rounds.
The only other Indian to make the cut, Vani Kapoor is 3-over 219 after carding a 1-over 74. She is currently T-50th.
Vani started on the back nine and suffered a double bogey on the 18th.
Overall, she had three birdies on 12th, 16th and second and her three other bogeys came on 11th, 14th and nine for a 1-over 74.
Four other Indians, Diksha Dagar, Tvesa Malik, Neha Tripathi and Ridhima Dilawari missed the cut.
Spanish star Carlota Ciganda posted a four-under-par 68 to lead on 16-under after three rounds.
Looking for a victory, the 2019 tournament champion holds a four-stroke lead over the Swedish pair Maja Stark and Sofie Bringner heading into the final round at Club de Golf Terramar in Sitges.
The 34-year-old Ciganda started strongly with a birdie on the first hole and carded a further three consecutive birdies from the sixth hole for a flawless outward nine of four-under-par 33. She came home in level par 35 with nine steady pars.
The 24-year-old Bringner shot the tournament low round of eight-under-par 64 on day three while Stark, the LET Race to Costa del Sol leader, carded 67.
The 22-year-old Stark, who has won twice on the LET already this season, went out in level par 37 but turned up the heat with three birdies and an eagle in her last seven holes to come back in 30.
Magdalena Simmermacher from Argentina, who carded a 68, sits in fourth place, followed by Laura Beveridge of Scotland in fifth on 10-under-par.
Sweden’s Jessica Karlsson and Spain’s Nuria Iturrioz are tied for sixth on eight-under-par, with a further five players tied for eighth place on seven-under-par.
Also Read : Amandeep Drall, Vani Kapoor only Indians to make cut in Ladies European event
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Amandeep Drall, Vani Kapoor only Indians to make cut in Ladies European event
Sitges, Jul 9 (Golf News) Amandeep Drall and Vani Kapoor were the only two out of six Indian golfers to make the cut at the Estrella Damm Ladies Open currently here.
Deaflympics gold medallist Diksha Dagar (74-74), Neha Tripathi (73-76), Tvesa Malik (77-73), and Ridhima Dilawari (78-76) -- all had a rough time and missed the cut.
Drall, who was hit by a double bogey in her first round 72, was steady with two birdies against two bogeys for another 72, that put her at even par 144 and Tied-34th.
Vani, who started from the back nine, also had two birdies and two bogeys in her 72 that followed her first round 73. At one-over for two rounds, she is currently T-44.
Spain's Carlota Ciganta, who is looking for her sixth LET title, held a commanding five-shot lead at the midway point.
The 32-year-old Spaniard rolled-in five birdies in a bogey-free second round of 67 to reach 12-under, ahead of Scotland’s Michele Thomson, Sweden’s Maja Stark and Magdalena Simmermacher of Argentina.
However, the defending champion, Stark, who played with Ciganda for the first two rounds, matched her 67 to move closer to the former in the points table.
Simmermacher shot 68 and Thomson added an impressive three-under-par 69 to her opening 68.
Sweden’s Elin Arvidsson sits in fifth place, while Spain’s Nuria Iturrioz shot the round of the day - a six-under-par 66 - to move into a share of sixth position with Anne-Lise Caudal from France.
Also Read : Sharma in top 30, Lahiri hit by wind at Scottish Open
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Sharma in top 30, Lahiri hit by wind at Scottish Open
North Berwick (Scotland), Jul 8 (Golf News) A closing bogey pulled India's Shubhankar Sharma down from a promising two-under to one-under in the first round of the Genesis Scottish Open here.
Yet, by the time the day ended after a windy second session, Sharma found himself in top 30. He was tied 29th.
Treated to a ringside view of a stunning nine-under 61 from American Cameron Tringale, the Indian did mention that his own 69 may not be all that bad considering the conditions expected later in the day at the Renaissance Golf Club.
In the afternoon, Anirban Lahiri, searching for the form and rhythm that took him to a runner-up finish at the Players Championships, and get into next week's Open, started from the 10th and had three birdies in a row from 12th to 14th.
He had a superb three-under after five holes. However, Lahiri bogeyed the Par-5 16th and dropped a double on the difficult Par-4 18th and suffered even more with a double on the first.
A birdie on fourth was a balm of sorts, but that gain was taken away at the tough ninth in blowing wind. He ended two-over and left hoping for a better second round to stay on in the tournament.
Earlier, South Africa's Justin Harding, who was added to the field following a stay on the ban on some of the European Tour players who played on the Liv Series Golf events, got off to a superb bogey free 65.
He was third, as Gary Woodland, a former US Open champion, opened with 6-under 64 to be second. Tringale had a 3-shot lead after 18 holes.
Lahiri said, "The conditions were not easy, but with those two doubles, I lost at least three shots. That was disappointing. Then on the second nine, the front side of the (Renaissance) course, the wind was blowing and it did not help as I backed off also once and finally ended with a bogey." "The couple of three-putts also added to the things," added Lahiri, who was returning to Links golf for the first time in three years." Lahiri opened with two pars, birdied three in a row from 12th to 14th and then dropped a shot on 16th, double bogeyed 18th and dropped a final bogey on ninth. His other birdie was on fourth.
Sharma had birdies on first, third, fifth and 11th and dropped shots on fourth, sixth and 18th.
"I played well, though the score was not as such. I started well but a couple of three-putts. I was still 2-under when I came to 18th and hit a great tee shot. But a disappointing shot from the rough ahead of the green led to a bogey on the tough 18th." "I think I am coming back fine after some hiccups. I had a slight back problem, then changed some clubs and then after a good finish at Dutch Open, I had covid. So the focus is also on getting my health better as I play along," said Sharma.
Also Read : Shubhankar Sharma, Lahiri fail to build on good starts at Scottish Open
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Shubhankar Sharma, Lahiri fail to build on good starts at Scottish Open
North Berwick (Scotland), Jul 7 (Golf News) India's Shubhankar Sharma promised a good start at the Genesis Scottish Open with three birdies in first five holes against just one bogey here on Thursday.
Thereafter a couple of three putts and additional bogeys on sixth and 18th meant only a modest 1-under 71 on a course where his playing partner American Cameron Tringale shot a stunning 9-under 61 to open a three-shot lead.
The third player in the group, Mito Pereira, shot 4-under 66 at the Par-70 Renaissance Golf Club.
Anirban Lahiri, looking for a solid result to get a place in next week's Open, started from the 10th and had three birdies in a row from 12th to 14th to get to a superb 3-under after five holes.
However, he bogeyed the Par-5 16th and dropped a double on the difficult Par-4 18th to go from 3-under after five holes to even par after nine. Half the field was yet to finish.
Earlier, South Africa's Justin Harding, who was added to the field following a stay on the ban on some of the European Tour players who played on the Liv Series Golf events, got off to a superb bogey free 65 at the Renaissance Club.
Sharma had birdies on first, third, fifth and 11th and dropped shots on fourth, sixth and 18th.
"I played well, though the score was not as such. I started well but a couple of three-putts. I was still 2-under when I came to 18th and hit a great tee shot. But a disappointing shot from the rough ahead of the green led to a bogey on the tough 18th." "I think I am coming back fine after some hiccups. I had a slight back problem, then changed some clubs and then after a good finish at Dutch Open, I had COVID. So the focus is also on getting my health better as I play along," added Sharma.
Tringale, who has also played a sprinkling of events on the Asian Tour, plies his trade in the US and is ranked 55th in the world. Three birdies in a span of four holes from the fifth to the eighth, were followed by a run of six birdies in a row from 10th to 15th as he shot a flawless 61.
Harding led the field till he was overtaken by Tringale. But Harding's entry into the field itself was a story.
As per the DP World Tour, their members who played in the first LIV Golf event last month without permission had been banned from the USD 8 million Scottish Open and two other events co-sanctioned with the PGA Tour. They were also fined of 100,000 pounds.
A hearing before the Sports Resolutions (UK) on Monday stayed the ban on four players -- Harding, Ian Poulter, Adrian Otaegui and Branden Grace -- who won the second LIV event.
Harding has claimed he has not signed up with LIV but got into those events on Order of Merit or World ranking and he earned USD 1.1 million by finishing 10th and eighth in the two events.
Tringale needed to play his last three holes in 2-under to shoot only the second 59 in DP World Tour history, but he parred the last three holes, including missing a birdie from 12 feet on 16th.
He said, "I've had some flashes of brilliance in the last couple months but this was a special day for sure. It would mean a whole lot (to win).
"I haven't had a professional win on my own, and obviously Scotland is where golf started, so this place is special. Everyone here has appreciation for the game."
Also Read : Diksha Dagar to lead Indian contingent in Estrella Damm Ladies Open
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Diksha Dagar to lead Indian contingent in Estrella Damm Ladies Open
Sitges (Spain), Jul 6 (Golf News) Deaflympics gold medallist golfer Diksha Dagar will be leading a six-member Indian contingent in the Estrella Damn Ladies Open, to be held here from this week.
Diksha, who has been performing consistently for over a month, including in the Amundi German Masters, will set her sights at a top-10 finish while also hoping to win the Ladies European Tour for the second time in her career.
In 2019, Diksha became only the second Indian female golfer after Aditi Ashok to win the Ladies European Tour.
The 21-year-old golfer won the gold at the Deaflympics in Brazil this year.
Joining her in the contingent will be Tvesa Malik, who was India's best golfer on the LET Order of Merit last year.
The 26-year-old is currently struggling to find the kind of form that earned her a bunch of top-10s, including a runner-up finish last year.
The other Indians who are part of the six-woman contingent are Amandeep Drall, Vani Kapoor, Ridhima Dilawari and Neha Tripathi.
While Diksha has had only moderate success this season with five cuts in nine starts and a best of tied 16th finish, Tvesa, on the other hand, has made six cuts in 12 events, while Drall has made five cuts in 11 starts.
The Indians will be facing a strong home challenge with Carlota Ciganda leading it.
Ciganda won the tournament in 2019 and was also part of the play-off for the title two years earlier in 2017. Ciganda is also the reigning Ladies European Tour winner.
Besides Ciganda, the tournament will feature some of the best names, including the likes of Ana Peláez, Nuria Iturrioz, María Hernández, and Carmen Alonso.
The 26-year-old Iturrioz will arrive in Sitges after achieving her career-best seventh position this year at the Ladies Italian Open.
Also Read : Disastrous round sees Shubhankar Sharma miss cut at Irish Open
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Disastrous round sees Shubhankar Sharma miss cut at Irish Open
Kilkenny (Ireland), Jul 2 (Golf News) India's Shubhankar Sharma seemed all set for a fine second round after a solid first day as he had a birdie-birdie start from the 10th in the second round of Horizon Irish Open at Mount Juliet Estate.
Then everything went downhill with two double bogeys and two other bogeys between the 13th and 18th. He double bogeyed 13th and 16th and bogeyed 14th and 18th and there ended his hopes.
On his second nine, the front stretch of the course, Sharma had one birdie and no more bogeys, but it was too late as he finished 3-over for the day and even for 36 holes, which was good enough only for tied 89th and he exited early.
It was Sharma's third straight missed cut and sixth one in seven starts with a tied 14th in between at Dutch Open.
Jorge Campillo moved into the halfway lead after the Spaniard carded a four under second round 68, even as 2019 Open winner, Shane Lowry delighted the local fans with birdies on last four holes to just make the cut after himself having resigned to an early exit.
It was a great day for locals as another home favourite Séamus Power, playing with Lowry, put on a thrilling late show for the jubilant fans.
On a day when the weather changed frequently the County Kilkenny saw both heavy rain and cold weather in the afternoon. Earlier, Campillo set the clubhouse target at 11-under in more favourable morning conditions.
Meanwhile, Power and Lowry, playing together in front of huge crowds, had contrasting paths in the tricky conditions. World Number 36 Power had a birdie run of five in seven holes at the midway point to move into contention, while former Open Champion Lowry struggled to get going and was in danger of missing the cut.
Lowry's stunning finish, however, delighted the locals as he birdied all of the last four holes – finishing in style by holing a 20-footer at the last amid wild celebrations. That saw him make the cut by a shot.
Power, 35, also picked up a birdie at the challenging final hole to move to eight under par. Power, 35, will enter the weekend just three shots off the pace.
Recent US Senior Open winner Pádraig Harrington will also entertain the spectators after he finished with back-to-back birdies to join Lowry on a three under par total.
Lowry later said, "It was pretty cool. To be honest, I had kind of resigned myself to the fact I was going home, packing my bags. Don't know if I've ever birdied the last four to make a cut so that's a first. I'm just happy to be in the weekend."
Also Read : Anirban Lahiri shoots 69 to lie 32nd at John Deere Classic
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Anirban Lahiri shoots 69 to lie 32nd at John Deere Classic
Silvis (US), Jul 1 (Golf News) India's Anirban Lahiri started off his quest for a berth into the 150th Open Championship with a 2-under 69 that could have been two-three shots better on the opening day of the John Deere Classic.
Lahiri was lying T-32 as three players not otherwise exempt who finish in the top 10 (and ties) this week earn spots into The Open Championship.
The 35-year-old, who is trying to get a spot into the last Major of the year at St, Andrews later this month, had a birdie-run of four in a row from fourth to seventh.
Lahiri had five birdies against three bogeys. But what hurt him most was missing out two small putts, one inside four feet and another inside five feet and one more of about eighth feet.
In contrast, his four birdie run included conversions from 20 feet and three from between 12 and 13 feet.
Meanwhile, coming off a T2 at last week’s Travelers Championship, J.T. Poston opened his campaign with a 62 for the second straight week. He was two shots clear of Canada’s Michael Gligic, who opened with a bogey-free 7-under 64.
Lahiri and C T Pan were the top Asians at T-32 with 69 each while Cam Davis was the best Asia-Pacific scorer with 68 at T-19.
Poston eagled the par-5 second and had seven birdies in a bogey-free round.
Gligic was second at 64, playing in the final group of the day off the first tee. Vaughn Taylor and Christopher Gotterup followed at 65. Ricky Barnes, Denny McCarthy, Chris Naegel and Dylan Frittelli shot 66.
Defending champion Lucas Glover shot 74 and Jason Day withdrew before round one with a back injury.
Also Read : Aditi sign off Tied 40th, Korea's In Gee Chun wins Women's PGA Championship
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Aditi sign off Tied 40th, Korea's In Gee Chun wins Women's PGA Championship
Bethesda, Jun 27 (Golf News) Indian golfer Aditi Ashok had another action-packed round with four birdies against six bogeys for a two-over 74 that saw her finish Tied 40th at the Women's PGA Championship here.
Aditi, who had two birdies and two bogeys on front nine, ran into a stretch of three bogeys in four holes between 11th and 14th which pulled her down.
She finished 76-71-72-74 at a tough Congressional course for a total of five-over 293.
In Gee Chun rallied after losing the rest of her once-sizeable lead, overcoming a bogey-filled front nine to win the Women's PGA Championship on Sunday as Lexi Thompson faltered with her putter.
Chun shot a three-over 75 for the second consecutive day at Congressional, but that was enough to win her third major title by a stroke over Thompson and Minjee Lee.
Also Read : Neha Tripathi finishes T-36 in Prague; Diksha, Vani T-43
News Source : PTI
Gareth Bale joins Los Angeles FC on a free transfer
(Football news) Wales forward Gareth Bale confirmed his move to Los Angeles FC (LAFC) in the MLS following his departure from the La Liga champions Real Madrid. The 32-year-old signed for the Spanish giants from Tottenham Hotspur in 2013 for a then-record transfer fee of €105 million and is now set to join as a free agent with his contract expiring on 1st July.
Bale enjoyed a trophy-laden time with Real as he won three La Liga titles, five Champions League crowns, three Club World Cups and the Spanish Cup, although later on in his Real career he was marred with injuries. The Welshman will likely be remembered for many moments such as scoring twice, including a stunning overhead kick, in the 2018 Champions League final against Liverpool and also netting a superb goal which turned out be the winning goal against Barcelona in the 2014 Copa del Rey final. The Spanish media often labelled him as a “parasite” after he missed Real’s 4-0 home loss to Barcelona in March but he subsequently appeared for Wales and he was jeered and booed by fans during a La Liga game in April.
Bale is one of the most dynamic attacking players of this generation when healthy. He went on to score 106 goals in 258 appearances for Real but he made only seven appearances for the 14 time European champions this past season after struggling with several injuries. Bale also went on a season-long loan to Tottenham last season where he showed a glimpse of his talent, scoring 16 goals in 34 appearances.
Bale is still showing his class as he has led Wales to their first World Cup finals since 1958 when they beat Ukraine 1-0 in their playoff in Cardiff earlier this month. He will now join Italian defender Giorgio Chiellini who signed for LAFC this month after his departure from Juventus. The transfer window in the US opens on July 7, with the reports claiming that Bale and Chiellini could make their debuts against local rivals LA Galaxy. LAFC have by far the best squad in the league as they look to win their first MLS Cup this year. They are already top of the West Conference Standings, riding on the brilliance of their talisman Carlos Vela. Bale would be hoping he stays fit and gets some much needed game time before the World Cup begins in late November.
Also read: West Ham make an offer to free agent Jesse Lingard
Neha Tripathi finishes T-36 in Prague; Diksha, Vani T-43
Prague, Jun 26 (Golf News) Neha Tripathi finished Tied-36th at the Tipsport Czech Ladies Open here on Sunday.
Neha, who has been working hard to get on to the bandwagon on the Ladies European Tour, endured a grinding day with four birdies, two of them in the last three holes, against three bogeys for 73 and a total of 3-under for 54 holes.
The other two Indians, Diksha Dagar (71) and Vani Kapoor were Tied-43rd. Amandeep Drall and Ridhima Dilawari missed the cut.
Czech amateur Jana Melichova (69) and pro Klara Spilkova (70) finished 1-2 in a fine result for the host country. Melichova, who zoomed up the leaderboard with a second round 65, started the final round one shot behind the overnight leader, Nicole Broch of Denmark.
Melchova played the front nine in 4-under and a birdie on 10th took her to 16-under and way ahead of the field. Broch and Spilkova were now three behind, but tension got Melchova, and she gave away three bogeys in a row from 12th to 14th but a late birdie on Par-3 17th gave her some cushion.
Spilkova fought back with closing birdies on 17 and 18 but fell one short. Broch birdied 16 and 18 and was also one shy of Melchova.
Next week at the German Masters Diksha, Vani, Amandeep Drall and Ridhima Dilawari will join amateur Avani Prashanth, who has an invite for the event, and Tvesa Malik, who will be back after a week’s break.
Neha Tripathi is a reserve and if she makes it to the main draw, that will make it a massive seven Indians in the field.
Also Read : Diksha assured of cut at Czech Ladies Open, 4 Indians yet to finish
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Diksha assured of cut at Czech Ladies Open, 4 Indians yet to finish
Prague, Jun 25 (Golf News) India's Diksha Dagar overcame a double bogey on the back nine to make the cut at the Tipsport Czech Ladies Open golf tournament here.
The left-handed Olympian, who also won the Deaf Olympic gold medal recently, shot two-over 74 on top of her fine first round of three-under 69 to be at one-under for 36 holes.
She was lying T-36 though almost half the field was yet to complete the second round.
The cut was likely at even par.
Two of the four Indian golfers had just begun their second round.
Neha Tripathi, who was one-under in the first round, began with a par, while Vani Kapoor, who shot even par on the first day began with a birdie on the second.
Ridhima Dilawari, even par in the first round, also began with a par. Amandeep Drall, who was one-over on the first day had also begun with a par.
Diksha had a bogey on fourth, a double on 11th and a birdie on 16th in her card of 74.
Danish star Nicole Broch (65-67) stayed in the lead and was joined by amateur Emma Spitz (66-66) and they were both 12-under.
Local Czech amateur Jana Melichova (68-65) and Czech pro Klara Spilkova (68-65) were tied for third at 11-under. Spain's Luna Sobron Galmes (68-69) was fifth at seven-under.
Half the field was yet to finish their second round.
Also Read : All four Indians miss cut in Korea, Sanghee in lead
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All four Indians miss cut in Korea, Sanghee in lead
Cheonan, Jun 24 (Golf News) All the four Indian golfers in the field this week at Asian Tour's Kolon Korea Open made early exit after missing the cut at Woo Jeong Hills Country Club here on Friday.
While Rahil Gangjee came the closest before missing out by one shot after rounds of 72 and 75, Gaganjeet Bhullar (73-75) and Veer Ahlawat (78-76) also failed to progress beyond the second round.
Honey Baisoya, on the other hand, withdrew after scoring 80 in the first round.
Korea's Sanghee Lee added a second-round three-under-par 68 to his opening 69 to take the halfway lead. The Korean is 5-under for the prestigious event, one ahead of his countrymen Taehee Lee (66) and Taehoon Ok (69) and American Jarin Todd (69).
Sanghee Lee has won four times in Korea but admitted that his national Open is the one that he really wants to win the most.
Koreans Junghwan Lee (71), Kyongjun Moon (70), Doyeon Hwang (68), and Hyungjoon Lee (68) are three-under in a tie for fifth.
Korean Bio Kim, lying second in the Order of Merit, was able to improve on his opening 72 with a 69. He is one-under for the tournament and in contention despite an unfortunate bogey on his last hole.
Also Read : Lahiri reels off 18 pars at Travelers, McIlroy shoots 62 to lead
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Lahiri reels off 18 pars at Travelers, McIlroy shoots 62 to lead
Cromwell, Jun 24 (Golf News) Anirban Lahiri reeled off 18 pars for the second time on the PGA Tour as he carded even par 70 to lie tied 69 after the first round of the Travelers Championship here.
The Indian golfer will now have little room for mistake as he needs to bring in a good second round to ensure he is around for the weekend.
The day once again belonged to the in-form Rory McIlroy, who despite a sinus bug shot a bogey-free eight-under 62 and shared the lead with J.T.Poston.
They were one ahead of Xander Schauffele and Martin Laird. This season McIlroy has seven top-10s, including five in his last six starts.
The best among Asians came from Satoshi Kodaira of Japan, who came in as a replacement following the late withdrawal of Justin Thomas.
He shot 3-under 67 and was placed T-15, with Kiradech Aphibarnrat and K H Lee with 68 at T-30.
It was the second time Lahiri had 18 pars in a round. The first time was at the Masters in 2015 in the final round.
Lahiri hit 13 of the 18 greens in regulation. He did miss a couple of putts inside 9-10 feet for birdies and one of his fine saves was on Par-3 eighth, when he had a fantastic chip-in.
His second shot went six yards to the left rough from where he had a third shot chip-in to save par and he delivered.
McIlroy, coming off a fifth-place in the US Open and a win at the Canadian Open the week before that, had eight birdies, including one from 47 feet on the par-4 seventh. The score matched the lowest opening round of his PGA TOUR career.
Poston had five straight birdies from 13th to 17th as he turned in six-under 29 and raised visions of Jim Furyk's record 58 on the same TPC River Highlands course in 2016.
Poston parred the first six holes on front nine and birdied seventh and ninth for a bogey free 62.
Schauffele hit all 18 greens in regulation for the first time in his career. Patrick Cantlay, Charles Howell III and Webb Simpson, who played alongside McIlroy, were two shots back at 64.
Harris English, who won last year on the eighth hole of a playoff, opened with a 66. Top-ranked Masters champion Scottie Scheffler had a 68.
Also Read : Tvesa ends up 56th as Bronte holes 55-foot eagle for Aramco Series win in London
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Tvesa ends up 56th as Bronte holes 55-foot eagle for Aramco Series win in London
London, Jun 19 (Golf News) Tvesa Malik rounded off a week to forget with a second straight 5-over 78, and finished tied 56th in the individual section of the Aramco Team Series London on Sunday.
After the relief of having sneaked into the final round on the cutline, Tvesa was hoping to turn things around a little in the final round to get a respectable finish.
Despite conditions looking very difficult, Tvesa got off to a birdie start but dropped a shot soon after on third. She made up with a birdie on the fourth.
On a day when pars seemed good, Tvesa rolled in four and with others dropping shots, she moved close enough to sniff a place in the 30s. It was not to be.
Tvesa had a disastrous and crippling triple bogey on the ninth. She turned in 2-over 39 and the back nine offered little relief with bogeys on 10, 11, 14 and 16. A consolation on 18th, which yielded her a birdie for the third day running, was little compensation. She carded 78 for a 11-under total.
Diksha Dagar had earlier missed the cut.
Tvesa, who has decided to take the next week off, said, 'I just want to take a week off and get my game together. A lot of the season is still left.
"I am happy I showed a fight (especially on the back nine of the second day) but am disappointed that I left too much out there otherwise. I need to work to get my act together for the remainder of the season." Bronte Law, who earlier in the week called for more women's events alongside the men, holed a monster putt from around 55 feet. Her back nine was rocky and included a double bogey on par-5 13th. She fell back but then a crucial par on 14th was followed by two great birdies on 15th and 16th, bringing her to 7-under with two holes to go.
By then Linn Grant (69) finished sensationally. She had six birdies in the last seven holes and finished at 7-under only to be overtaken by Georgia Hall.
Playing one group ahead of Bronte Law, Georgia, started the day at 6-under, and was 1-under through the front nine. Then from the 10th to 17th she without a either a birdie or bogey.
A closing birdie took Georgia to 8-under and past last week's winner Grant. Georgia then waited for Bronte, who need a birdie to force a play-off or an eagle to win outright.
On the 18th Bronte, then 7-under, just landed on the green with her second shot on the short Par-5 18th. She faced a massive 55-foot putt an eagle. Bronte stared down the putt and rolled it right into the middle of the cup for a stunning win and held her hands aloft as the crowd went ecstatic.
Georgia (71) ended second one shot behind, while Grant, who turns 23 on Monday, was denied a second win in two weeks and ended third. Charley Hull (69) was fourth.
In the play-off for the Team competition, Team Nicole Garcia beat Team Ursula Wikstrom. Diksha's team, which was led by Ana Pelaez, was sixth and Tvesa Malik’s team was tied 26th.
Also Read : Tvesa rallies with final hole birdie to make cut at Aramco Series London
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Tvesa rallies with final hole birdie to make cut at Aramco Series London
London, Jun 18 (Golf News) A fighting Tvesa Malik recovered from a disastrous start to make the cut with a final hole birdie in the second round of the Aramco Team Series – London.
Tvesa seemed set for an early exit as she was six-over through her first seven holes but she refused to give up and eventually birdied the 18th hole for the second day running with a tense eight footer to make the cut on the line.
"We live to fight to another day," she said with a laugh. "I was so angry with myself, but I just did not want to give up. After being 6-over for first seven, three birdies on back nine against two bogeys meant I had a chance to squeeze in." Tvesa missed at least three birdies inside eight feet, the distance she negotiated for her final crucial putt on 18th. With 78 in the second to follow up on her first round 74.
At six-over she was Tied-59th as 62 players made the cut.
The other Indian in the field, Diksha Dagar missed out of weekend action with 78-80.
England's Hayley Davis forged ahead with a two-shot lead heading into the final round after carding a round of 68 (-5) to be nine-under-par. She had an opening 69 (-4). In the second round, Davis rolled in seven birdies and two bogeys to be two shots ahead of compatriot Bronte Law (68-71).
"Nothing worked for me for most part of the day," said Tvesa, who has been playing well in patches this season, but not been able to put together a good tournament.
"But I decided I would give it a shot. Things changed slightly after the first seven holes. The two pars gave me some breathing space. I was not driving well, not putting well.
"On the back nine I birdied 10th and 13th but in dropped shots on 11 and 12. It was frustrating. The wind was up and things not working. I had four pars, which should have had at least one birdie and on the 18th, where I had a birdie first day, I got to the fringe in two and even though it was not a great chip I had eight feet for birdie and it dropped." Then it was a long wait till almost the end of the round that she found herself with a place to play the final round, which has Top-60 and ties.
Behind leader Hayley Davis was second placed Bronte Law, who after second round of 71 (-2) moved to 7-under with her first round 68.
Sweden's Caroline Hedwall and England's Georgia Hall shared the third place on six-under-par with Spain's Hernandez, Garcia and Dutch golfer Pasqualle Coffa one shot further back in Tied-fifth.
In the two-day team competition, Team Pelaez, of which Diksha was a part, finished Tied-sixth, while Team Tvesa Malik was tied 27th.
There was a tie for the team event as Team Wikstrom comprising Ursula Wikstrom, Julia Engström, Maria Hernandez and amateur Laurent Dhaeyer set the early pace, adding 14-under to their first day 13-under to get to 27-under.
Team Garcia with Nicole Garcia, Kelly Whaley, Madelene Stavnar and amateur Mia Baker also had similar scores.
With both teams level on 27-under-par, they will playoff for victory at the conclusion of the third round Team Hillier, with Whitney Hillier, Krista Bakker, Lisa Pettersson and amateur James Carson Heard, finished in third place on 26-under-par having produced a round of 14-under on Friday.
Also Read : India's Udayan Mane finishes Tied 42nd in Jakarta
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India's Udayan Mane finishes Tied 42nd in Jakarta
Jakarta, Jun 18 (Golf News) India's Udayan Mane posted a final round of two-under 70 to sign off at T-42 in the Indo Masters Golf Invitational at Imperial Klub Golf here on Saturday.
Mane had four birdies against two bogeys in a week that was patchy at times with rounds of 73-71-78-70.
It was the second event of the eight-event series in Indonesia on the Asian Development Tour.
Australia's Harrison Gilbert held on to win the Indo Masters Golf Invitational with a final round of 66 at 18-under-par despite a late charge by Thailand's Chanat Sakulpolphaisan (65).
The 23-year-old Australian Gilbert, who made his pro debut this year, started the day in the final group alongside Thai duo Sakulpolphaisan and Chonlatit Chuenboonngam.
He opened the scoring with a bogey but soon recovered his composure in the USD 70,000 Asian Development Tour event, posting three birdies and an eagle on the front nine. He picked up two more strokes on the way in to close with a six-under-par 66 and a final score of 270.
The young Australian, who hails from the fabled Royal Melbourne course, is excited to get his professional career underway.
"Really the last three days is probably the best golf I’ve ever played," he said.
Sakulpolphaisan maintained pressure all the way down the back stretch, carding six birdies in the last eight holes but in the end came up a single stroke short on 271.
Chonaltit Chuenboonngam, who on the front nine had four birdies, was unable to score after the turn and a final hole bogey dropped him down to a solo third with a score of 272.
Singapore's Jesse Yap (68) was fourth at 274.
Also Read : Diksha Dagar helps team to 3rd place at ATS London
News Source : PTI
Diksha Dagar helps team to 3rd place at ATS London
London, Jun 16 (Golf News) Indian golfer Diksha Dagar holed some crucial putts to help her team to a solid third place in the first round of the Team competition at the Aramco Team Series London.
Despite her efforts for the team, Diksha, had a disappointing personal card of seven-over 80.
Dagar, who was part of the winning team last year, had three birdies, all of which were helpful for her team.
Tvesa Malik had played just eight holes and was one-over and her team was way down at 32nd place.
Dagar, partnering Spaniard Ana Pelaez, the team captain, Northern Ireland's Olivia Mehaffey and amateur Ivan Forster, brought in a score of 14-under. They were two behind joint leaders, Team Anne Van Damm and Team Linn Grant, who are 16-under.
Each team comprises three professionals and one amateur and the two best scores at each hole count towards the team competition, which will be decided at the end of the second round. The individual honours will be claimed after the third and final round.
In the individual section, Sweden's Sofie Bringer was on top with a personal seven-under 66 that included three eagles. Georgia Hall (67) and Bronte Law (66) followed her on the Par-73 Centurion Golf Club course.
Dagar's birdies were instrumental in adding to the team's gain and they came on Par-5 sixth, where she was the best with a birdie -- the birdie on Par-5 ninth and the birdie on Par-4 16th -- where she was once again the best scorer for her team.
Also, Dagar's par on Par-3 11th made up for Pelaez's bogey and Mehaffey's double.
Overall, Dagar had three birdies, six bogeys and two doubles and was way down in the leaderboard. She will need a strong second round to make the cut for individual prizes.
Dagar was T-97 and only the Top-60 and ties move into the final round.
Dagar's teammates Pelaez had a three-under 70 and Mehaffey shot six-over 79.
England's Georgia Hall, a Major winner, was second at six-under 67. Bronte Law, who had a great outing at the US Women's Open was third at five-under 67.
Also Read : Hero WPGT 8th leg: Pranavi rallies to get back into contention
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Hero WPGT 8th leg: Pranavi rallies to get back into contention
Bengaluru, Jun 16 (Golf News) Pranavi Urs roared back into contention in the eighth leg of the Hero Women's Pro Golf Tour with a 3-under 69 to get into a share of the lead with Ridhima Dilawari here on Thursday.
The leading duo is now 1-under 143 for 36 holes and three shots ahead of third placed Afshan Fatima (73-73).
Seher Atwal (76-71), Jahanvi Bakshi (73-74) and Trimann Saluja (72-75) were tied for fourth place, while Siddhi Kapoor (76-72) and Gaurika Bishnoi (75-73) were tied for seventh.
Neha Tripathi (79-70) improved on her first round score by nine shots and had the day’s second best card of 2-under 70. She was ninth, while amateur Smriti Bhargava (77) rounded off the top 10.
The cut fell at 159 and 26 players made the final round.
Pranavi, who has sometimes begun slow, moved back into action after the disappointing first round of 74.
With birdies on fifth and ninth, she turned in 2-under and birdied the 10th too. At that stage she was 3-under for the day and the run suggested she could further better her scores.
Bogeys on Par-5 11th and Par-3 15th, however, saw her drop down before she closed with a birdie on 18th to ensure she shared the top spot.
Overnight leader Ridhima (69-74) seemed set for sole lead before a late disaster pulled her back. She had three birdies, two of them on the Par-3s, but she also dropped a double bogey on the Par-4 seventh.
Even at that stage she was set for a handy lead as she was 1-under for the day, after a 3-under 69 on the first day. The big blow, however, was the triple bogey she suffered on the Par-5 14th and thereafter she made it to the finish with four pars, for a disappointing 74.
A battle royale is set as Pranavi goes for her fourth win of the season and Ridhima aims to end a long title drought since her win in January 2021, while Afshan will be looking for any openings if either of the leaders falter at the start.
Also Read : Diksha hopes to re-kindle winning memories, Tvesa eyes reversal of form in London
News Source : PTI
Diksha hopes to re-kindle winning memories, Tvesa eyes reversal of form in London
London, Jun 16 (Golf News) India's Diksha Dagar will look to rekindle the great memories of her team triumph, while compatriot Tvesa Malik will eye a reversal of form when they tee off at the Aramco Team Series, which combines a team event with individual competition.
Last year, Dagar was in the winning team and finished T-12 in individuals.
This week Dagar plays in the team with Ana Pelaez and Olivia Mehaffey, while Tvesa, a captain once again, will go out with her teammates Sophie Witt and Elia Folch.
"Hopefully, things will begin to fall in place soon. But there is still a lot of events left on the schedule. The addition of ATS (Aramco Team Series) events mean a lot to play for us," Tvesa said.
"A good couple of results is what is the need right now. I have been training with (coach) Jesse Grewal Sir back home and last week Shubhankar (Sharma) who was there at the Scandinavian Mixed, also helped a little. Let's see how it goes. The Centurion is a challenging course, but I have played here." Tvesa had lead her team to a tied-9th place finish last year. She had finished T-45 in the individual section.
On her season so far, Tvesa said, "I am not able to put a finger as to what is not working this year. If something works one week, something else is out of sync.
"I have not been able to play consistently though the game seems in decent shape. Basically, I have not been able to put a solid week together like I did many times last year." Tvesa came close to winning her maiden title at the Gant Championship last year as she finished runner-up, her best on the LET. In 2021, she had five Top-10s and another five in Top-20. This year she is still searching for her first Top-10.
On the team format, she said, "That's a lot of fun. I enjoy it and picked Sophie Witt. Then we got Ella (Folch) as the random third member. One more amateur will be assigned to the team. We play the team event, but individually we need to focus on our game. If that works, all else will fall in place." Diksha, who last week played her first event this season in Europe before South Africa and Asia, missed the cut at Scandinavian Mixed. Winner of the South African Women's Open in 2019, Diksha, has had a great boost this season winning the gold medal at the Deaflympics.
With her father, Col Narender Dagar, as her caddie, she sounded confident of her game and is looking forward to making a mark after being a crucial third member of the team event last year alongside Germans Olivia Cowan and Sarah Schmitt.
The ATS Series this year has a new format. The teams will compete over only 36 holes – the Thursday and Friday – with USD 500,000 prize money being split between the lowest scoring four-balls.
The event is the second of five USD 1 million Aramco Team Series tournaments on the LET calendar for 2022.
The final day of play will see only the lowest scoring 60 players and ties from the opening two days return to the course to battle it out for a share of another USD 500,000, this time in individual earnings.
Also Read : Udayan Mane lies T-20 midway through Round 1 in Jakarta
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Udayan Mane lies T-20 midway through Round 1 in Jakarta
Jakarta, Jun 15 (Golf News) Udayan Mane, the lone Indian in the field of the Asian Development Tour’s Indo Masters Invitational, was lying T-20th midway through the first round, which was suspended due to lightning and heavy rain.
Malaysia’s Shahriffuddin Ariffin took an early lead posting a five-under-par 67. He led four players by two shots.
Mane, who had a Top-10 finish on ADT last week, had one birdie and one bogey in his nine holes.
Ariffin, who had the advantage of an early tee time, posted a consistent score with three birdies on each nine, with only a single bogey on his sixth hole of the day, the par 3 16th. He was happy with his performance at the USD 70,000 Asian Development Tour event, the second in a series of six in Indonesia.
Four players including China’s Chen Guxin, Pisitchai Thippong of Thailand, Lloyd Jefferson Go of the Philippines and Singapore’s Jesse Yap were Tied-2nd, but Go and Yap still had three holes to play in the first round.
Last week’s winner Naraajie E. Ramadhanputra of Indonesia started well from the 10th tee but two bogeys before the turn slowed his advance. He shot 71 and was T-9th.
Also Read : Flawless Ridhima takes 3-shot lead in 8th leg of Hero WPGT
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Flawless Ridhima takes 3-shot lead in 8th leg of Hero WPGT
Bengaluru, Jun 15 (Golf News) Ridhima Dilawari fired a flawless 3-under 69 to grab a three shot lead at the end of the opening round of the eighth leg of the Hero Women’s Pro Golf Tour here on Wednesday.
Ridhima, who has not tasted a win since January 2021, had three birdies in a row from 11th to 13th and they came on a Par-5, Par-4 and a Par-3 as she carded 69.
Three little known youngsters, Agrima Manral (17), Disha Kavery (18) and Trimann Saluja (20) are tied for second with similar cards of even par 72 each.
Jahanvi Bakshi and Afshan Fatima were tied fifth with 73 each, while Lakhmehar Pardesi, Pranavi Urs and amateurs Jia Katariya and Smriti Bhargav were tied seventh with rounds of 74 each.
Ridhima was focused and will look forward to playing steady, as she has had some good starts but thereafter given away the advantage.
Trimann Saluja was impressive with six birdies, but she also gave away an equal number of bogeys, making it a unique card of six birdies, six pars and six bogeys.
Agrima had four birdies and four pars, while Disha was hit by a double bogey in a round that otherwise had four birdies and two bogeys.
Pranavi was not in her flowing form, but she often makes up in the last two rounds. She had two birdies against four bogeys.
Last week’s runner-up Asmitha Sathish had a rough outing with a round of 76, with two bogeys, a double and no birdies to be Tied-15th.
Also Read : Tvesa Malik, Diksha and Sharma miss cut at Scandinavian
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Tvesa Malik, Diksha and Sharma miss cut at Scandinavian
Gothenburg (Sweden), Jun 11 (Golf News) All three Indians taking part in the Volvo Car Scandinavian Mixed golf missed the 36-hole cut with disappointing performances here.
The two women, Diksha Dagar and Tvesa Malik and the lone male player, Shubhankar Sharma, were all way off the cut line.
After a first round 76, Sharma shot 71 in the second but was still T-115, while Diksha had a second straight 74. Tvesa Malik, who is not being able to find the form that gave her such good results last year, shot 76-78.
The cut fell at -2 with 69 players making it through to the final two rounds at the Volvo Car Scandinavian Mixed.
Australia's Jason Scrivener had a blistering second day firing a 64 (-8) to lead by two shots. After carding a 68 on day one at Halmstad Golf Club, the 33-year-old went bogey-free and rolled in eight birdies to reach 12-under-par at the halfway point of the competition.
The Volvo Car Scandinavian Mixed is a co-sanctioned event between the LET and DP World Tour and it sees 78 men and 78 women playing for the same prize fund of USD 2 million and one trophy.
Italian amateur Carolina Melgrati followed up her opening round of 65 (-7), which equalled the course record, with a second round of 69 to be 10-under-par after 36 holes.
The 19-year-old rolled in two birdies and one bogey on her front nine before making two more birdies on her back nine to continue her impressive form and be in a share of second place.
After finishing T4 at the Ladies Italian Open, Melgrati has a different putter this week, but it is working a treat at Halmstad Golf Club.
Scotland's Craig Howie and England's Daniel Gavins are tied for fifth place on nine-under having recorded rounds of 70 and 67, respectively.
Henrik Stenson carded a 66 (-6) on day two to move onto eight-under-par and into the top 10 as he is in a share of seventh place.
Stenson is joined by fellow Swede Kristoffer Broberg, Thailand's Jazz Janewattananond and Spanish duo Nacho Elvira and Santiago Tarrio.
Also Read : Rough start for Diksha Dagar, Tvesa and Sharma in Sweden
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Rough start for Diksha Dagar, Tvesa and Sharma in Sweden
Gothenburg, Jun 10 (Golf News) Indian golfers Diksha Dagar, Shubhankar Sharma and Tvesa Malik endured a rough start at the Volvo Car Scandinavian Mixed and run the risk of missing the cut.
Diksha with a 2-over 74 was the best of the three Indians at 114th place, while Sharma and Tvesa carded 4-over 76 each and were T-140th.
All three will need solid second round cards to make the weekend. The top 65 and ties will make the cut.
Diksha had two birdies, two bogeys and a double bogey, while Tvesa had three birdies but also three bogeys and two double bogeys.
Sharma, who has missed four cuts in last five starts, looks likely to miss another one. He had two birdies, four bogeys and a double bogey.
Meanwhile, Italian amateur Carolina Melgrati produced a spectacular opening round of 7-under 65 to be in a four-way share of the lead.
The Volvo Car Scandinavian Mixed is a co-sanctioned event between the LET and DP World Tour with 78 men and women each playing for the same prize fund of USD 2 million and one trophy with Henrik Stenson and Annika Sörenstam as hosts.
Melgrati, 19, who finished T4 at last week’s Ladies Italian Open, landed an eagle on par-5 11th besides six other birdies against just one bogey on eighth.
Melgrati was joined at the top of the leader board by Scotland’s Craig Howie, France’s Matthieu Pavon and Spain’s Santiago Tarrio, who all carded rounds of 65.
Four players were tied for fifth place including England’s Liz Young and Sweden’s Linn Grant after they both fired rounds of 6-under 66.
At the end of the first day, 16 players are Tied-11th on four-under-par including local LET winner Julia Engström, German duo Karolin Lampert and Leonie Harm, France’s Anne-Lise Caudal, England’s Rosie Davies and Italy’s Virginia Elena Carta.
Also Read : India's Udayan Mane lies third in weather-hit ADT event
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India's Udayan Mane lies third in weather-hit ADT event
Jakarta, Jun 9 (Golf News) India's Udayan Mane occupies the third spot to stay in contention in the weather-hit OB Golf Invitational after a lengthy rain delay added to a cramped schedule at the Damai Indah Golf's BSD Course here on Thursday.
The USD 70,000 event will finish on Friday.
After a series of stop-start frustrations a day earlier, there was an interruption of nearly four hours on Thursday. The players will be back on Friday for a long closing day.
Mane, who shot seven-under 65 on the first day, added three-under 69 on the second to be 10-under.
In the unfinished third round he was two-under through nine holes with a total of 12-under. He was two shots behind the leaders -- Jonathan Wijono and Naraajie E Ramadhanputra, who were both 14-under.
Mane was 13-under, but bogeyed the ninth.
Mane has been in contention on all three days so far and was going well with three birdies until an unfortunate bogey on the ninth hole pulled him back as darkness fell.
At 12 under and two under for the day, he will also be looking to make a fresh start when play resumes.
Ramadhanputra carded three birdies in his opening nine holes to draw level with Wijono, who only managed to improve his overnight score by one before the hooter sounded to end the day's play.
Also Read : Pranavi shoots six-under to lead by eight shots in 7th leg of Hero WPGT
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Pranavi shoots six-under to lead by eight shots in 7th leg of Hero WPGT
Bengaluru, Jun 9 (Golf News) Pranavi Urs shot a fine six-under in the second round to take a eight-shot lead in the seventh leg of the Hero Women's Professional Golf Tour here on Thursday.
The 18-year-old Mysore golfer, who has two wins this season, went one better than the first round as she added six-under 66 to her first round card of five-under 67.
Her cards of 67-66 with 15 birdies against two bogeys and a double, indicated that she has fully recovered from the muscle tear that forced her to withdraw in the first round of the trials for the Asian Games, which have now been postponed to next year.
A year earlier, she had a wrist injury that forced to her take time off from golf.
Leading Jahanvi Bakshi by five shots after the first round, Pranavi birdied third and ninth on the front nine at the Prestige Golfshire course and turned in two-under, as Jahanvi had two birdies and a bogey.
On the back nine, Pranavi dropped her only shot on the Par-4 12th, but then in the next six holes she found five birdies including four on the trot from 15th to 18th for a superb 66.
With 11-under 133 Pranavi is now eight shots ahead of Jahanvi, who had two more birdies on the back nine for a 69, which was the second best card of the day along with that of amateur Heena Kang (77-69). Jahanvi is three-under 141 with 72-69.
Asmitha Sathish, who shot the first day's second best score of 70, was even par in the second round with two bogeys, both on Par-5s, and two birdies on Par-4 8th and Par-3 17th.
Asmitha was third, nine shots behind Pranavi.
Amateur Vidhatri Urs (71-72) was lying fourth while Siddhi Kapoor (72-72) at fifth.
Kang, Jyotsana Singh (72-74), Ridhima Dilawari (72-74) and Neha Tripathi (72-74) were Tied-sixth at two-over 146. Durga Nittur (76-72) and Trimann Saluja (73-75) were tied 10th.
Also Read : Pranavi takes handy three-shot lead after Round 1 in 7th leg of Hero WPGT
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Pranavi takes handy three-shot lead after Round 1 in 7th leg of Hero WPGT
Bengaluru, Jun 8 (Golf News) Pranavi Urs, who leads the Hero Order of Merit, opened in style in the seventh leg of Women's Professional Golf Tour with a fine five-under 67 to take a three-shot lead over Asmitha Sathish (70) at the Prestige Golfshire here on Wednesday.
Two amateurs, Vidhatri Urs and Rishika Muralidhar shot one-under 71 each to be tied for the third spot.
Pranavi, who won the first and fourth legs of the Hero WPGT and finished runners-up at the fifth, began the day with a birdie and added more on the third and fifth.
A dropped shot on seventh was the only blemish on the front nine, which she played in four-under 32 as she birdied eighth and ninth.
Pranavi made it four birdies in a row and made gains on the 10th and 11th at which point, she was six-under with seven holes to go.
Then came an unfortunate double bogey but she steadied herself after that with three pars and one more birdie on the Par-5 16th. She closed with two pars for 67.
Asmitha also opened with a birdie on first but had no more on the front nine and had one bogey for an even par 36.
On the back nine, she started with birdies on 10th and 11th but dropped a shot on 13th before picking a final birdie on 16th for her 70.
Amateur Rishika had three birdies against two bogeys on front nine and parred the entire back nine. Vidhatri started with a bogey and then birdied 10th and 12th.
Neha Tripathi, who has not tasted victory on the Hero WPGT for some time, opened with 72 which included four birdies and as many bogeys, two of which came on 17 and 18.
Ridhima had two birdies and two bogeys in her first seven holes and then parred the remaining 11 holes in her card of 72.
Neha and Ridhima were tied for fifth with four others -- Ishvari Prasanna, Jahanvi Bakshi, Siddhi Kapoor and Jyotsana Singh. Trimann Saluja, the only player to land an eagle – on Par-5 third – was tied 11th with Astha Madan.
Some of the other well-known names lying lower included Afshan Fatima (75) at T-14, Seher Atwal (76) at T-17 and Lakmehar Pardesi (77) at T-21.
Also Read : Udayan Mane takes joint lead in Indonesia (Asian Development Tour’s OB Golf Invitational)
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Udayan Mane takes joint lead in Indonesia (Asian Development Tour’s OB Golf Invitational)
Jakarta, Jun 8 (Golf News) Udayan Mane, the lone Indian at the Asian Development Tour’s OB Golf Invitational, grabbed a share of the first round lead after a superb finish that saw him birdie the last four holes in a row.
Mane, a former India No. 1 on the domestic tour and an Olympian in Tokyo, shot 7-under 65 and was tied for the lead with Thailand’s Poosit Supupramai.
Mane starting on the tenth birdied 11th and 12th, but gave away a shot on 17th. On his second nine, the front side of the course, he birdied first and fourth and then from fifth ninth.
Supupramai, after teeing off in one of the first groups, posted a bogey-free round with four birdies on the front nine and three on the back.
Abdul Hadi, with two starts on the Asian Tour already this year, had a more mercurial front nine with six birdies and one bogey, but was unable to maintain momentum and slipped back to third place with a six-under 66.
Thailand’s Sarun Srithon was one of the later finishers who completed their round before play was stopped for a second time due to rain. He carded a 66 to join the group in third spot, together with Malaysia’s Shahriffuddin Ariffin.
Inclement weather stopped play temporarily at 2.05pm, with golfers returning to the course at 3.15pm after a short delay. The USD 70,000 event saw the first round being completed early on Wednesday.
Danny Chia of Malaysia started the day in steady fashion. Teeing off on Hole 10, he maintained par through the first nine holes, then began to gather pace for a strong finish, birdieing six of his last nine holes to score a five-under 67.
Also Read : Madappa finishes tied 6th at USD 2 million International Series in England
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Madappa finishes tied 6th at USD 2 million International Series in England
Newcastle (England), Jun 6 (Golf News) Viraj Madappa continued his rich vein of form with a tied sixth finish at the USD 2million International Series England.
The Indian youngster, who has one win on the Asian Tour, had for a good part of the week contended for the title, before a triple bogey on third day pushed him and he carded an even par 71 on Sunday.
His rounds of 68-70-70-71 saw him at 5-under for the week as Zimbabwean Scott Vincent won a title for the second week in a row.
A week after winning the Gate Way to the Open Mizuno Open in Japan to secure a place in the 150th Open, Vincent won the International Series after a battle with Travis Smyth (68), Sadom Kaewkanjana (69) and Justin Harding (69), who finished behind him in that order.
Last year's Asian Tour No. 1 Kim Joohyung (72) was fifth and Madappa alongside Sihwan Kim (67) and Turk Petit (70) was tied sixth.
Madappa was the highest placed Indian while Gaganjeet Bhullar (72) was T-23 and SSP Chawrasia (70) was T-30th.
Shiv Kapur (73), who had a great start in first two rounds, (73) was T-36 and Ajeetesh Sandhu (70) was T-44 and S Chikkarangappa (73) was T-49th. Karandeep Kochhar (77) finished 64th and Jeev Milkha Singh (75) was T-68th.
Madappa, who at one stage in the week even had the lead, had three birdies and three bogeys in his 71.
For the 30-year-old Vincent it was his maiden Asian Tour triumph. “This is the tour I started on, so obviously it’s nice to get the first win out here. It has felt like a long time but my game is trending in a good direction.” The International Series England also saw five golfers earning their spots at next week's USD 25 million LIV Invitational Series at Centurion Club.
Smyth and Viraj Madappa from India both claimed a berth as the two highest-finishers from the Slaley Hall event who were not otherwise exempt.
South African Ian Snyman, Kevin Yuan from Australia and Thailand's Itthipat Buranatanyarat will be joining them, having qualified from the cumulative International Series Order of Merit.
Also Read : Madappa in Top-10 despite triple bogey, Bhullar moves up
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Madappa in Top-10 despite triple bogey, Bhullar moves up
Newcastle (England), Jun 5 (Golf News) Indian golfer Viraj Madappa's struggles on the front nine of the Slaley Hall Hotel, Spa & Golf Resort continued, but he also continued scoring very well on the back nine of the course.
Madappa, a one-time winner on the Asian Tour, opened with eight straight pars before running into a triple bogey on Par-4 ninth. He steadied himself on the back as he has done all week with four birdies and no bogeys. He finished with 1-under 70 and was placed tied eighth as the top Indian.
This week Madappa is 7-over for the front nine and 12-under for the back nine, indicating his liking and comfort for the back nine.
Travis Smyth (66) took the third-round lead after signing for a superb five-under-par 66.
Shiv Kapur, who is troubled by a bone spur, had a big struggle with six bogeys and a double bogey against three birdies in his 76 as he dropped from tied third to tied 29th.
Gaganjeet Bhullar (69) parred the entire front nine and then birdied 10th, 12th and 16th but dropped a shot on the 18th in his round of 69 and he moved up to tied 16th to give himself a shot at a Top-10 finish.
SSP Chawrasia (74) was tied 44th, S Chikkarangappa (73) was tied 48th, while Ajeetesh Sandhu (72), Karandeep Kochhar (72) and Jeev Milkha Singh (78) were tied 69th.
The Australian, 27, topped the leaderboard on eight under par at Slaley Hall Hotel, Spa & Golf Resort, near Newcastle – in an event that marks the Asian Tour’s debut in the UK.
Smyth leads by a shot from Thailand's Sadom Kaewkanjana, who matched the course record with a 65, Zimbabwe's Scott Vincent, in with a 69, and Korean Joohyung Kim, who carded a 70. South African Justin Harding, joint overnight leader with Kim, carded a 71 and is two off the lead.
Smyth is set to feature in the final group for the first time on the Asian Tour but shrugged off the pressure.
Sadom produced one of the finest rounds of his fledgling career to put himself in position to win his third Asian Tour title; in January he claimed the SMBC Singapore Open. Vincent, fresh from his third victory in Japan last weekend, will also go in search of a first Asian Tour title.
The final round promises to be a thrilling day especially as final places in next week's LIV Golf Invitational Series tournament are up for grabs: the leading two players not otherwise exempt will earn a place in the elite field, as will the leading three players not otherwise exempt from the International Series Order of Merit, from the International Series Thailand in March through to this week.
The inaugural USD 25 million LIV Golf Invitational Series tournament will be played at Centurion Club from June 9-11.
Also Read : Vani drops from top-20 to finish at T-31, Amandeep T-39 at Italian Open
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Vani drops from top-20 to finish at T-31, Amandeep T-39 at Italian Open
Fubine Monferrato (Italy), Jun 5 (Golf News) A late double bogey on the Par-4 17th spoiled Vani Kapoor's card and she dropped from top-20 to finish tied 31st at the Ladies Italian Open golf tournament here.
Vani ended with cards of 73-72-72 for a total of one-over 217, while another Indian Amandeep Drall (74-71-74), at three-over, was T-39th.
Other Indians Tvesa Malik, Ridhima Dilawari and Neha Tripathi missed the cut.
Morgane Metraux of Switzerland, who had a 69 in the regulation final round, eagled the first extra hole in a three-way play-off with amateur Alessandra Fanali (67) and England's Meghan MacLaren (67).
Metraux birdied three of the last four holes at Golf Club Margara and needed a birdie on the par-5 18th hole to win outright in regulation play, but her putt from six feet lipped out and she was tied on 10-under-par 206 with MacLaren and Fanali.
Vani opened the final round with a bogey but steadied herself with a birdie on the Par-5 fifth for the third time in three days. She added birdies on 11th and 16th and looked set for a top-20 finish.
Then came the double bogey and she finished with a par on Par-5 18th for 72.
Amandeep birdied the fifth and then had a disastrous run of four bogeys in six holes between 10th and 15th before finishing with a birdie for 74.
After MacLaren and Fanali both made two-putt birdies in front of a large gallery, Metraux then holed a 20 foot eagle putt to earn the victory, before embracing her father, Olivier, who was acting as her caddie.
Following her tie for third in the Mithra Belgian Ladies Open last week, Metraux moved up to 10th position on the Race to Costa del Sol Ranking, while MacLaren, who was tied for second, moved up to sixth place.
Another Italian amateur, Carolina Melgrati was tied for fourth place with South African Casandra Alexander, while Lee-Anne Pace, also of South Africa who held a three-stroke lead after she holed out for eagle on the fourth hole, had to settle for sixth place.
The third Italian player in the top 10 was Roberta Liti, who shared seventh position with Kim Metraux and Nuria Iturrioz from Spain.
The LET now moves to Sweden for the Volvo Car Scandinavian Mixed, hosted by Henrik and Annika, a mixed gender event with the DP World Tour.
Also Read : Lahiri misses cut by one shot, Smith leads at Memorial Tournament
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Kapur top Indian at third in England; 7 other Indians make cut
Newcastle, Jun 4 (Golf News) Shiv Kapur was the top Indian at tied third at the midway stage of the inaugural International Series England golf tournament here, with seven other compatriots also making the cut.
Kapur, who shot 67 in the first round, added 70 in the second to be at tied third with 5-under 137 and one shot behind Kim Joohyung (67-69) and South African Justin Harding (70-66).
Viraj Madappa took sole lead at one point as he was 4-under through eight holes in the second hole but slipped thereafter. He dropped three bogeys after that to finish the day at 1-under 70 and dropped to T-9.
Other Indians making the cut were SSP Chawrasia (67-74) at T-25, Gaganjeet Bhullar (72-70) at T-34, S Chikkrangappa (72-71) at T-42. Jeev Milkha, who improved from 74 in the first round to 69 in second, made the cut on the line as did Ajeetesh Sandhu (73-72) and Karandeep Kochhar (74-71) at T-60.
Rahil Gangjee (70-77), Aadil Bedi (76-75), Rashid Khan (73-78), Veer Ahlawat (78-74) and Khalin Joshi (77-77) missed the cut.
“All things considered, I’m happy. I got off to a good start today. I didn’t quite hold it -- a couple of three-putts on my back nine. But the front nine is the trickier side and a couple of tucked pins," Kapur said.
“But that’s always going to happen – to go blemish-free over 36 holes would’ve been a bit of a bonus. Overall, I’m in a good position. Hopefully the body can keep up on the weekend.” Harding took route 66 to surge into contention along with teenage star Joohyung Kim. The South African, a two-time winner on the Asian Tour, made a big move during the second round, climbing to six under par for the tournament.
Korea’s Kim, last season’s Asian Tour number one, tagged a 69 to his opening effort of 67.
Also Read : Lahiri misses cut by one shot, Smith leads at Memorial Tournament
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Lahiri misses cut by one shot, Smith leads at Memorial Tournament
Dublin (US), Jun 4 (Golf News) India's ace golfer Anirban Lahiri carded a disappointing one-over 73 to miss the cut by one shot at the Memorial Tournament here.
Lahiri, who shot 74 on the first day, finished at three-over 147 and missed the cut on Friday at Muirfield Village.
Two missed par putts from inside five feet on fifth and 12th saw Lahiri miss the cut for the second start in a row. He had earlier missed the weekend action at the US PGA Championship at Southern Hills.
Lahiri's will most likely next play at the Travelers Championship.
Cameron Smith, playing some of his best golf, moved into the lead. His highlight was a hole out with a downhill chip from beyond the green on the par-3 12th that carried him to three-under 69.
Smith was one shot ahead of Denny McCarthy and KH Lee at the end of the 36 holes.
In six previous appearances, Smith only made the cut twice and on both occasion finished outside the top 60. His best round was a 71.
But Smith, now a winner of THE PLAYERS Championship and the Sentry Tournament of Champions, is in a different frame of mind and in some superb form. His rounds of 67-69 gave him a total of eight-under 136.
Billy Horschel had a birdie chance at almost every hole but ended with four-under 68 that left him in the group two shots behind with Torrey Pines winner Luke List, PGA TOUR rookies Cameron Young and Davis Riley, and Jhonattan Vegas.
Rory McIlroy, with a 69, was three shots behind defending champion Patrick Cantlay, who closed in with two big par putts for a 69 and was at three-under 141.
The cut fell at two-over 146.
Among those missing out on the weekend action were Bryson DeChambeau and Harris English, both of whom were coming back from injuries.
Jon Rahm, winner here in 2020, had a 70 and was at two-under 142, six shots behind. He was six shots ahead after three rounds last year until his positive COVID-19 test forced his withdrawal.
Korea's Lee stayed on Smith's heels. Lee traded four birdies, which included a 40-foot monster putt, against two bogeys for a two-day total of seven-under 137 as World No. 3 Smith stepped up his bid for a third victory of the season.
Another Korean, Sungjae Im kept himself in contention with a second successive 70 to lie four back.
Also Read : Shubhankar tied 87th in European Open, likely to miss cut
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Shubhankar tied 87th in European Open, likely to miss cut
Hamburg (Germany), Jun 3 (Golf News) Shubhankar Sharma opened the Porsche European Open with a modest 3-over 75 and is likely to miss the cut as he is currently placed a poor 87th.
Sharma, who had a decent top-15 finish last week, had one birdie and four bogeys leaving a lot of work to do to make the cut.
Joakim Lagergren and Li Haotong share the first round lead after carding five under par opening rounds of 67 at Green Eagle Golf Courses.
Two-time DP World Tour winner Li set the early clubhouse target after starting his round with three birdies in a row, making the turn four under par.
He then made two further gains on the back nine, cancelling out a bogey on the 16th with his sixth birdie of the day on the par five 18th.
Also Read : Anirban Lahiri squanders flying start, lies T71 after round one
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Anirban Lahiri squanders flying start, lies T71 after round one
Dublin (Ohio), Jun 3 (Golf News) After getting off to a blazing start with three birdies in his first six holes, Indian golfer Anirban Lahiri gave away the gains to finish two-over 74 in the first round of the Memorial Tournament, here.
Lahiri's 74 put him in the danger zone in terms of the cut as he was placed T-71 and needed a solid second round to ensure weekend action.
As many as six players were tied for the lead at 5-under 67.
The six were Cameron Young, Luke List, Cameron Smith, KH Lee, Mackenzie Hughes and David Riley, who is having a great run in his rookie season.
It was a day to forget for 2014 Memorial Tournament champion Hideki Matsuyama after the Japanese star was disqualified for using a non-conforming club, which violates the Equipment Standards Rule 4.c(3).
Lahiri, who hit 11 of 18 greens in regulation start from the tenth, birdied the 11th, 13th and 15th to go three-under. Then he ran out of birdies. He bogeyed the 16th and double bogeyed 18th after taking a penalty as he went into right rough off the tee.
On the second nine, he parred first to the seventh and then dropped shots on eighth and ninth as he missed par putts from 11 and seven feet. He also missed a birdie putt from 10 feet on seventh.
In-form Korean star K.H. Lee put himself in contention for a second PGA TOUR victory in a month after carding a splendid 5-under 67.
Lee's 67 equalled his lowest round at the USD 12 million showpiece, which is hosted by legend Jack Nicklaus and is one of three elevated tournaments on the PGA TOUR. It is also the third time in his career he has held the 18-hole lead/co-lead.
Also Read : Tvesa among five Indians to tee up at Ladies Italian Open
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Tvesa among five Indians to tee up at Ladies Italian Open
Fubine (Italy), Jun 1 (Golf News) Tvesa Malik, who is still seeking her first top-10 finish of the year on the Ladies European Tour, will lead the Indian contingent at the 26th edition of the Ladies Italian Open at the Margara Golf Club here.
The field of 126 players, include five Indians and has players from 28 countries.
Tvesa recorded a best finish of T-26 at the Aramco Series-Bangkok individual event and last week she was T-45 at Jabra Ladies Open.
In 2021, Tvesa had a series of top-10 and top-15 finishes and also came close to winning her maiden title by finishing second in Belgium.
She finished 19th in the Order of Merit.
The other Indians in the field, include Vani Kapoor, who has played in South Africa, Australia, Thailand and Europe this week, Amandeep Drall, Ridhima Dilawari and Neha Tripathi.
Last year's tournament was played behind closed doors due to COVID-19 pandemic and the winner was the French golfer Lucie Malchirand.
Malchirand will be joined by strong names, including Lee-Anne Pace and Caroline Hedwall.
Malchirand will try to become the first player since Laura Davies (1987-1988) to win back-to-back titles here.
Six of the current 10 best players on the Race to Costa del Sol will also be in the field -- Johanna Gustavsson from Sweden (ranked second), Tiia Koivisto from Finland (ranked fifth, who won last week's Jabra Ladies Open), South Africa's Lee-Anne Pace (sixth), England's Meghan MacLaren (eighth), Spain's Ana Pelaez (ninth and who recently won the Comunidad de Madrid Ladies Open) and Scotland's Michele Thomson (10th).
They will be joined by Spain's Carmen Alonso and Nuria Iturrioz, England's Alice Hewson, Gabriella Cowley, Annabel Dimmock and Lily May Humphreys and Finland's Ursula Wikstrom (runner up in 2021), as well as Sweden's Caroline Hedwall and Linnea Strom.
Also Read : Milind leads in men's section, Avani tops among women in IGU Trials for WATC
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Milind leads in men's section, Avani tops among women in IGU Trials for WATC
Hyderabad, Jun 1 (Golf News) Milind Soni shot one-under 69 to maintain his pole position even as Shaurya Bhattacharya (66) cut his overnight lead from three to two in the IGU Trials for the World Amateur Team Championship to be held in France later this year.
Milind is now six-under 134, while Bhattacharya (70-66) is second at four-under 136. Raghav Chugh (68-70) was tied-third with Tushar Pannu (72-66) for the day's best card.
Another youngster to turn in a good card was Krishna Nikhil Chopraa (72-67), whose score was the day's second best.
Among women, Avani Prashanth followed her three-over 73 with one-over 71 to take the lead at four-over 144, while Sneha Singh (75-71) moved to second place at six-over 146. Saanvi Somu (74-73) was third.
Milind looked like breaking away from the field as he was flawless over the front nine with three-under 31.
However he erred a lot on the back nine with two bogeys on 11th and 13th and also bogeyed 16th and 18th. His two birdies on back nine were on 14th and 15th as he was two-over 38 for the back stretch.
Shaurya had five birdies, one on the front nine and four on the back nine, and dropped just one shot during the day on Par-4 18th.
Nishna Patel (82-68) saw a 14-shot swing in her first and second round scores in women's section and moved to fourth. First round leader, Smriti Bhargava, after first round 72, slipped to 80 and dropped to sixth, one behind Mannat Brar (77-74).
A total of 14 amateurs in men's section and nine in women's category teed off in the trials.
The 2022 World Amateur Team Championships (WATC) for 2022 will be held near Paris in France. The 29th edition of WATC for women for the Espirito Santo Trophy will be held from August 24 to 27 and the 32nd men's championship for the Eisenhower Trophy will be played from August 31 to September 3.
The Le Golf National (Albatross Course) and the Golf de Saint-Nom-La Breteche (Red Course) will be used for the events.
Also Read : Milind leads IGU trials for World Amateurs; Avani trails Smriti among women
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Milind leads IGU trials for World Amateurs; Avani trails Smriti among women
Hyderabad, May 31 (Golf News) In-form Milind Soni got off to a flying start in the Indian Golf Union-organised trials for the World Amateur Championships to be held later this year.
The 17-year-old Telengana golfer, who wore India colours at the Asia-Pacific Amateurs last year in Dubai, shot a superb five-under 65 that included a late eagle took a three-shot lead after the first round at the Hyderabad Golf Association course.
A total of 14 amateurs in men's section and nine in women's section teed off in the trials.
Milind, winner of the IGA Assam Amateurs in April and then the IGU AP Amateurs in May, is now looking at making a place in the Indian squad for the World Amateur Team Championship in France.
Among the girls, Smriti Bhargava edge past the fancied Avani Prashanth to hold the lead.
Smriti shot two-over 72 while Avani carded 73. Saanvi Somu scored 74 and Sneha Singh, who alongside Avani went to the recent Queen Sirikit Cup, scored 75 and was fourth.
The 2022 World Amateur Team Championships (WATC) for 2022 will be held near Paris in France. The 29th edition of WATC for women for the Espirito Santo Trophy will be held from August 24 to 27 and the 32nd men's championship for the Eisenhower Trophy will be played from August 31 to September 3.
The Le Golf National (Albatross Course) and the Golf de Saint-Nom-La Breteche (Red Course) will be used for the events.
Milind started superbly and had four birdies and no bogeys on the front nine, while the back nine started with five pars. Then he birdied 15th and had an eagle on 17th while dropping shots on 16th and 18th for one-under back nine and a total of five-under 65.
Chugh had five birdies against three bogeys in a round of 68, while Pranav had four birdies against three bogeys in his 69.
Chugh (68) was lying second, and Pranav (69) was third, while Shaurya Bhattacharya and Yuvraj Singh were tied fourth with cards of 70 each. Krishnav Nikhil Chopraa and Tushar Pannu, with rounds of 72 each, were tied sixth.
Two-time All India amateur champion, Aryan Roopa Anand and Akshay Neranjen along with Shat Mishra were tied eighth with 73 each.
Also Read : India's Shubhankar Sharma finishes 14th at Dutch Open (DP World Tour)
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India's Shubhankar Sharma finishes 14th at Dutch Open (DP World Tour)
Cromvoirt (The Netherlands), May 30 (Golf News) India's Shubhankar Sharma completed a good week, laced with 18 birdies, with a Tied-14th finish at the Dutch Open on the DP World Tour.
Sharma had as many as 18 birdies over four days. But the Indian also gave away 13 bogeys.
The finish would nevertheless give Sharma a big boost, considering he missed four cuts in five previous starts.
After three birdies in his opening 71, Sharma had six birdies in a second round 71 and six more in his third round 69.
The final round saw two birdies on front nine but he gave away three bogeys in his first six holes on back nine before closing with a birdie on 18th for the third time in four days.
With a packed calendar ahead, Sharma will hope his birdie-making skills come good even as he works on cutting down the bogeys to improve on his 17th place on the Race to Dubai rankings.
The other two Indians, Gaganjeet Bhullar (73-74) and SSP Chawrasia (74-77) had missed the cut.
Meanwhile, the Dundee-based Frenchman Victor Perez, 29, was exceptional in clutch putting and held off Kiwi Ryan Fox in a play-off to win his second DP World Tour title.
Perez started the final day in a share of the lead but following Fox’s great show, he was three shots back as he stood on the 17th tee.
Fox double bogeyed the 18th and Perez birdied the penultimate hole and then missed a six footer for birdie. The duo went into a tie and a play-off down the par-five 18th.
Perez also earns himself a spot at The 150th Open Championship this summer alongside Fox and Pole Adrian Meronk, with the top three players in the top ten not exempt heading to St Andrews.
Meronk finished a shot out of the play-off after a 68, a score matched by German Marcel Schneider who finished at 11 under.
Swede Sebastian Soderberg and England's Matt Wallace were at ten under, two shots ahead of another Swede in Alexander Björk and Portugal's Ricardo Gouveia.
Also Read : Indian golfer Vani Kapoor finishes T-41st in Belgium
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Indian golfer Vani Kapoor finishes T-41st in Belgium
Wanze (Belgium), May 30 (Golf News) Indian golfer Vani Kapoor finished T-41st as she rounded off the week at the Mithra Belgian Ladies Open on the Ladies European Tour with a 71.
The 28-year-old Delhi golfer shot rounds of 75-70-71 as she tries to find her feet on the LET once again.
The other two Indians in the field this week Amandeep Drall (79-70) and Ridhima Dilawari (74-78) had missed the cut earlier.
Next week the action shifts to the Ladies Italian Open, where there will be a big Indian contingent.
Tvesa Malik will return to action after a break, while Vani, Amandeep and Ridhima will be joined by Neha Tripathi and Gaurika Bishnoi is among the reserves.
Swede Linn Grant won her second LET title in five starts in 2022 after firing a final round of 5-under 67 on the last day.
The 22-year-old, who won the Joburg Ladies Open in March, recorded rounds of 66, 68 and 67 to hold off England’s Cara Gainer at Naxhelet Golf Club.
Grant maintained her lead on the front nine with birdies on three and nine, before she went toe to toe with Gainer on the back nine. Birdies on 10 and 12, as well as a crucial eagle on the 14th put the Swede back in pole position, and a dropped shot on 16 put the duo level before Grant made a par on the last to win her second title with a total of 15-under-par.
It was an exceptional day for Gainer who fired a stunning 8-under 64, which was the joint-best round of the week, to finish in second place.
Maja Stark, who leads the 2022 Race to Costa del Sol, also shot a round of 8-under 64 on the final day to secure a T3 finish alongside Switzerland’s Morgane Metraux.
Metraux followed up her second round of 7-under 65 with a round of 5-under 67 on day three to finish level with Stark in third place.
Also Read : Sneha top Indian at 14th, Indian team 9th at Queen Sirikit Cup
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Sneha top Indian at 14th, Indian team 9th at Queen Sirikit Cup
Singapore, May 28 (Golf News) India's star amateurs Sneha Singh and Avani Prashanth had a modest finish at the Queen Sirikit Cup golf tournament, even as Japan ended its 20-year title drought in the tournament.
In sweltering conditions at Singapore's Laguna National Golf Resort Club, Sneha Singh (75-72-74-69) was the top Indian at tied 14th, while Avani Prashanth (75-73-78-74) was tied 24th. The third Indian, Janniya Dassani (80-82-78-73), was tied 33rd.
Mizuki Hashimoto won the individual honours with rounds of 70-64-72-73 and then combined with Miku Ueta and Ayaka Tezuka to secure their country's first Asia Pacific Amateur Ladies Team Championship crown since 2002.
The Indians finished ninth in the team standings.
Beginning the final day with a one-stroke advantage, the Japanese posted a last-round score of five-under 139 thanks to 16-year-olds Ueta (68) and Tezuka (71). That gave them a 72-hole aggregate of 20-under 556 and a seven-shot victory over New Zealand.
Chasing a seventh successive win and a 13th triumph in the past 14 stagings of the event, the Korean trio of Lee Ji-hyun, Kim Min-byeol and Bang Shin-sil made a bold early charge. Eventually, though, they had to settle for third on 566.
Hosts Singapore, led splendidly by Shannon Tan, were fourth (567), followed by Chinese Taipei (570), Thailand (574), Australia and Malaysia (577), India (589), Hong Kong (600), the Philippines (611), Indonesia (613) and Myanmar (677) Even as the individual glory went to Hashimoto, the reigning Women's Amateur Asia-Pacific champion, the evidence of the strength of the Japan team was that her closing one-over 73 was omitted in the event in which the best two daily scores in each three-strong team are counted.
Not one of the winning trio was born when Japan last hoisted the trophy at Malaysia's A'Famosa Resort, the 2002 team made up of Ai Miyazato, Kyoko Furuya and Ayako Uehara.
The 19-year-old Hashimoto has two more years of college ahead of her before she contemplates turning pro.
Also Read : Deaflympics gold has spurred me to win medals at Asiad, 2024 Olympics: Diksha
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Deaflympics gold has spurred me to win medals at Asiad, 2024 Olympics: Diksha
New Delhi, May 20 (Golf News) Bolstered by her unprecedented gold-medal winning run at the 24th Summer Deaflympics, Indian golfer Diksha Dagar has now trained her eyes on returning with medals from the postponed Asian Games and the 2024 Olympics.
The 21-year-old from Haryana defeated American Ashlyn Grace in the final to bag gold at the Deaflympics.
She thus became the only golfer with two Deaflympics medals – a silver in Samsun, Turkey in 2017 and gold in 2022, which is actually the 2021 edition of showpiece.
"Last time, when I lost in the playoffs, I was so disappointed because I expected to win. But this time, I was 100 per cent sure that I will return with gold because of my exposure and experience in international tournaments," Diksha told PTI during an interaction.
"I have played across the globe, against the best players, so I was confident and when I won, I was so proud to see the national anthem play in the stadium. This win is special because it is for the country and bigger than all my individual success.
"Now I want to win medal at the Asian Games and the 2024 Olympics. I have competed at the Tokyo Olympics but it was my first experience. Now I am so motivated to make my country proud in these major events." Dikha was not given a direct entry into the Asian Games with the Indian Golf Union (IGU) deciding to pick Aditi Ashok and Tvesa Malik based on their world rankings.
"IGU has played a major role in my growth as a golfer but I was really hurt and disappointed when I was not selected despite being only the second Indian to win two events in LET after Aditi Ashok," said Diksha, who had become the youngest Indian woman to win on Ladies European Tour when she claimed the 2019 Investec South African Women's Open.
She had also helped her team win the Aramco Team Series – London last year.
"I didn't know that they will pick two players on world ranking. I thought it would be like the Olympics. But now that the Asian Games has been postponed, I will start my preparation.
"Winning this medal has also spurred me to work harder on my game and rack up ranking points so that I can qualify for the event next year and win medals for the country." Coached by her father Col Narinder Dagar, Diksha has never sought the services of any specialised coach since turning professional in 2019 but now she is seriously planning to have a professional set up around her to prepare her for the Paris Olympics.
"I realised at Tokyo and other tournaments that playing against top players I will have to work hard and this is not enough. I need professional people around me like a specialised coach, physios, mental trainers, nutritionists etc.
"It will help me to play consistent golf. I have to work on my fitness and distance and if I can keep working hard I know I can win medals at Asian Games and Olympics." Diksha also won numerous titles as an amateur with the 2018 Singapore Ladies Amateur Open being the last as she turned pro the following year. "I can't imagine life without golf. I used to play tennis, swimming. But golf is something that I love most. I am a professional but I have been playing like an amateur but now I want to take my game to the next level," she signed off.
ALso Read : Tvesa T-16 after Round 1, Aditi gets hole-in-one in Round 2 at Jabra Ladies
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Tvesa T-16 after Round 1, Aditi gets hole-in-one in Round 2 at Jabra Ladies
Evian-les-Bains (France), May 20 (Golf News) Indian golfer Tvesa Malik carded two birdies and as many bogeys for an even par 71 to lie T-16 alongside compatriot Aditi Ashok after the first round of the Jabra Ladies Open here.
Aditi, who came in from the LPGA Tour, also carded 71 but had an eventful round with five birdies and five bogeys. The Indian duo was five shots behind Carmen Alonso of Spain who held a one-stroke lead after a round of 5-under 66.
While Tvesa was yet to start her second round till late afternoon, Aditi Ashok was an early starter on the second day and she had a hole in one on the Par-3 eighth hole.
It was her first hole-in-one as a professional. However, she carded a modest 3-over 74 that had an ace, a birdie and six bogeys. At 4-over for 36 holes, she was T-44th and should make the cut comfortably.
Things did not go too well for the other three Indians as Amandeep Drall (72-82) was T-94th and Vani Kapoor (79-85) was T-123. They were sure to miss the cut, which was likely to fall at 5-over.
Tvesa is looking to get back to the form that saw her finish 19th on the Order of Merit on the Ladies European Tour.
The winner of this week’s tournament will earn a place in the USD 6.5 million Amundi Evian Championship, the only Major in continental Europe, to be played in July at the same venue, and so there is fierce competition for the first prize.
Australian Whitney Hillier, who won the Team competition in last week’s Aramco Team Series – Bangkok, started her round with three straight birdies from the 15th to the 17th and signed for a four-under-par 67 to lie in second place alongside LET Rookie Gabrielle Macdonald from Scotland.
Also Read : Tiger trouble: Woods winces way through opening 74 at PGA
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Tiger trouble: Woods winces way through opening 74 at PGA
Tulsa (Oklahoma), May 20 (Golf News) By the time Tiger Woods walked toward the fifth tee box Thursday, the hot start to his return to the PGA Championship had turned cold, and what was quickly becoming a steamy day at Southern Hills had also become an agonizing grind.
Two early birdies that had him in the red seemed distant memories, replaced by mishits off the tee, wayward irons into the green, fliers out of bunkers and not enough made putts to save his round.
Woods wound up with a 4-over 74 on the same course where he won the 2009 PGA, leaving him weary of the cut line heading into Friday's second round.
"I got off to a great start and didn't keep it going,” said Woods, who was often wincing down the stretch on a right leg that was nearly amputated 15 months ago.
"I really didn't give myself any looks for birdie. I was struggling trying to get the ball on the green, and I missed quite a few iron shots both ways. It was a frustrating day." Painful one, too.
Woods was optimistic that after making it around hilly Augusta National during the Masters, the right leg that was so severely injured in a car crash would fare well on the reasonably flat, compact layout in Tulsa.
But whether he was fidgeting with a compression wrap on it during his second nine, or using his driver almost like cane as he walked down the fairways, it quickly became evident that the leg was bothering him.
After knocking his tee shot into the greenside bunker on his penultimate hole, Woods grimaced as he walked gingerly back to his bag. He then leaned heavily on it while watching playing partner Rory McIlroy hit his approach shot.
"My leg is not feeling as good as I would like it to be," acknowledged Woods, who missed last year's tournament at Kiawah Island while recovering.
"I just can't load it. Loading hurts, pressing off it hurts and walking hurts, and twisting hurts." At one point, Woods had five bogeys during an eight-hole stretch, and he added two more on his final two holes. The result was his worst opening around at the PGA since shooting 75 in 2015, when he missed the cut.
"We'll start the recovery process," Woods said, "and get after it tomorrow." Playing in the day's featured group with McIlroy and Jordan Spieth, Woods gave a huge gallery following their very move Thursday an early reason to roar.
He hit one of his few crisp approach shots at the par-4 10th and rolled in a birdie to begin his round, then hit his approach to about 13 feet at the long par-3 14th and made another birdie.
But a poor iron off the tee at the par-4 15th led to bogey, and another poor iron after a perfect drive at the 18th resulted in another. And after making the turn at even, Woods bogeyed three of the first four holes on the front side, then added those two to finish — including at the ninth, where he flubbed a chip shot from above the green.
"Hit a lot of bad iron shots in the middle part of the round and late in the round,” Woods said simply.
Making things seem worse? The fact that McIlroy was making things seem easy.
McIlroy aggressively hit driver just about whenever he could, while Woods conservatively hit irons off several tees in the hopes of finding the fairway. But the result was that the Northern Irishman was often 100 yards closer to the green, leaving him mid- and even short-irons for his approaches, and helping to produce a 5-under 65 and the early lead.
"Well, it wouldn't have been so far back if I would have hit the iron shot solid and put the ball in the fairway," Woods said.
"I was playing to my spots, and those guys obviously have a different game plan. It's just different." Spieth also hit driver whenever possible, though it didn't do him as much good. He struggled to a 2-over 72, leaving him in need of a low score Friday as he pursues the missing piece of the career Grand Slam.
Woods will also need a big second round at Southern Hills, but he can take comfort in having done it before. He shot 63 on Friday to seize control of the 2007 PGA, then cruised through the weekend to his fourth Wannamaker Trophy.
Then again, that was a long time and many injuries ago.
"Lots of treatment, lots of ice baths,” Woods said. “Try and get the inflammation out and try and get ready for tomorrow."
Also Read : Tvesa Malik, Aditi Ashok among 5 Indians at Jabra Ladies Open
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Tvesa Malik, Aditi Ashok among 5 Indians at Jabra Ladies Open
Evian-les-Bains (France), May 18 (Golf News) Tvesa Malik and Aditi Ashok will lead a big Indian challenge at the Jabra Open as the Ladies European Tour returns to Europe this week.
The strong field of 132 includes five Indians.
Tvesa has played in Asia recently while Aditi Ashok hops from across the Atlantic where she plays the LPGA to get ready for the Majors in Europe.
The other Indians in the field are Amandeep Drall, who has travelled a lot over the past 18 months in search of events, Vani Kapoor and Suchitra Ramesh, who plays regularly on the Indian domestic Tour.
Tvesa is paired with former Hero Women's Indian Open winner, Camille Chevalier, and Spain's Harang Lee, while Aditi plays alongside Lucie Malchirand of France and Linn Grant of Sweden.
Amandeep Drall is paired with Ainil Bakar of Malaysia and England's Florentyna Parker, and Vani plays with Katja Pogacar and Emma Grechi of France.
Suchitra is drawn with Olivia Mehaffey of Norther Ireland and Klara Sionkava of Czech Republic.
Situated in the picturesque Evian Resort Golf Club on the banks of Lake Geneva, the French destination will see the LET stars compete for a Euro 250,000 purse over 54 holes from Thursday to Saturday this week.
The last year's winner Pia Babnik will be back to try to defend her crown, which she won in a playoff against 2020 champion Annabel Dimmock last time around, with Dimmock also in the field once again this week.
The 2010 Order of Merit winner Lee Ann Pace will also be looking to challenge at the top of the leaderboard, with the South African hoping to add to her 11 LET tournament victories in her career.
Pace has already tasted success this year at the Investec South African Women's Open, and there will be a further five 2022 winners in the field, with last week's Aramco Team Series -Bangkok winner Manon De Roey also in the field.
Meghan MacLaren (Australian Women's Classic) and Maja Stark (Women's NSW Open) will also be looking to make it two wins for the season, as will Linn Grant, who took the spoils at the Joburg Ladies Open back in March.
Johanna Gustavsson comes into the week off the back of a third second-place finish of the season is Bangkok, with the Swede also finishing as runner-up at the Aramco Saudi Ladies International earlier in the year, as well as at the Women’s NSW Open.
Also Read : Kartik Sharma moves to second in Phuket as Mane is 6th
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Kartik Sharma moves to second in Phuket as Mane is 6th
Phuket, May 14 (Golf News) India's Kartik Sharma, a left-hander with a lot of promise and a bunch of Top-10 finishes on his domestic Tour, on Saturday shot a sizzling 67 to give himself a shot at his first pro title at the Blue Canyon Classic on the Asian Development Tour.
At nine-under, Sharma, who had carded 66 in the first round, is now T-2 with three others and is just one shot behind the leader, a Thai teenager Denwit Boriboonsub (66).
Kartik is tied second with Shahriffuddin Ariffin (69-64), Witchyapat SInsrang (67-66) and Swede Filip Lundell (66-67), who had a scary scooter accident on the eve of the tournament.
First round leader Udayan Mane, after a brilliant 63 on first day, shot even par 71 with three birdies and three bogeys. At a total of 8-under, he is Tied-sixth alongside three other players.
Five of the eight Indians who teed up this week made the cut. M Dharma (66-71) at T-28, Yuvraj Sandhu (70-68) at T-37 and Yashas Chandra (68-71) at T-46 were the others to make the cut in Beautiful Thailand Swing event.
The cut fell at 3-under.
Indians missing the cut were Divyanshu Bajaj (71-73), Karan Vasudeva (77-70) and Chiragh Kumar, who withdrew due to injury.
Denwit Boriboonsub, the 18-year-old from Pattaya, has carded successive 66s on the stunning Lakes layout at the famous Phuket club to sit alone atop the Blue Canyon Classic leaderboard at 10-under.
It will be a tight final round with as many as 35 players within five strokes of Boriboonsub, who finished Tied-second behind compatriot Phachara Khongwatmai at the Laguna Phuket Championship on the Asian Tour in December.
It propelled Boriboonsub inside the world’s top 500 for the first time.
Also Read : Amandeep finishes 13th and Vani 23rd in Switzerland
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Amandeep finishes 13th and Vani 23rd in Switzerland
Flumserberg, May 14 (Golf News) Amandeep Drall held steady and carded 1-under 71 to finish inside Top-15 as she totalled 2-under 213 at the 2022 Flumserberg Ladies Open here.
Fellow Indian Vani Kapoor dropped a triple bogey late in the day on the Par-5 16th. Despite that she fought back for a birdie on 18th to card 73 and finished tied 23rd.
Amandeep dropped a shot on fifth, but picked birdies on Par-3s on seventh and 11th.
Vani, playing with Amandeep in the same group, birdied the opening hole and then parred the next 14. She had a disastrous triple bogey on 16th which spoilt her run. She birdied 18th for some consolation.
Dutch amateur Lauren Holmey won the tournament after a final day round of 2-under 70. The 19-year-old won by a single shot in just her third LETAS event.
After 14 straight pars to begin her round, Holmey hung in at the top of the leader board, before back-to-back birdies on the 15th and 16th saw her through at the GAMS-Werdenberg Golf Club.
One shot behind the winner Holmey was Germany's Patricia Isabel Schmidt, who rattled in eight birdies and an eagle on the way to a score of 66 (-6) on the final day.
Sweden's Anna Magnusson finished third on -6 after a final day score of 70 (-2), albeit having reached -8 with a birdie on the 13th, only for two bogeys on her last five holes to see her drop back into the pack.
The next LETAS event is the PGA Championship Trelleborg which takes place on May 19-21 at Tegelberga Golf Club in Sweden.
Also Read : Udayan Mane cards 8-under 63, moves to top spot at Blue Canyon Classic
News Source : PTI
Udayan Mane cards 8-under 63, moves to top spot at Blue Canyon Classic
Phuket, May 13 (Golf News) Udayan Mane carded a brilliant 8-under 63 to move to the top of the heap at the Blue Canyon Classic Golf, an event which is part of the Asian Development Tour (ADT) and MENA Tour.
The 31-year-old from Pune closed the last week's event with a 63 and finished tied seventh and now he has started the new tournament on top of leaderboard. Mane had six birdies and an eagle.
Mane's eight-under score included six birdies and an eagle on the 11th.
"It (the PGTI Tor Championship) was the biggest win of my career and it did give me confidence but I started to take things for granted and I paid the price," Mane said.
"I just expected to show up and be in contention, not consciously but the attitude was such. I did struggle, anyone would. Got a wake-up call and started to work at it again." He added:"Anyway, this is me trying to get to the top again. The goal this year is to play everything I get into and perform. Simple." There was a strong Indian presence in top-five as Kartik Sharma (66) and M Dharma carded 66 each to be tied eighth. The other Indians were Yashas Chandra (68) in T-22, Yuvraj Sandhu (70) in T-49, Divyanshu Bajaj (71) in T-66, Chiragh Kumar (76) in T-124, Karan Vasudeva (77) in T-131.
Also Read : Three birdies in a row help Tvesa Malik make cut in Bangkok
News Source : PTI
Three birdies in a row help Tvesa Malik make cut in Bangkok
Bangkok, May 13 (Golf News) Indian golfer Tvesa Malik overcame sweltering heat and her cold form as she shot three straight birdies on the back nine to make the cut at the Aramco Team Series – Bangkok on Friday.
Tvesa finished the second day at 72 after 75 on the first day. At 147, she was T-38ᨊth. The top 60 and ties made the cut for the third and final round.
In the team competition, which was played over two days, Tvesa’s team, comprising Switzerland’s Nobuhle Dlamini and Anais Maggetti and local amateur Airi Misuhgashi, improved to the 15th place.
The team competition was won by Whitney Hiller’s team that included Krista Baker, Chonlada Chayanum and amateur Pattanam Amatanon.
The 27-year-old Tvesa is attempting to overcome inconsistencies that often come with a recent swing change.
While she hit the ball beautifully at the Ladies European Tour event, she just could not get her putter to convert several close chances in the opening two rounds.
Local hero Patty Tavatanakit (three-under par 69), led the field at nine-under par 133, two shots better than England’s Felicity Johnson (68) and Belgium’s Manon de Roey (67).
Former world No 1, Thailand’s Ariya Jutanugarn, was also in the mix. A two-under par 70 took her to tied fourth place at six-under par 138.
In Friday’s second round, Tvesa was staring at the prospect of an idle weekend, but things changed when she finally managed to roll in a 24-foot birdie putt on the 11th hole.
That was followed by another long birdie putt on the 12th hole, and then an even more unlikely putt from off the green on the 13th.
“It was still a very tough day. I don't think it was very easy to play out here. I was able to hit my shots close yesterday, as well as today, but just didn’t make as many pars as I needed to.
"Hopefully, I'm going to have another chance to do it tomorrow and hopefully, I can get some to drop,” said Tvesa, who was followed through the 18 holes by her father Aloke, mother Ritu and sister Kasvi.
“But I didn’t leave any putt short today. They all went past because I was really trying to make everything. It just wasn’t my day with the birdies. It just didn’t do what it was supposed to. I missed too many of them by very narrow margins," she added.
The Aramco Team Series is two competitions rolled into one – a USD 500,000 team competition, where an amateur joins the team of three professionals, and a 54-hole individual competition.
Also Read : Ajeetesh Sandhu lie 20th at midway stage in Japan, Gangjee misses out
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Ajeetesh Sandhu lie 20th at midway stage in Japan, Gangjee misses out
Tokyo, May 13 (Golf News) Indian golfer Ajeetesh Sandhu made the cut with a solid one-under 69 but compatriot Rahil Gangjee missed out on weekend action by a stroke at the Asia Pacific Open Golf Championship Diamond Cup here on Friday.
Sandhu, winner of a Japan Challenge Tour event in 2017, is now one-under for 36 holes and lies T-20 after two rounds. He had scored even par 70 in the first round.
India's other player in the field, Gangjee, winner of a Panasonic Open Japan in 2018, however, missed the cut by one shot despite a valiant finish with two birdies in last three holes.
Bogeys around the middle of the round on ninth and 10th, cost him heavily. He was T-64th as Top-60 and ties made the cut.
Sandhu had two birdies against one bogey and at T-20 he is well placed to make a bid for a solid Top-10 or better finish.
Japan's young new star Kaito Onishi added a three-under-par 67 to his opening day 65 to take the clubhouse lead at the Oarai Golf Club, near Tokyo.
Onishi, joint overnight leader with countryman Hiroshi Iwata, began on hole 10 and impressively toured the back nine in four-under with birdies on 10, 11, 15 and 18, and then reached 10-under for the tournament with a birdie on the third, before dropping shots on five and nine.
Onishi leads by two as Rikuya Hoshino (67-67), Yuki Inamori (70-64) and Todd Sinnott of Australia (66-68) were tied second at 6-under. Shugo Imahira (66-69) is fifth.
The 23-year-old Onishi, who is from Nagoya, turned professional last year after graduating from the University of Southern California, but he has been quick to adjust to professional golf. Most noticeably he was fourth in the ISPS HANDA Championship last month.
Also Read : Tvesa Malik has modest start, lies 51st in Bangkok
News Source : PTI
Tvesa Malik has modest start, lies 51st in Bangkok
Bangkok, May 12 (Golf News) India's Tvesa Malik had a modest start as she shot 3-over 75 in the opening round of the Aramco Team Series – Bangkok to be placed 51st individually at the Thai Country Club on Thursday.
Tvesa, who is leading one of the teams comprising Nobuhle Dlamini, Annais Maggeti and amateur A Mitsuhashi, was lying tied 19th in the team segment and tied 51st in the individuals.
Tvesa had just two birdies, both on the front nine on a hot and humid day, and she gave away five bogeys, three of them on the front nine and two on back nine.
Maggeti was the best in Tvesa's team with a round of 1-over 73 and was tied 36th. Dlamini shot 75 and was tied 51st like Tvesa.
Team Hillier, led by Whitney Hiller sat at the top of the leader board with a one-shot lead after the first day.
The quartet of Whitney Hillier, Chonlada Chayanun, Krista Bakker and amateur Pattanan Amatanon combined for an excellent first round, making the turn in 8-under and having an equally good back nine to be 16-under-par for the tournament.
Hillier, whose mother is Thai, was pleased with how her team began their round.
Team Simmermacher is one shot back on 15-under-par after Magdalena Simmermacher, Charlotte Liautier, Isabella Deilert and amateur Sirapob Yapala all contributed during their round.
Two teams are tied for third place with Team Henry and Team Tavatanakit both on 14-under-par.
In the individual competition, local star Patty Tavatanakit got off to a blistering start firing a course record 66 (-6) to set the pace and hold a one-shot lead. Seven birdies and one bogey saw the Thai talent end the day at the top of the leader board ahead of Spain's Ana Peláez.
Last week's Madrid Ladies Open winner Peláez continued her good form and signed for a bogey-free 67 (-5) which included three consecutive birdies on her last three holes.
Five players sit two shots behind leader Tavatanakit with Moriya and Ariya Jutanugarn, Marianne Skarpnord, Maha Haddioui and Anne Van Dam all tied for third place on four-under-par.
In the team competition, Team Hull and Team Ariya Jutanugarn are in a tie for fifth place on 13-under, while Team Hall, Team Lampert, Team Van Dam and Team Morgan are tied 7th on 12-under-par.
The second round will see the conclusion of the Team event.
Also Read : Indian golfer Diksha Dagar claims gold medal ar Deaflympics
News Source : PTI
Indian golfer Diksha Dagar claims gold medal ar Deaflympics
Caxias (Brazil), May 12 (Golf News) Indian golfer Diksha Dagar outplayed American Ashlyn Grace in the final to bag gold medal at the Deaflympics, fulfilling her promise of improving upon the silver-winning performance at the 2017 edition.
Diksha is now the only golfer with two Deaflympics medals – a silver in Samsun, Turkey in 2017 and gold in 2022, which is actually the 2021 edition of Deaflympics.
The 21-year-old left-hander, who is a professional with victories on the Ladies European Tour, completed a dominant performance with a 5 and 4 win in the final of the match play section of the ladies golf competition. She beat Grace Johnson with four holes to spare In 2017, when golf was first introduced at the Deaflympics, Diksha, then still an amateur and still short of her 17th birthday, reached the final comfortably.
There she lost in a play-off to American Yost Kaylin, who at that time was also playing in the Symetra Tour and some events on the LPGA Tour.
In 2021, Diksha also qualified at the last moment for the Tokyo Olympics and became the first golf player to have ever played at both Deaflympics and the Olympic Games.
Turning pro in early 2019, Diksha won the Investec South Africa Women's Open that year itself. In 2021, she was part of the winning team at the Aramco Team Series London. Both events are part of the Ladies European Tour.
While still being an amateur she also won multiple times on the Hero Women’s Pro Circuit in India.
Diksha has a hearing impairment and started wearing hearing aids from the age of six.
The battle for the bronze medal was hard fought as Frenchwoman Margaux ended Norwegian Andrea Hovtsein's attempt for a second medal on the third play-off hole, that is the 21st hole. Andrea was the bronze medallist in 2017.
Also Read : Tvesa Malik to lead team at Aramco Series in Bangkok
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Goalkeeper Savita sets sights on top-four finish at women's hockey WC
Bengaluru, May 12 (Hockey News) Indian women's hockey team goalkeeper Savita on Thursday said the side's aim is to "make it to the next level" in this year's FIH World Cup after finishing in the last eight stage four years ago.
The event will be jointly hosted by the Netherlands and Spain in July.
In the 2018 edition of the showpiece in London, India lost 1-3 to Ireland in penalty shoot-out to crash out of the competition.
But this time around, Savita says India are well prepared to make the medal rounds. "With more players getting international exposure, and having gained confidence to play top teams in big-match scenarios, we are heading in the right direction of building a strong team for the World Cup," the senior player said.
"We made it to the quarterfinals last time in London, and the aim this time is definitely to make it to the next level." The World Cup will be played from July 1 to 17 but before that the Indians will gain valuable exposure in the FIH Pro League matches in Belgium, where they will take on the hosts on June 11 and 12.
The two matches will be followed by weekend games in the Netherlands, where India will play Argentina on June 18 and 19 and the United States on June 21 and 22.
The Indian women are placed in Pool B in the World Cup along side England, China and New Zealand. They will open their campaign against England on July 3 in Amstelveen.
Savita said healthy competition for places among the junior and senior players augurs well for India. "With new players coming into the group by virtue of good performances in the Pro League and Junior World Cup, there is healthy competition within the group and this is helping in bringing out the best in each one of us."
Also Read : Odisha, Himachal win in Senior National Women's Hockey
News Source : PTI
Tvesa Malik to lead team at Aramco Series in Bangkok
Bangkok, May 11 (Golf News) Tvesa Malik will be shouldering the responsibility of being the captain as she aims for a good show at the USD 1 million Aramco Team Series – Bangkok, starting Thursday.
The Aramco Team Series is like two competitions rolled into one – a USD 500,000 team competition, where an amateur joins a team of three professionals and a 54-hole individual competition. It will be played over next three days at the Thai Country Club.
In the team draft on Tuesday evening, Malik opted for the Switzerland's Nobuhle Dlamini, ranked 429th in the world, and Anais Maggetti completed her team through random draw. Both players are from Switzerland.
"I really like the concept of the Aramco Team Series. It's so much more fun because of the team element. I hope to have fun with my teammates and that should also help me play well in the individual part of the event," said Malik, ranked 334th in the world.
Malik has played six tournament this year, and made cut in three. Her best finish was a tied 25th place at the Asian Mixed Cup.
"Last year was a long year and I did not get much time to work on my game. So, towards the end of the year and until February, I was working on a few things with my coach (Jesse Grewal) in Chandigarh," said Malik.
The tournament has a strong local contingent, led by former world No1 Ariya Jutanugarn and her equally accomplished sister Moriya. The highest ranked player in the field is world No13 Patty Tavatanakit, winner of ANA Inspiration in 2021, the first major championship of the women's season.
Also Read : Diksha enters golf final at Deaflympics, aims to improve on her silver from 2017
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Diksha enters golf final at Deaflympics, aims to improve on her silver from 2017
Caxias Do Sul (Brazil), May 11 (Golf News) India's Diksha Dagar moved a step closer to the coveted gold medal at the Deaflympics golf competition here.
The 21-year-old, who last played at the previous Deaflympics in 2017, now has a chance to add a gold medal to the silver she won in Samsun, Turkey five years ago.
In the semi-final Diksha, who has been in dominant form throughout and been a cut above all opposition, outplayed 2017 bronze medallist Norwegian Andrea Hovstein Hellegjerde. Diksha won 5 and 4, which meant she was five holes up with four to go.
Diksha won her quarterfinal at 6 and 5 and in the stroke play to determine the seedings, she topped the field by 14 shots.
In the final, Diksha faces American Ashlyn Grace Johnson, who was second in the stroke play. Ashlyn beat French golfer Margaux Brejo 4 and 2.
Andrea has a shot at her second medal as she plays the bronze medal play-off against Margaux.
In 2017, when golf was first introduced at the Deaflympics, Diksha reached the final comfortably and seemed to be on her way to the gold medal as she led in the early stages of the title match.
She was three-up after six holes, but American Yost Kaylin, who played as a pro on the Symetra Tour and later some events on the LPGA, caught up with her to tie the match. In the play-off Yost beat Diksha in the first extra hole to grab the top prize.
Now Diksha has a chance to get her second medal at the Deaflympics and improve on it with a gold.
Diksha also qualified for the Tokyo Olympics last year and has won an individual event on the Ladies European Tour. She was also on the winning team of a Team event on the LET.
At the Deaflympics 2022, India has so far won four gold medals and two silver and are ninth in the medals tally.
Also Read : Diksha enters semifinals at Deaflympics golf competition
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Hopefully, AB de Villiers will be back at RCB next year in some capacity: Kohli
New Delhi, May 11 (Cricket News) Virat Kohli is hopeful that his friend and South African superstar AB de Villiers will be back at the Royal Challengers Bangalore in a new role next year.
De Villiers had been a big part of RCB family before he retired from all forms of cricket last year.
"I miss him a lot. I talk to him regularly. He was in the US recently with his family watching golf... He is keenly observing RCB and hopefully he will be here next year in some capacity," Kohli said during a light-hearted chat posted on RCB's Twitter handle.
Kohli is enduring one of the worst phases of his career, having scored 216 runs in 12 matches in the IPL with just one fifty.
He has also been dismissed for three golden ducks this season.
"It has never happend to me ever in my career I think, so I just smiled. I felt like I have seen everything that the game has to show," Kohli said.
His poor form has raised concerns with Ian Bishop pointing out Kohli's inability to score fluently in the IPL this season. The former West Indies pacer also said that it was a matter of concern that he is getting out to different types of bowlers. However, Kohli said he doesn't pay heed to opinions and keeps critics at bay.
"They can't be in my shoes, they can't be in my shoes, they can't feel what I feel, they can't live those moment," the former India skipper said.
"You said how you cut the noise, you either mute the TV or don't pay attention to what people are saying and I do both of these things." With Kohli stepping down from RCB captaincy, Faf du Plessis took over the reins and Kohli said he always enjoyed mutual respect for each other.
"Me and faf have always gotten along really well even before he was captain of South Africa. Faf is a guy who is sure of himself and he has full authority on the field," he said.
"He tells me sometimes, if I mention things, that he doesn't want to do that, which I respect a lot. That only makes you gain respect for the person you are playing under."
Also Read : Want to have focus and concentration levels of Pujara: Rizwan
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Diksha enters semifinals at Deaflympics golf competition
Caxias do Sul (Brazil), May 10 (Golf News) India's Diksha Dagar put herself in line for a second medal at the Deaflympics when she cruised into the semi-finals of the women’s golf competition here.
The Indian star, who has won twice on the Ladies European Tour, once each in an individual and team event, outplayed Germany’s Amelia Paloma Gonzalez Podbicanin 6 and 5. She was six up with five holes to go in the match-play contest.
Diksha will next take on Norwegian Andrea Hovstein Hellegjerde, who had a bronze medal in the 2017 Deaflympics, the year Diksha lost in the final.
Andrea beat Canada’s Sasha Laoun 4 and 3. While Diksha is a professional golfer, Andrew combined golf with a job as a kindergarten teacher.
The day’s biggest winner was Ashlyn Grace Johnson of the USA who beat Zuzana Lesse 8 and 6, which means she was eight holes up with six to go. Ashley will take on Margaux Brejo of France, who defeated Stefanie Mayer of Germany 5 and 4.
Diksha had topped the 36-hole stroke play, where Ashlyn was placed 14 shots behind the Indian. The top eight players qualify for the match-play section of the competition.
Diksha, who won the silver medal in 2017, is looking to go one better this time. She also took part at the Tokyo Olympics last year.
Also Read : Indian-American Manav Shah wins on PGA Tour Latin America
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Indian-American Manav Shah wins on PGA Tour Latin America
Quito (Ecuador), May 9 (Golf News) American golfer of Indian descent Manav Shah achieved his breakthrough win at the Quito Open on the PGA TOUR Latinoamérica.
Shah, who was born in the United States after his parents shifted from Mumbai, beat Joel Thelen and Mitchell Meissner by two strokes to annex the title.
Shah led after the first round with a 63 and then slipped in the second and was unable to complete the third on Saturday, when weather forced a suspension of play.
He came out on Sunday morning needing to complete the final six holes of his third round and he posted 4-under 68. He started his final round a couple of hours later and played even better for 66 and won by two.
Shah pulled away from a bunched leader board late in the round, shooting a bogey-free 66.
The win moved Shah to No. 8 on the 'Totalplay Cup Points List' on the PGA Latinoamerica Tour. It puts him in solid position to make a run at the top five with four tournaments remaining in the season. The top five from the List earn a status on Korn Ferry, which is then the passage to the PGA Tour.
On personal front, Shah, who has graduated from UCLA, visits his family in Mumbai, especially maternal grandmother.
"I speak the language (Hindi) also and would love to play in India or Asian Tour in that part of the world." Shah is the second Indian-American to win on a PGA Tour sanctioned Tour. In January this year, Akshay Bhatia, a southpaw, won The Bahamas Great Exuma Classic on the Korn Ferry Tour at Sandals Emerald Bay.
That win had made Bhatia the third-youngest player (19 years and 11 months) to win a Korn Ferry Tour event since the Tour's establishment in 1990.
Also Read : Mixed feelings for Lahiri as he finishes Tied-6th at Wells Fargo
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Mixed feelings for Lahiri as he finishes Tied-6th at Wells Fargo
Potomac, May 9 (Golf News) Two late bogeys ended Anirban Lahiri's title hopes as the Indian golfer carded a disappointing 1-over 71 in the final round to finish tied sixth at the Wells Fargo Championship.
It was a creditable Top-10 finish for Lahiri, his second of the season, but the Indian was understandably disappointed, having started the day at T-3.
Lahiri carded a 1-over 71 to finish the week on 3-under 277, five shots behind winner Max Homa, who clinched his second Wells Fargo Championship victory and fourth PGA TOUR title after a closing 68.
"Very disappointed with how I finished over the last six holes, I think I battled quite hard and I put myself in a good position to make a run with five, six holes to go," Lahiri said.
"I got through most of the difficult holes and then had close misses on 13 and 14, and then a poor shot on 15. Just a little disappointed and frustrated with how I ended up." Lahiri, who shot up 11 rungs to No. 74 on the latest Official World Golf Ranking, takes a week off and could miss playing the PGA Championship as he and his wife and he are expecting their second child soon.
"I'm taking next week off in the hope that No. 2 does come … we'll see. There's a high likelihood that if he does decide to show up this coming week, then I guess I'll show up at Southern Hills. Family definitely comes ahead of work." Lahiri has every reason to be upbeat after producing a second top-10 of the season on the back of a runner-up finish at THE PLAYERS Championship, the TOUR’s flagship event, in March.
He moved up to 44th place on the FedExCup standings and that should also enhance his bid to earn a place in the International Team for the Presidents Cup later this year.
"All in all, it was a really good week. To be in contention on Sunday was goal at the start of the week, so I can definitely look back and say I have accomplished the goal I had at the beginning of the week.
"I would have liked to finish it better and that's definitely a work in progress. I feel like I'm playing well enough to at least put myself consistently in this situation." Lahiri and his wife are expecting their second child, a boy, to arrive on May 22, the final day of the PGA Championship at Southern Hills.
Lahiri has earned his place at the PGA Championship but is prepared to give it a miss if the baby does not arrive earlier than the due date. His last major appearance was at the 2019 U.S. Open.
Looking for a fast start on Sunday, Lahiri, who had three birdies and four bogeys, dropped a shot on the first hole when he went from right rough to left rough and reached the green only in three and two-putted from 18 feet for a bogey.
He made up on the sixth with a fine second shot to four feet for a birdie. However, he dropped a shot again on seventh when he hit his tee shot to the native area and went into the left rough with the second. He did well to get his third to within five feet but missed the par putt.
A great chip on the 10th got him his third birdie and he was now 1-under. He holed a 12-footer on Par-3 12th to get to 2-under and a charge seemed likely.
He missed a six-foot birdie putt on 13th then saw a superb 26-foot putt slide past the cup to 11 inches which he tapped in for a par.
He had a poor shot on 15th and also dropped another shot on 16. With bogeys on both, he went from 1-under to 1-over and finished at 71.
Homa played solid and steady golf as he closed with a 2-under 68 for a two-shot victory. The 31-year-old finished at 8-under 272 at TPC Potomac at Avenel Farm to move into sixth spot in the FedExCup standings. He won for the fourth time overall, third in 15 months.
Matt Fitzpatrick (67), Cameron Young (66) and Keegan Bradley (72) were tied for second at 4-under 276.
Rory McIlroy shot 68 to finish alone in fifth, four shots back.
Also Read : India's Diksha Dagar tops stroke-play, enters last eight in Deaflympics
News Source : PTI
India's Diksha Dagar tops stroke-play, enters last eight in Deaflympics
Caxias do Sul (Brazil), May 9 (Golf News) India's Diksha Dagar outclassed the field with rounds of 67-72 to top the 36-hole stroke play segment of the women's golf competition at the Deaflympics in Brazil.
The Indian, who won a silver medal at the 2017 Deaflympic, and competed at the Tokyo Olympics last year, was 14 shots clear of the second-placed American Ashlyn Grace Johnson, who carded 76-77 in her two rounds.
Diksha's 67 and 72 were the two best rounds of the two days and the next best was 76 by Ashlyn Grace Johnson and Margaux Berjo of France (76-78).
The top eight players from stroke play will now feature in the match play segment as Diksha takes on Alemie Paloma Gonzalez Podbicanin of Germany.
Diksha should have an easy passage into the semis as the German had qualified as the eighth best with rounds of 100 and 96.
The losing semi-finalists will play for the bronze medal.
In the men's section, India's Yogesh Dagar was Tied-18th and failed to get into the Top-16, who made the match-play section of the tournament.
India have so far won four gold and two bronze medals. Ukraine tops the table with 31 gold, 15 silver and 18 bronze.
Also Read : Tvesa lands two birdies on back nine to make the cut in Spain
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Shubhankar Sharma, SSP Chawrasia miss cut at British Masters
Wishaw (UK), May 7 (Cricket News) India's Shubhankar Sharma and SSP Chawrasia made early exits from the Betfred British Masters golf tournament, hosted by Danny Willett after missing the cut by a fair margin.
Sharma, who was second at the Rolex Series Abu Dhabi Championship at the start of 2022, carded 73-74 and Chawrasia, a four-time winner on European Tour, shot 74-74.
Tournament host Willett raised 8,000 pound for Prostate Cancer UK by carding eight birdies on day two. While doing that he moved to within three shots of leader Hurly Long at the halfway stage.
Germany's Long carded a four-under par round of 68 at The Belfry to lead by one. Yet, it was Willett who roared into contention on the iconic Brabazon Course as he responded to an opening one over par 73 with a sublime 65 on day two to take his running fundraising total to 12,000 pound after 36 holes.
Tournament sponsors Betfred have pledged to donate 1,000 pound for every birdie and 2,000 pound for every eagle the 2016 Masters Tournament winner makes this week.
Long, who graduated from the European Challenge Tour in 2021, is one stroke clear of 2019 Betfred British Masters champion Marcus Kinhult, round one co-leader Thorbjørn Olesen and Scotland's Richie Ramsay, who all share second place on eight under par, with Denmark's Rasmus Højgaard a shot further back on seven under.
Willett is one of four players in a tie for sixth on six under, alongside countryman Marcus Armitage, South African Justin Walters, who lost in a play-off to Højgaard in the 2020 ISPS Handa UK Championship at The Belfry, and Sweden's Sebastian Soderberg.
Also Read : Tvesa lands two birdies on back nine to make the cut in Spain
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Tvesa lands two birdies on back nine to make the cut in Spain
Madrid, May 7 (Golf News) Indian golfer Tvesa Malik pulled herself out of a tough situation with two birdies and seven pars on the back nine to squeeze inside the cut line at the Comunidad de Madrid Ladies Open.
Tvesa, who has been trying to find her rhythm in 2022, shot 1-under 71 and at even par 144 for two days she is T-56 and right on the cutline.
The other two Indian players in the fray, Vani Kapoor and Amandeep Drall, who flew in from Australia for the week, missed the cut.
Vani, who shot 72-73 missed the cut by one shot, while Amandeep had a rough week with 77-76. The cut fell at even par and 64 players made it to the next round.
Finland’s Tiia Koivisto holds a one-stroke lead on 10-under-par at the halfway stage. The 28-year-old fired a six-under-par 66 to take control.
Tvesa, who has been having middling finishes this year, had a double bogey on the first day and she had another one the second day. While she had just one birdie on the first, she had three on the second day.
Vani had a birdie on first and then two bogeys on second and 18th in her round of 73. The bogey on 18th proved costly for the Indian.
Linn Grant of Sweden, who is second on the Race to Costa del Sol and the leading LET Rookie after winning the Joburg Open, shot a course-record seven-under-par 65 to share second spot with Spanish amateur Cateyana Fernandez, who carded a 67.
Another promising Spaniard, Ana Pelaez, lies in fourth position on eight-under-par, while her compatriot Carmen Alonso shares fifth with Agathe Sauzon of France and Pia Babnik of Slovenia.
Grant, who has Swedish DJ "Kaaze" acting as her caddie, carded eight birdies and a solitary bogey. This is her third LET tournament of the year and her first since South Africa.
Also Read : Lahiri handles rain and cold to rise to 10th at Wells Fargo
News Source : PTI
Lahiri handles rain and cold to rise to 10th at Wells Fargo
Potomac, May 7 (Golf News) India's Anirban Lahiri handled tough windy, cold and wet conditions well for 16 holes before dropping a double bogey to card 2-under 68 in the second round of the Wells Fargo Championship.
At 4-under, the Indian is T-10, up from overnight T-38, as he chases another good week on the PGA Tour.
Lahiri, just four behind leader Jason Day at one stage, is now six behind at the TPC Potomac at Avenel Farm.
The former No. 1 player Day shot 3-under 67 in steady rain and stretched his lead over the field to three shots as he attempts his first victory in four years.
Day is 10-under 130 through two rounds and Max Homa is second at 7-under. Denny McCarthy (69), Luke List (66), Kurt Kitayama (67), and James Hahn (68) are tied for 3rd at 6-under.
The weather took a toll as even the shots from the first cut of the rough saw water splashing off and the divots were big. Lahiri did well to hang in with six birdies, two bogeys and a double.
“Tough day, it was a grind. Weather was obviously difficult, you have to battle the elements. The golf course is hard and long enough to begin with," said Lahiri.
"I played really, really well, but missed a couple of putts. I think I could have avoided some of the bogeys that I made. Then right in the end on the 17th, I just lost control of the ball due to the heavy rain and the gust that we got at that point of time." Lahiri hit 12 of the 18 greens in regulation. After a string of four pars, he got an opportunity when he hit from 92 yards to inside 10 feet for his first birdie on Par-4 fifth and he converted that from seven feet.
On the very next hole, he hit his approach to just over 11 feet and birdied it to go 2-under. A six-foot miss for par cost him a shot on eighth and he turned in 1-under.
After the turn he hit two great approach shots to birdie both 10 and 11 and get to 3-under as the conditions stayed challenging. He missed the fairway and reached the green in three on 13th and gave away a shot, but got it back on 14.
Another fine second shot set up a birdie on 16 and at 4-under he was inside top-5. Then came the crushing double bogey.
On the 190-yard par-3 17th, Lahiri hit into the water off the tee. Following a penalty drop for his third shot he was 45 feet from the flag. He two-putted for a double bogey. He parred the 18th to finish 2-under for the round.
"I think it's going to get more of the same in the next couple of days, probably going to get a lot colder. Pars are going to be very valuable and birdies even more," Lahiri said.
Rory McIlroy shot 73 to finish at even par. Matthew Wolff, who shot 65 on Thursday, fell back with a 73.
Korean pair Si Woo Kim and K.H. Lee, and C.T. Pan of Chinese Taipei returned scores of 72, 71 and 73 respectively to move into the weekend rounds. They are tied 29th on 1-under.
Also Read : Lahiri lifts his game on final day to end T-15 in Mexico
News Source : PTI
Lahiri lifts his game on final day to end T-15 in Mexico
Puerto Vallarta, May 2 (Golf News) Indian golfer Anirban Lahiri carded a bogey-free 5-under 67 on the final day to finish T-15 at the Mexico Open.
He finished 20 places higher than where he was after three rounds.
With his third Top-15 finish in last four starts, Lahiri has begun to move in the right direction and his game has been showing a good upward trend. Lahiri was second at the Players Championship and T-13 at Texas Open.
Jon Rahm picked his first win since the 2021 US Open, which was 10 months ago, as he shot 2-under 69 and totalled 17-under.
Lahiri started with five pars, two of which could have been birdies from 11 and 10 feet. Finally a birdie came his way on the sixth when he almost chipped in for an eagle from 87 feet.
He tapped in for a birdie from four inches. On the very next hole, he again missed a six-footer for birdie and came out with just a par. So, in first seven holes, he had one birdie and two other near-birdies and one near chip-in. He got his second birdie on ninth and turned in 2-under.
On the back nine, he continued to give himself great chances and converted three of them, though it could have been more. He did a big putt from 35 feet for a birdie on Par-4 15th.
Lahiri moves up three places to 55th on the FedExCup standings but stays 85th on the World Rankings. PTI Rahm’s relief at his first win since the U.S. Open last year at Torrey Pines was evident that he celebrated after the par on the 18th at Vidanta Vallarta. The World No. 2 started the week with 64 and stayed in contention through the rest of the tournament and duly completed a satisfying win after beginning the final day with a two-shot lead.
Rahm led by one after his lone bogey of the round on the tough par-4 10th.
Wu’s 25-foot birdie putt on the 16th hole helped him join Rahm at 16-under and then Kitayama, playing in the final group with Rahm, got up-and-down on the par-5 12th to get into a share of the lead. Then Finau was birdie-eagle-birdie from 13th to 15th to get into the frame.
Rahm was 12 feet from a birdie on 12th and he made a superb putt for a birdie to break out of the tie and it proved to be a winning putt.
Rahm, who has at least one win each year for the last six, now has 14 worldwide wins.
Also Read : Mexico Open: Anirban Lahiri slips to T-35 in third round
News Source : PTI
Mexico Open: Anirban Lahiri slips to T-35 in third round
Puerto Vallarta (Mexico), May 1 (Golf News) Anirban Lahiri carded two-over 73 in the third round to slip to T-35 at the Mexico Open here.
It was not the best of days for the Indian ace as he twice went into water, once on each side of the course to slip down from overnight T-18.
He had two birdies and three bogeys in a round, where he found just seven of the 14 fairways and eighth of the 18 greens in regulation.
Lahiri is now 5-under for the tournament and will be hoping for a good finish to move up in the FedExCup standings.
Spain's World No. 2 Jon Rahm shot three-under 68 and opened a two-shot lead ahead of Cameron Champ (67) and Kurt Kitayama (66) who are tied for second at 13 under.
Davis Riley (67), Patrick Rodgers (66), and Nate Lashley (64) are tied for fourth at 12 under.
Lahiri's two birdies came on the par-4 second and the Par-4 seventh. He dropped shots on fifth when he went into water and another shot was lost on Par-5 sixth.
He went into the water a second time on the Par-5 14th but he managed to salvage a par there. His third bogey was on par-4 15th.
Rahm holds the 54-hole lead or co-lead for the seventh time in his career but he has converted the lead into a win only once in six times in individual stroke-play events.
He also held the lead with teammate Ryan Palmer on the way to victory in the 2019 Zurich Classic of New Orleans.
Kurt Kitayama seeks first PGA TOUR victory and Cameron Champ is looking for a fourth win.
Japan's Satoshi Kodaira is the top Asian as he carded a 67 with five birdies and one bogey for T8. He is chasing a first top-10 on TOUR in four years since winning the 2018 RBC Heritage.
Taiwan’s C.T. Pan (69) is T-17, while Kiradech Aphibarnrat (71), playing alongside Lahiri is T-30.
Also Read : Rahil Gangjee lies T-37 in Japan Golf Tour (JGP)
News Source : PTI
Rahil Gangjee lies T-37 in Japan Golf Tour (JGP)
Nagoya (Japan), Apr 30 (Golf News) Rahil Gangjee had an impressive 2-under 68 as he remained tied 37th after third round at the The Crowns Golf championship on the Japan Golf Tour.
Gangjee was tied 48th at the halfway mark. His other rounds have been 69-71 and is now 2-under for 54 holes.
Gangjee starting from 10th hole had eight pars before her first birdie on 18th and then added two birdies on first and second. He dropped a shot on third and a birdie on seventh followed by a bogey on eighth.
Junggon Hwang of South Korea put himself in a good position to challenge for a fifth JGTO victory after carding a two-under-par 68 to sit just one shot off the pace ahead of the final round on Sunday.
Local man Hiroshi Iwata (70-64-65) led the field with Hwang lying sole second. Jinichiro Kozuma (64), Daiki Imano (65) and Yuki Inamori (66) were tied-third.
Hwang, making only his second JGTO start since 2019, finished outright second with his three-day total of 10-under-par 200 as he trails defending champion Hiroshi Iwata by just one shot.
Also Read : Asiad Golf: Madappa, Rashid among men, teenager Avani in women's category book berths
News Source : PTI
Asiad Golf: Madappa, Rashid among men, teenager Avani in women's category book berths
Bengaluru, Apr 30 (Golf News) Viraj Madappa and Rashid Khan held their nerves to qualify for this year's Asian Games in Hangzhou, after a gruelling five-round trial meet at the KGA course, which ended on Saturday.
Madappa, who shot each of his five rounds under par with cards of 66-68-71-69-67 pipped Rashid to the post as four best rounds were counted in which he was found to be two strokes ahead.
Out of his five rounds, Madappa’s third round of 71 was discarded, while in the case of Rashid (68-73-67-66-71), the second round of 1-over was discarded.
That left Madappa with a total of 18-under 270, while Rashid's total was 16-under 272.
From the women's section, amateur Avani Prashanth continued her impressive march as she shot a steady final round of 1-under 71 and finished ahead of Jahanvi Bakshi, who after four identical cards of 69, shot 70 on the final day.
Avani's total of four best rounds was 14-under 274, while Jahanvi's four best rounds added up to 12-under 276. Hitaashee Bakshi, whose 66 was the best final round card, had the third best total of 6-under 282 for four rounds.
Sixteen men competed for two berths in the men's section and 11 women competed for one berth.
Anirban Lahiri and Shubhankar Sharma, the top two world ranked Indians among men, and Aditi Ashok and Tvesa Malik, the top two world ranked women were given direct berths into the Asian Games teams.
As Madappa had seven birdies against one double bogey, Rashid had three birdies and one bogey.
The Asian Games are scheduled to be held in Hangzhou, China from September 10 to 25.
Also Read : Lahiri starts with solid 68, Rahm leads in Mexico Open
News Source : PTI
Lahiri starts with solid 68, Rahm leads in Mexico Open
Puerto Vallarta, Apr 29 (Golf News) Indian golfer Anirban Lahiri got off to a fine start despite a late bogey in the first round of the USD 7.3 million Mexico Open.
Lahiri, looking to cement his place for the season-ending FedExCup play-offs, shot three-under 68 with four birdies against one bogey after starting from the tenth tee. India's other player in the field, Arjun Atwal, who last week returned to competition in New Orleans after a long break, shot two-over 73 after starting the round with a double bogey on the 10th.
Spaniard Jon Rahm, the top draw this week, chipped-in for a birdie and made a late eagle putt for a 7-under 64 and be a part of a six-way share of the lead. Jonathan Byrd, Brendon Todd, Trey Mullinax and Monday qualifier Bryson Nimmer, who played his final five holes in 5 under, were also at 64 from the morning wave. Nimmer also holed a bunker shot for an eagle on the par-5 sixth hole. Kurt Kitayama handled the stronger afternoon wind to join the leaders at 64 with nine birdies.
Lahiri, runner-up at the PLAYERS this year, hit 14 of the 18 greens in regulation during his first round. Opening on the 10th, he got his first birdie on the long 637-yard par-5 12th, where he chipped his third shot to six feet and holed it.
On the 459-yard par-4 15th hole, Lahiri reached the green in two and putted from 17-feet to get to 2-under.
He added a third birdied on the 415-yard par-4 first hole after a drive to the right side of the fairway. His approach from 91 yards set him up for the birdie and moved to 3-under. On the 498-yard par-4 second, Lahiri reached the green in two and sunk a 19-foot birdie putt to move to 4-under.
However on the 496-yard par-4 eighth, Lahiri chipped his third shot to eight feet but missed a par putt and gave away his only bogey of the day.
A highlight of the day was an ace from Thai Kiradech Aphibarnrat, who sank his career first PGA TOUR hole-in-one on the 189 yard par-3 fifth hole with a 5-Iron on way to a 70.
Kiradech is chasing a maiden PGA TOUR victory after coming in T-3 at the WGC-Mexico Championship three years ago.
Aaron Rai, Aaron Wise, Sahith Theegala and Scott Brown were at 65.
Rai and Theegala could use top finishes this week to move up in PGA Championship points and try to secure a spot at Southern Hills in three weeks.
Next week is the final event for players to qualify in points, which is PGA TOUR earnings.
Chinese Taipei star C.T. Pan continued his pursuit for a second PGA TOUR victory after producing a solid 5-under 66 to lie two shots off the pace.
Pan, Tokyo Olympics bronze medallist, sank six birdies against a lone bogey for a 66. Japan's Satoshi Kodaira birdied his final hole for a 67 while Sung Kang of Korea shot 68s.
The Mexico Open is part of the PGA TOUR schedule and inherits the history of a national open that dates to 1944.
It takes the place of the World Golf Championships-Mexico Championship that was at Chapultepec in Mexico City for four years through 2020.
Also Read : Madappa still ahead among men; Avani and Jahanvi are tied in women's section at Asiad golf trials
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Madappa still ahead among men; Avani and Jahanvi are tied in women's section at Asiad golf trials
Bengaluru, Apr 28 (Golf News) Viraj Madappa stayed ahead of the pack despite a modest one-under 71 but his lead was cut to two at the end of the third round of the Asian Games golf Trials here on Thursday.
Madappa's 71 brought his three-day total to 11-under 205 and he is now two ahead of Karandeep Kochhar (69) at 9-under.
Rashid Khan shot five-under 67 and moved into Tied-third with Veer Ahlawat (69).
As four best of the five rounds will be counted, Madappa is just one ahead of Rashid Khan and Veer Ahlawat and Kochhar, who has three 69s is fourth.
In the women's section, Jahanvi Bakshi (69) and amateur Avani Prashanth (69) were still tied neck and neck at 9-under 207, while Hitaashee Bakshi (74) is third at even par 216.
With Avani likely to have the chance to discard her first round 76, she is five clear of Jahanvi in terms of two best out of three played so far.
The players will play five rounds each at the end of which the worst round will be discarded and the four best will be counted for final positions.
Rashid, the only player in the field with an Asian Games medal – a silver from 2010 – had the best round on Thursday.
He had three birdies and an eagle for a 67 while Kochhar had five birdies against two bogeys. Madappa had three birdies and two bogeys.
Avani, who had an 8-under 64 on second day, had five birdies against two bogeys and Jahanvi had four birdies and a bogey on 18th.
With Anirban Lahiri and Shubhankar Sharma having been given berths based on their world ranking, the men's section has two berths on offer, while in the women's section Aditi Ashok and Tvesa Malik have been selected as top two based on world rankings.
So, only one more player will be picked and amateur Avani and professional Jahanvi are locked in a tight battle.
Also Read : Indian golfer Chawrasia lie T-64 in weather-hit event in Spain
Indian golfer Chawrasia lie T-64 in weather-hit event in Spain
Tarragona, Apr 24 (Golf News) Indian golfer SSP Chawrasia carded a decent 71 to lie Tied 64 after the third round of the weather-affected ISPS Handa Championship here.
There was a three-way sharing of the lead with Adrian Otaegui (62), Aaron Cockerill (62) and Hennie Du Plessis (66) all at 10-under after 54 with the third round coming to a finish on Sunday morning.
Scott Jamieson, who was at the top of the leaderboard after playing just five holes of his third round late on Saturday, slipped with a 74.
Play was delayed for a total of four hours and 48 minutes on day three at Infinitum as storms passed continually through the Tarragona region.
Home favourite Pablo Larrazábal was T-6 after a round of 68, which saw him open the third round with four birdies and then cooled off.
Also Read : Hataoka wins title in Los Angeles, Aditi Ashok exits halfway
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Hataoka wins title in Los Angeles, Aditi Ashok exits halfway
Los Angeles, Apr 25 (Golf News) Nasa Hataoka carded 4-under 67 that included an eagle and four birdies to grab her sixth career LPGA title at the LA Open here.
India’s Aditi Ashok did not have a great week as she missed the cut with rounds of 77-73.
Hataoka began the final round with a four-shot lead and finished with a 15-under total of 269.
She won by a five-stroke margin over Australian Hannah Green, who carded a closing 68 for 274.
The highlight of the final day for the 23-year-old from Ibaraki Prefecture was a 35-foot eagle putt at the par-four 15th to lead by six shots so that a closing bogey was barely a blip.
Sweden’s Madelene Sagstrom had five birdies without a bogey in a 66 that put her tied for third on 277 alongside the 2019 winner Minjee Lee of Australia, who carded a 68. South Korean star Park In-bee closed with a 70.
World number one Ko Jin-young, who was tied atop the leader board with Hataoka after three rounds, suffered a late quadruple bogey and closed with a 4-over par 75 and was T-21.
Also Read : Sunrisers Hyderabad beat Royal Challengers Bangalore by 9 wickets
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Manu Gandas and Amardeep Malik tied for lead in Delhi-NCR Open golf
Noida, Apr 21 (Golf News) Manu Gandas of Gurugram and Amardeep Malik of Noida continued to be the top title contenders for the third day running at the Delhi-NCR Open here on Thursday.
On a day that was a lot cooler due to overcast conditions but much more windy compared to the previous two days, Gandas (65-69-67) and Malik (65-67-69) were tied for the third round lead at 15-under 201 with a four-shot advantage over the rest of the field.
While Gandas struck a determined five-under 67 to climb up one spot and join Malik in the lead once again after round one, Malik produced a fine three-under 69 to be at the top of the leaderboard for the third day in succession.
A fascinating finale awaits as Gandas has been in great form with a win and two other top-10s this season to be placed fifth on the PGTI Order of Merit, while Malik enjoys the advantage of playing at his home course where he has won both his previous titles.
Bangladesh's Md Zamal Hossain Mollah (69) occupied third place at 11-under 205.
Panchkula's Angad Cheema carded the day's lowest score of 66 to end in fourth place at 10-under 206.
Noida's Vikrant Chopra too returned a 66 to be placed tied sixth at eight-under 208.
Gandas, a two-time winner on the PGTI, was struggling to read the greens early in the round as he missed short putts on the first three holes that also led to a bogey on the third.
However, the 26-year-old Gandas quickly addressed the issue and found the hole for his three birdies that followed on the front-nine.
Gandas brought his chipping into the game on the back-nine where his chip shots were instrumental in earning him three more birdies and two important par-saves. Malik, the overnight sole leader by two shots, mixed five birdies with two bogeys.
The 36-year-old Malik capitalised on three of the four par-5s, chipped-in for birdie on the 10th and landed his approach within a foot for a tap-in birdie on the 12th. Malik's long-range birdie putts narrowly missed the pins on the last two holes.
Chandigarh's Abhijit Singh Chadha (72) was in fifth place at nine-under 207.
Also Read : Amardeep posts 67 to build two-shot lead at Delhi-NCR Open 2022
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Amardeep posts 67 to build two-shot lead at Delhi-NCR Open 2022
Noida, Apr 20 (Golf News) Amardeep Malik, playing on his home course, shot a brilliant five-under 67 to build a two-shot lead at 12-under 132 during the halfway stage of the Delhi-NCR Open 2022 golf tournament here on Wednesday.
Bengaluru's Mari Muthu R shot the day's lowest score of eight-under 64 to be placed tied second at 10-under 134 along with Manu Gandas (69) of Gurugram at the Rs 40 lakh event, presented by Prometheus School and played at the Noida Golf Course.
The cut went at one-over 145. Fifty-one professionals made the cut.
Noida-based Amardeep (65-67) began the day with a birdie on the first and then added three more birdies on the sixth, eighth and ninth for a strong front-nine. He landed his approach within two feet on the ninth.
The 36-year-old Amardeep, the overnight joint leader, had a turbulent start to the back-nine stumbling with bogeys on the 11th and 13th where he missed up and downs. He made a comeback with an eagle on the par-4 15th where he holed his second shot from the rough from a distance of 95 yards. He picked up another shot on the 16th with a 25-feet conversion to close the day with a two-shot lead. Muthu (70-64), lying tied 15th and five off the lead after round one, jumped 13 places to joint second, courtesy his 64 that featured 10 birdies and two bogeys.
Manu (65-69), a two-time winner on the PGTI, dropped out of the overnight joint lead with an eventful round that featured an eagle, four birdies, a bogey and a double-bogey.
He landed his second shot within a couple of feet of the pin for eagle on the par-5 17th. He also chipped-in for birdie on the fourth. Manu was five-under on the four par-5s for the second day in succession. Chandigarh's Abhijit Singh Chadha (69) occupies fourth place at nine-under 135 while Bangladesh's Md Zamal Hossain Mollah (70) is a further shot back in fifth position.
Yuvraj Singh Sandhu (72) of Chandigarh, currently ranked second on the PGTI Order of Merit, is in tied 43rd place at one-over 145.
Also Read : Amardeep and Manu take joint first round lead at Delhi-NCR Open 2022
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Amardeep and Manu take joint first round lead at Delhi-NCR Open 2022
Noida, Apr 19 (Golf News) Amardeep Malik and Manu Gandas shot similar seven-under 65s to take joint lead in round one of the Delhi-NCR Open 2022 here on Tuesday.
Bangladesh's Md Zamal Hossain Mollah, Chandigarh-based Abhijit Singh Chadha and Shivendra Singh Sisodia of Gurugram were tied third with matching scores of 66.
Noida's Amardeep was off to a flying start at his home course as he scored four birdies in his first six holes, hitting his irons well and rolling in the putts. He then added another birdie and bogey on the back-nine before sinking an eagle on the first hole from four feet.
The 36-year-old Amardeep's longest putt of the day was the 15-feet birdie conversion on the second. His progress slowed down thereafter as his putter went cold on the front-nine and he missed some short putts at the Rs. 40 lakh event.
"I was lucky that I made a few putts in the start that got my round going. The putter then went cold on the front-nine but I hit it well all day and am very pleased to have posted my lowest score this season," Amardeep, a two-time winner on the PGTI, said.
Gurugram's Manu began his tournament with an eagle on the first where he had a lucky break after his drive rebounded off a tree back onto the fairway.
Manu's second shot landed a couple of feet from the flag to give him the ideal start. The two-time winner on the PGTI thereafter added six more birdies and a bogey to his card as he went five-under on the four par-5s.
"I feel I had good control on my ball-flight today and struck my woods and irons well. I had one lucky break on the first hole and I managed to capitalize on that. That kept the momentum going for me and there was no silly mistake thereafter," Manu said.
Among the pre-tournament favourites, Yuvraj Singh Sandhu began with a 73 to be tied 48th while defending champion Udayan Mane signed for a 74 to be tied 65th.
Also Read : Rashid, Joshi among top names for Delhi-NCR Open Golf C'ship
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Rashid, Joshi among top names for Delhi-NCR Open Golf C'ship
New Delhi, Apr 18 (Golf News) Former Asian Tour winners Rashid Khan and Khalin Joshi will headline a stellar field when the Delhi-NCR Open Golf Championship 2022 gets underway at the Noida Golf Course here on Tuesday.
The fourth edition of the tournament will be jointly staged by the TATA Steel Professional Golf Tour of India (PGTI) and Prometheus School, Noida.
The tournament, the ninth event of the 2022 TATA Steel PGTI season, carries a prize purse of Rs. 40 lakh.
The Pro-Am event will be staged on April 23. The tournament is set to feature some of the top Indian professionals such as Tokyo Olympian and defending champion Udayan Mane, Yuvraj Singh Sandhu (Ranked No. 2 on the PGTI Order of Merit), two-time winner on Asian Tour winner Rashid and Panasonic winner Joshi, as well as former champion Honey Baisoya.
The other prominent names include Asian Tour regular Aman Raj, Karandeep Kochhar, Manu Gandas and Abhijit Singh Chadha.
The other leading golfers from the Delhi-NCR region participating in the event include Shamim Khan, Abhinav Lohan, Kartik Sharma, Sachin Baisoya and Amardeep Malik, to name a few.
The foreign challenge will be led by Sri Lankans Mithun Perera, N Thangaraja and Anura Rohana, Bangladeshis Md Zamal Hossain Mollah, Badal Hossain, Md Akbar Hossain, Md Sayum, Md Muaj and Md Somrat Sikdar as well as Nepal’s Sukra Bahadur Rai.
"We're excited to stage the fourth edition of the Prometheus School presents Delhi-NCR Open, an event which has emerged as one of the mainstays on the TATA Steel PGTI in recent years," Uttam Singh Mundy, CEO, PGTI, said in a release.
"The depth in the field at the tournament provides a perfect setting for the culmination of a strong first half of the 2022 PGTI season which has witnessed nine back-to-back events."
Also Read : Indian golfer Aditi Ashok finishes T-41 in Hawaii, Korea's Kim wins title
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Indian golfer Aditi Ashok finishes T-41 in Hawaii, Korea's Kim wins title
Oahu (US), Apr 17 (Golf News) Indian golfer Aditi Ashok shot a two-over 74 in the final round to finish a modest T-41 at the 2022 LOTTE Championship here.
Aditi, who was Tied-second after the first round, suffered her second birdie-less round of the week. With rounds of 67-73-76-74, she finished with a total of two-over 290.
Aditi, who had one bogey and 17 pars in the second round, had two bogeys and 16 pars on the final day. Her third round of 4-over 76, where he gave away five shots in last five holes, proved costly.
Korea's Hyo Joo Kim captured her fifth career LPGA Tour title by shooting a final-round 71 to reach 11-under. She finished two strokes clear of Hinako Shibuno of Japan.
Kim, who started the day with a three-stroke advantage, bogeyed the par-3 17th to drop her lead to just one.
But Kim executed a superb pitch from off the green at No. 18 at Hoakalei Country Club, leaving herself a 2-foot birdie putt to take the victory.
Kim was always a step ahead of Shibuno, who carded two birdies in the final round for a bogey-free 70. That clean scorecard was not enough to earn Shibuno her first win since the 2019 AIG Women’s Open.
Kim’s countrywoman Hye-Jin Choi shot a final-round 69 to take solo third at seven-under, her best LPGA Tour finish since a tie for second since early 2020.
South African Ashleigh Buhai finished fourth at six-under, while Korea's Somi Lee rounded out the top five at five-under.
Californian Brianna Do, who earned a spot in the tournament via the local qualifier, played in the final group with Kim and Shibuno but could not recapture the magic that had been with her all week.
With a 5-over 77 on Saturday, Do fell into a tie for 12th.
Also Read : Lahiri shoots bogey free 69, lies tied 56th in RBC Heritage golf
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Lahiri shoots bogey free 69, lies tied 56th in RBC Heritage golf
Hilton Head Island (US), Apr 17 (Golf News) India's Anirban Lahiri played a bogey free round and found a lot of greens in regulation but not enough inside 10 feet to give himself chances and ended with two-under 69 in the third round of the RBC Heritage golf tournament here.
Lahiri hit 16 of the 18 greens in regulation and was bogey free for the day. With rounds of 69-73-69, he is now two-under and tied for 56th spot.
Harold Varner III shot an eight-under 63 to take a one-shot lead, as he continued his quest for a maiden PGA TOUR victory.
Varner III had eight birdies in a bogey-free round. His round matched Cameron Young's opening day score as the lowest at Harbour Town Golf Links this week.
Varner III is now at 11-under 202.
For Lahiri, a birdie at almost the start of the round and then at the 18th summed up his round. However, he did not give himself many chances inside 10 feet and of three times or so, he converted two. On others he two-putted for pars.
On the 550-yard par-5 second hole, Lahiri reached the green in three and sunk a four-foot putt for birdie.
Then after a drive to the right side of the fairway on the 472-yard par-4 18th hole, Lahiri had a 177 yard approach shot to eight feet, setting him up for the birdie.
Varner III is being pursued by the FedExCup champion Patrick Cantlay, the 2019 Open Championship winner Shane Lowry of Ireland and Erik van Rooyen of South Africa. The trio was one shot back.
Cantlay, the second-round leader, had a 70, while Lowry shot 65 and van Rooyen had a 67.
Matt Kuchar, Hudson Swafford, Sepp Straka and Aaron Wise were nine-under. Swafford shot 66, Kuchar and Straka 67 each and Wise 68.
Varner III, who has two international victories but none on the PGA Tour, seemed frustrated by a ruling in the second round in which he scored 72. But he made up for it in the third.
Lowry also came back from a 72 on Friday to get within a shot of the lead. He is looking for his third career TOUR win and first since the Open in 2019.
Cantlay, who ended his second round with four straight birdies from 15 to 18th, the toughest stretch of the course, was unable to find the same form in the third round.
Tommy Fleetwood posted a 64 to give himself a chance for his first PGA Tour win.
Also Read : Madappa rises to T-12, Diksha is T-60 at Asian Mixed Stableford Challenge
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West Bengal’s Mehuli Ghosh wins women’s 10m air rifle T3 trial
New Delhi, Apr 15 (Shooting News) West Bengal’s Mehuli Ghosh upstaged Tilottama Sen of Karnataka to win the women’s 10m air rifle T3 (third trial) competition at the national selection trials here on Friday.
Mehuli prevailed 16-8 in the gold medal contest.
Olympian Elavenil Valarivan, representing Gujarat, won bronze after topping the qualification round with a sublime 632.
Shooting on competition day eight, Mehuli was initially sixth in the first qualification round with a score of 629.1, while Tilottama qualified seventh with the same score but with lesser inner 10s.
In the top eight final stage, Mehuli topped with a 261.9, while Tilottoma was a close second with 261.6, even as Elavenil settled for bronze with a 260.3.
Mehuli’s experience then saw her through in the gold medal clash.
In the junior women’s 10m air rifle T3 contest, Himachal Pradesh’s Zeena Khitta emerged triumphant with a 17-11 scoreline over Haryana’s Ramita.
In the youth category, Haryana's Nancy overcame Maharashtra’s Isha Anil Taksale 16-4 in the gold medal match.
Also Read : Madhya Pradesh's Aishwarya Pratap Singh Tomar wins at selection trials, Rajput second
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Madappa rises to T-12, Diksha is T-60 at Asian Mixed Stableford Challenge
Pattaya (Thailand), Apr 15 (Golf News) India's Viraj Madappa shot five birdies against one bogey for a fine third round to be placed placed T-12, with one more round to go in the Trust Golf Asian Mixed Stableford Challenge golf tournament here on Friday.
Madappa, tied-second on the first day, had dropped to T-15 after second. He collected nine points and took his tally to 28.
American Sihwan Kim, who logged 22 points in the first round, but lost two points on a disappointing second day, was back in full flow in the third.
Kim was in terrific form with 11 birdies and no bogeys for 22 points, which in conventional scoring would have translated to 11-under 61 at Siam Country Club's Waterside Course. His first round 22 points worked to 10-under 62 and he had a 76 in the second round.
The other Indians -- Rashid Khan (21 points) had five birdies against three bogeys in the third round and was T-36, while Veer Ahlawat (21 points), with an eagle and three birdies against one bogey, was also T-36.
Shiv Kapur, with five birdies against two bogeys and a double, added five more points to get to 16 and was T-56.
The lone Indian woman in the fray, Diksha Dagar had three birdies against two bogeys and was T-60 with a total of 15 points. Tvesa Malik had missed the cut.
Overnight leader Thailand's Chanettee Wannasaen, her compatriot Natipong Srithong and Maja Stark from Sweden are second with 34 points, while Budsabakorn Sukapan from Thailand is fifth with 33.
The innovative new USD 750,000 tournament is being jointly sanctioned by the Asian Tour and Ladies European Tour (LET).
Also Read : Yuvraj's flawless 65 takes him to joint lead at PGTI Players Championship
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Yuvraj's flawless 65 takes him to joint lead at PGTI Players Championship
Chandigarh, Apr 14 (Golf News) Yuvraj Singh Sandhu registered the lowest score of the day, an error-free seven-under 65, to move up five spots into the joint lead after the third round of Rs 50 lakh TATA Steel PGTI Players Championship golf tournament here on Thursday.
Chandigarh-lad Yuvraj (70-67-65) shared the top spot at 14-under 202 with Bangladesh's Md Zamal Hossain Mollah (67-66-69), who produced a three-under 69 on Thursday, his second straight bogey-free round, to gain one spot on the leaderboard.
Gurugram-based duo of Kartik Sharma (67-69-67) and Shivendra Singh Sisodia (68-63-72) lurked one shot behind in tied third place at 13-under 203.
Kartik and Shivendra kept themselves in contention with third round scores of 67 and 72 respectively.
Angad Cheema returned a 70 to occupy fifth place at 10-under 206.
Yuvraj, currently second on the PGTI Order of Merit with a win and three other top-10s in 2022 so far, had a cold start as he missed a short putt for a birdie on the second.
However, he finally made breakthroughs on the fourth and ninth where he rolled in birdies from five feet.
The 25-year-old, who has been in red-hot form since the latter half of 2021, then revved up the engine on the back-nine where he collected five more birdies.
Yuvraj produced a great second shot from the rough to set up a five-feet birdie conversion on the 12th and then nearly holed-out his approach on the 15th on a day the pin positions were the toughest even as there was lesser wind.
The two other Chandigarh golfers in the top-10 were defending champion Karandeep Kochhar (68) and Ranjit Singh (69). Karandeep was placed seventh at eight-under 208 while Ranjit was in eighth position at seven-under 209.
Chandigarh's Abhijit Singh Chadha, who was overnight third, dropped to tied 15th at four-under 212 following a 77 in round three.
Udayan Mane (74) was also in tied 15th place.
Also Read : Madappa lies second at Asian Mixed golf; Tvesa top woman at 56th
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Madappa lies second at Asian Mixed golf; Tvesa top woman at 56th
Pattaya (Thailand), Apr 13 (Golf News) Viraj Madappa, who has made every cut in 2022, relished the challenge in the Stableford format as he moved to Tied-second place at the Trust Golf Asian Mixed Stableford Challenge, here on Wednesday.
The tall Madappa, who started with a modest string of five pars, followed with two birdies and a bogey and turned with three points. On the back nine he sizzled with six birdies on 11th, 13th, 14th 15th, 17th and 18th.
That fetched him 12 points for a day's total of 15 at Asian Tour's first Modified Stableford scoring event.
The 24-year-old Madappa, who won his sole Asian Tour event in 2018, was seven points behind the leader, the current Asian Tour number, Sihwan Kim (22 points), who holed an incredible 40-foot eagle putt in near darkness on the par-five 18th on a weather-hit day.
Of the two Indian women in the fray, Tvesa Malik finished with five points and was T-56 while Diksha Dagar had four points in T73. Tvesa had three birdies and a bogey on the front nine and finished with nine pars on the back nine. Diksha had three birdies and two bogeys.
Among the Indian men players, Veer Ahlawat had six points from 15 holes at T-46, Aman Raj had five and Rashid had five points through 16 holes for T-56, SSP Chawrasia had four in T-73, Gaganjeet Bhullar and Shiv Kapur had three each and were T-82. Ajeetesh Sandhu with one birdie and two bogeys and S Chikkarangappa with two birdies and four bogeys had zero points.
The USD 750,000 tournament jointly-sanctioned with the Ladies European Tour, is being played on the Modified Stableford format with an albatross fetching 8 points, an eagle 5 points, birdie 2 points, par 0 points.
A bogey means one point kid deducted and a double bogey or more costs 3 points. If at the end of four days there is a tie for 1st place, the winner will be decided by a normal stroke play hole-by-hole playoff.
As many as 39 players from a field of 144 players made up of 60 from the Asian Tour, 60 from Ladies European Tour and 24 invites, will come to finish the first round on Thursday.
Kim's 22 points translated into conventional scoring would have been 10-under 62. He had seven points on the front nine, gathered five birdies and an eagle for 15 points on the back nine.
He finished just as the hooter sounded during a long day disrupted by a two-hour weather delay in the morning.
Alongside Madappa, the others in the shared second place are reigning Asian Tour Order of Merit champion Joohyung Kim from Korea, Hung Chien-yao from Chinese-Taipei and Rory Hie from Indonesia.
Also Read : Udayan Mane, Khalin Joshi, Kochhar to headline TATA Steel PGTI Players Championship
News Source : PTI
Victoria to host 2026 Commonwealth Games across cities; shooting, wrestling not in initial list of sports
London, Apr 12 (Sports News) Victoria will host the 2026 Commonwealth Games with the Australian state's regional centres organising the majority of events in a break from the traditional single host city model.
The Games will be staged in March 2026 across multiple cities and regional hubs including Melbourne, Geelong, Bendigo, Ballarat and Gippsland, each with its own athletes' village.
The opening ceremony will take place at the iconic 100,000-capacity Melbourne Cricket Ground, the Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) announced on Tuesday.
The announcement follows an exclusive dialogue period between the CGF, Commonwealth Games Australia (CGAus) and Victoria.
An initial list of 16 sports, including Twenty20 cricket, have been put forward for the Games, with further sports to be added later this year.
The initial list, however, does not feature disciplines such as shooting and wrestling, sports in which India has done well in the previous editions of the sporting extravaganza.
Archery also does not feature in the list.
Premier of Victoria Daniel Andrews said: "It's a great honour to have Victoria chosen as the host venue for the 2026 Commonwealth Games - we can't wait to welcome the world to all of our state.
"The Commonwealth Games in regional Victoria is great for jobs, hospitality and our economy." Australia has staged the Commonwealth Games on five occasions, with Victoria playing host to the Melbourne 2006 Games; widely considered one of the most successful editions of the event in history.
The country has also staged the Games in Sydney in 1938, Perth in 1962, Brisbane in 1982 and most recently Gold Coast in 2018. Victoria has also hosted the Commonwealth Youth Games in Bendigo in 2004.
CGF President Dame Louise Martin said: "The Commonwealth Games Federation is absolutely delighted to award the 2026 Commonwealth Games to Victoria.
"Commonwealth Games Australia and the Victorian Government have set out a bold and innovative vision for hosting our major multi-sport event. In Victoria, we believe we have found the perfect partner for the next stage of our journey." As per the CGF's new "strategic roadmap" unveiled at its 2021 General Assembly on October 11, athletics and swimming will be the only compulsory sports in the CWG from the 2026 edition, allowing host cities greater freedom to include disciplines of their choice from a proposed core list of 22 sports.
The proposed core list of the Commonwealth Games Federation after a review includes shooting, wrestling and archery. Disciplines that have previously been listed as optional sports such as T20 cricket, beach volleyball and 3x3 basketball were also brought under the proposed core list of sports.
The roadmap was approved at the CGF's General Assembly, which was held virtually last year.
The 2026 Games will be the 23rd edition of the major multi-sport competition, which first began in Hamilton, Canada in 1930.
Victoria is a world-leading major events and tourism destination. The state has a strong track record for staging high profile sporting competitions including The Australian Open tennis grand slam, the Melbourne Formula 1 Grand Prix and the Melbourne Cup.
The state also regularly hosts elite cricket, golf and Australian Rules Football competition.
Also Read : India to host the 44th Chess Olympiad
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Udayan Mane, Khalin Joshi, Kochhar to headline TATA Steel PGTI Players Championship
Chandigarh, Apr 11 (Golf News) Indian golfers Udayan Mane, Khalin Joshi and defending champion Karandeep Kochhar will headline the The TATA Steel PGTI Players Championship, starting here on Tuesday.
The tournament, which will be played at the Chandigarh Golf Club from April 12 to 15, carries a prize purse of Rs 50 lakh.
The Pro-Am event will be staged on April 16.
The field of 126 players includes 123 professionals and three amateurs.
The leading Indian professionals in the fray apart from the the trio, include Honey Baisoya, Yuvraj Singh Sandhu, Kshitij Naveed Kaul, Manu Gandas, Abhijit Singh Chadha, Akshay Sharma and Aadil Bedi.
Local lad Sandhu, currently ranked second on the TATA Steel PGTI Order of Merit, is the highest-ranked player on the Order of Merit among those participating in the event.
The foreign challenge will be led by Sri Lankans Mithun Perera, N Thangaraja and Anura Rohana, Bangladesh's Md Zamal Hossain Mollah, Badal Hossain, Md Akbar Hossain, Md Sayum, Md Muaj and Md Somrat Sikdar as well as Nepal's Sukra Bahadur Rai.
"We thank Chandigarh Golf Club for their support in helping establish the TATA Steel PGTI Players Championship as a regular feature in Chandigarh," said Uttam Singh Mundy, CEO, PGTI "We also thank Gujarat Tourism for coming on board as the Associate Partner for the event. The Chandigarh Golf Club has always produced fascinating finishes. We now look forward to another intense week of competition."
Also Read : Tvesa, Diksha way down as Rashid in Top-10 at unique Mixed event in Pattaya
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Tvesa, Diksha way down as Rashid in Top-10 at unique Mixed event in Pattaya
Pattaya, Apr 10 (Golf News) India's Rashid Khan rounded off a satisfactory week at the USD 750,000 Trust Golf Asian Mixed Cup with a Top-10 finish as he carded 3-under 69 on the final day.
He was the best among the Indians in this unique event where men and women played together.
Among other Indian men who made the cut, Ajeetesh Sandhu (72) was T-30, while S Chikkarangappa (72) and Viraj Madappa (70) were T-39.
The two Indian women in the fray, Diksha Dagar (74) and Tvesa Malik (76), who made the cut finished T-65 and T-68 respectively.
For Rashid, this was the second Top-10 of 2022 after finishing T-6 at the Royals Cup and he was also T-23 at the DGC Open.
Ratchanon Chantananuwat, Thailand’s teenage golf sensation, claimed the USD 750,000 Trust Golf Asian Mixed Cup – to become the youngest male player to win on one of the game’s major Tours.
The 15-year-old amateur –– fired a seven-under-par 65 to finish on 20 under and beat Korean Joohyung Kim by two shots at Siam Country Club’s Waterside Course.
Kim, aged 19, returned a 64 while American lefthander Paul Peterson and Bio Kim from Korea ended third, one stroke behind after firing 68 and 69 respectively.
Ratchanon, at 15 years old and 37 days old, improved upon the previous best youngest winner mark set by Japan’s Ryo Ishikawa, who was 15 years and eight months when he won the Japan Tour's 2007 Munsingwear Open KSB Cup.
The US$750,000 tournament marked the first time the Asian Tour have staged a mixed event, as it is being jointly sanctioned with the Ladies European Tour (LET).
Also Read : Rashid Khan top Indian in Thailand, Tvesa, Diksha are T-54 in Asian Mixed Cup
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Rashid Khan top Indian in Thailand, Tvesa, Diksha are T-54 in Asian Mixed Cup
Pattaya, Apr 9 (Golf News) Rashid Khan carded three-under 69 in the third round to continue to be the top Indian at the Trust Golf Asian Mixed Cup here on Saturday.
Khan (71-66), a two-time Asian Tour winner, is now within sniffing distance of a Top-10 finish. At tied 11th, the Indian is 10-under 206 and four shots behind Thailand's Phachara Khongwatmai (68) and Korea's Bio Kim (68) who are both on 14-under.
Among women, the two Indian stars Tvesa Malik (70) and Diksha Dagar (74) are both T-54, while another Thailand's rising female star Jaravee Boonchant (66) is at 13-under, one shot behind Phachara and Bio.
Amateur Thai Ratchanon "TK" Chantananuwat (70) and American lefthander Paul Peterson (68) are also at 13-under in tied-second overall.
The USD 750,000 tournament marks the first time the Asian Tour have staged a mixed event, as it is being jointly sanctioned with the Ladies European Tour (LET).
Rashid had a colourful card with three birdies, an eagle and two bogeys in his 69.
Among other Indian men, DGC Open runner-up Ajeetesh Sandhu carded 68 and at 9-under he was T-18, while S Chikkarangappa (69) was 7-under and T-29 and Viraj Madappa (71) was T-48.
The tight leaderboard suggests a thrilling final day on Sunday which will also be a rematch between Phachara and Bio, who played together in the final pairing of the Laguna Phuket Championship in December which the former won.
Bio Kim is looking to secure his first title on the Asian Tour. He led the Phuket event by one shot from Phachara before tying for second place.
Last season's Asian Tour Order of Merit champion Joohyung Kim from Korea carded a 69 and is 10-under, while current number one Sihwan Kim returned a 71 and is a shot further behind.
Also Read : Chikka best Indian male and Diksha top Indian woman at Asian Mixed Cup golf
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Chikka best Indian male and Diksha top Indian woman at Asian Mixed Cup golf
Pattaya, Apr 7 (Golf News) Indian golfer S Chikkarangappa, looking for his maiden success on the Asian tour, opened with a solid 3-under 69 and was the best Indian at T-21 in the inaugural Trust Golf Asian Mixed Cup here on Thursday.
Also shooting a 3-under 69 was compatriot Viraj Madappa, who has one Asian Tour win to his name.
The USD 750,000 tournament marks the first time the Asian Tour has staged a mixed event, as it is being jointly sanctioned with the Ladies European Tour.
There are eight Indian men and two women, Diksha Dagar (70) at T-36 and Tvesa Malik at T-72.
The other men players are Aman Raj (70) in T-36, Rashid Khan, Shiv Kapur and SSP Chawrasia, all at T-52 with cards of 71 each.
Ajeetesh Sandhu (72) was T-77 and Gaganjeet Bhullar (74) was T-116.
Thailand’s Ratchanon Chantananuwat, the 15-year-old amateur, who could not practice much last week because he was busy with his studies, shot a nine-under-par 63 to take a share of the lead.
His round was matched by Finland’s Sanna Nuutinen, a member of the Ladies European Tour (LET), on the Waterside Course at Siam Country Club, while Thailand’s Phachara Khongwatmai and Hung Chien-yao from Chinese-Taipei carded 65s.
Thailand’s Chanettee Wannasaen and Meghan Maclaren from England are in fifth after firing 66s.
Also Read : 13-year-old Riya Jadon wins 11th DGC Ladies Open Amateur Golf Championship
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13-year-old Riya Jadon wins 11th DGC Ladies Open Amateur Golf Championship
New Delhi, Apr 7 (Golf News) Thirteen-year-old Riya Jadon won the DGC Ladies Open Amateur Golf Championship here on Thursday, following a close fight with older sister Lavanya Jadon.
Riya, who carded 78, 80 and 74, also won the junior girls trophy. Over a hundred women golfers took part in this year’s tournament, which resumed at the Delhi Golf Club after a two-year hiatus.
Speaking at the prize distribution ceremony, Anju Munjal, Vice President, Usha International said, “As part of our ethos of promoting an active and healthy lifestyle, USHA is proud to have supported golf platforms that have paved the way for juniors and amateurs as champions in the making."
Also Read : Aadil Bedi, Ankur Chadha and Hitaashee Bakshi's team crowned winners of Mixed Pro Challenge
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Aadil Bedi, Ankur Chadha and Hitaashee Bakshi's team crowned winners of Mixed Pro Challenge
Gurugram, Apr 6 (Golf News) The team of Aadil Bedi, Ankur Chadha and Hitaashee Bakshi was crowned winners of the inaugural Ballantine's Golf Championship – Mixed Pro Challenge at the DLF Golf and Country Club here on Wednesday.
Aadil, Ankur and Hitaashee's (131-138) team, leaders by two shots after round one, drove home the advantage with a score of six-under 138 in the second and final round to end up with a gross score of 19-under 269 for the week to lift the trophy.
They took home the winning cheque worth Rs. 7 lakh at the 36-hole tournament, a first-of-its-kind men's and women's mixed event played in India.
Seventeen-year-old Hitaashee, playing at her home course, was the best performer for her team for the second day in succession as she followed up her 66 in round one with a 69 in round two.
The team consisting of Yuvraj Singh Sandhu, Sunit Chowrasia and Gaurika Bishnoi (133-138) finished runners-up with a gross score of 17-under 271 after firing a six-under 138 in round two.
It was a Team Strokeplay event with 18 sides participating. The total prize purse was Rs. 30 lakh. All players were to hole out on every hole. The two best scores out of three on each hole (hole by hole) were counted towards the team score.
Hitaashee, who is in the middle of her 12th class board exams, mixed six birdies with a bogey and a double-bogey on the final day. Hitaashee, who has won three events on the WGAI since turning professional in December last year, made two early birdies, sinking a 12-footer on the third and tapping-in on the fifth.
It was Aadil Bedi who gave the early breakthroughs to the winning team as he scored a chip-in birdie on the first hole followed by two more birdies on the third and fourth. Aadil, a winner on the PGTI, then conceded five bogeys to end up with a 74 in round two.
Ankur Chadha, who posted a score of 69 on day one, signed for a 78 on day two. Besides Hitaashee's 66, Ankur's 69 in round one was also crucial to the team's solid start on Tuesday.
The team of Sunit Chowrasia (74), Gaurika Bishnoi (76) and Yuvraj Singh Sandhu (81) held on to their overnight second position.
Honey Baisoya, also playing at his home course, shot the day's best individual score of 68 that played a vital role in his team finishing tied third at 16-under 272. Honey's team-mates were Mani Ram and Jahanvi Bakshi who is Hitaashee’s elder sister.
The other team that finished tied third comprised Khalin Joshi, Kartik Sharma and Oviya Reddi.
Also Read : Hitaashee, Ankur, Aadil’s team leads on day one of Golf Championship
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Hitaashee, Ankur, Aadil’s team leads on day one of Golf Championship
Gurugram, Apr 5 (Golf News) Hitaashee Bakshi, Ankur Chadha and Aadil Bedi fired a total of 13-under 131 to take the lead on day one of the Golf Championship –- Mixed Pro Challenge -- here on Tuesday.
The first round of the 36-hole tournament, a first-of-its-kind men’s and women’s mixed event being played in India, saw 17-year-old Hitaashee make a major contribution to her team total as she fired the day’s best score of six-under 66 at her home course.
The team comprising Yuvraj Singh Sandhu, Sunit Chowrasia and Gaurika Bishnoi were in second place with a gross score of 11-under 133.
Third place was occupied by the trio of Pranavi Urs, Karandeep Kochhar and Chiragh Kumar, who had a gross score of 10-under 134.
The tournament is a Team Strokeplay event where all players must hole out on every hole. The two best scores out of three on each hole (hole by hole) would count towards the team score.
Hitaashee, who is in the middle of her class 12th Board Exams, had a horrid start as she bogeyed the first two holes after pulling her approach shots on both occasions. She then began turning it around, picking up four birdies on the front-nine thereafter including three on the trot from the seventh through the ninth.
Hitaashee then added four more birdies to her card on the back-nine courtesy three conversions from a range of eight to 12 feet and a tap-in on the 17th. She also got out of trouble on the 12th with a good par-save.
Yuvraj and Sunit had the two best scores in their team as both shot rounds of 73 to help their team end the day in second place.
Mysuru-based 18-year-old Pranavi, one of only two players to shoot an error-free round on day one, was instrumental in her team being placed third.
Also Read : Indian golfer Anirban Lahiri finishes 13th at Texas Open
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Indian golfer Anirban Lahiri finishes 13th at Texas Open
San Antonio, Apr 4 (Golf News) Indian golfer Anirban Lahiri shot 2-under 70 in the final round to end with overall 8-under 280 and finish Tied-13th at the Valero Texas Open here.
Lahiri hit 14 of 18 greens in regulation during his final round. His 13th place finish here comes after a memorable second place at The Players Championship last month.
JJ Spaun won his maiden title and a passage to the Masters at 13 under with Matt Jones and Matt Kuchar tied for 2nd at 11-under. Troy Merritt, Adam Hadwin, Beau Hossler, and Charles Howell III were tied for 4th at 10 under.
Playing with Richard Bland and Kevin Streelman, the Indian had a bogey on the 171-yard par-3 third as his tee shot went 185 yards to the left side. His second shot went 10 yards to the fringe, and he ended with a bogey. But he fought back with birdies on sixth and eighth and turned in 1-under.
On the 403-yard par-4 sixth hole, Lahiri had a 125 yard approach shot, setting himself up for the birdie. This moved Lahiri to even for the round. After a 309 yard drive on the 604-yard par-5 eighth, Lahiri chipped his third shot to 4 feet, which he rolled for one-putt birdie on the hole.
Then on the par-4 12th, Lahiri's 106 yard approach to 7 feet set himself up for the birdie on the hole.
However, after a tee shot at the 241-yard par-3 13th green, Lahiri suffered from a tough three-putt after missing a putt from 10-feet for a par and finished with a bogey. This put Lahiri at 1 under for the round.
A birdie on 14th saw him back at 2-under, but a bogey on on 15th pulled him back. Then a birdie on 18th helped him to 70.
Spaun won his first PGA TOUR event in his 147th start. He survived a double-bogey start to his round by recording five birdies with no bogeys to finish at 13-under at TPC San Antonio. It gave him a two-shot margin over Matt Kuchar (69) and Matt Jones (66).
Also Read : Lahiri cards 69 to give himself outside chance at Valero Texas Open; lies T-16
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Lahiri cards 69 to give himself outside chance at Valero Texas Open; lies T-16
San Antonio (US), Apr 3 (Golf News) Indian golfer Anirban Lahiri carded 3-under 69 in the third round to be at tied-16th and four shots behind the leaders at the Valero Texas Open here.
Lahiri, who earlier had rounds of 68 and 73, was trying to get back to full flow after being unwell last week.
The 34-year-old, who finished runner-up at THE PLAYERS Championship three weeks ago, made three birdies on his homeward nine at TPC San Antonio to sit on 6-under 210 as he chases a first PGA TOUR victory.
He was sitting at Tied-16th, up from overnight T-27.
Four players -- Brandt Snedeker (67), Beau Hossler (67), Dylan Frittelli (70) and J.J. Spaun (69) -- shared the third round lead at the USD 8.6 million tournament with three-day totals of 10-under 206.
Korea’s Si Woo Kim hit five birdies for a 68 to lie in tied seventh position, three back.
Lahiri entered the week hopeful of landing a first win, following a memorable outing at THE PLAYERS where he finished second to Cameron Smith of Australia and earned a career high USD 2.18 million.
After trading two birdies against as many bogeys on his front nine, Lahiri produced some wonderful iron play to snare birdies on the 10th, 17th and 18th holes following putts from inside of nine feet.
“It’s nice to get a couple (of birdies) in. I've just kind of struggled the last couple of days with my mental energy as I was ill all of last week," said Lahiri.
"I think yesterday on the back nine especially, I started feeling that wave of exhaustion having recovered from illness, so I think today my caddie did a great job of fuelling me and keeping my energy up and I was able to kind of push myself.” Changes made to the set-up of his irons -- he added 3.5 grams of weight to the clubheads -- since THE PLAYERS have worked like a charm as he is presently ranked inside the top-30 for 'Strokes Gained: Approach the Greens' through 54 holes. He was ranked 159th in the same category at the end of last season.
While he is four shots back with 18 holes remaining, Lahiri feels he can put in a low number on the last day to potentially challenge the leaders.
The winner of Valero Texas Open will earn an exemption into next week’s Masters Tournament, which is also on Lahiri’s mind.
“I feel like I'm playing really, really well but I just haven't played very sharp. Yesterday, I struggled a little bit on the greens and today, I didn’t quite take advantage of some of the holes that I would have liked to,” said Lahiri, who finished fifth in the event here last season.
Four players Brandt Snedeker (67), Beau Hossler (67), Dylan Frittelli (70) and JJ Spaun (69) were tied for the 54-hole lead.
Of the top 20 players on the leaderboard, only Si Woo Kim, Gary Woodland and Lucas Glover are in next week’s Masters Tournament field.
Defending champion Jordan Spieth turns in a 2-over 74, just his fifth over-par score in 25 rounds in the event.
Among the big names who missed the cut were Rory McIlroy, Bryson DeChambeau, Jason Day and Rickie Fowler.
Also Read : Lahiri shoots 73, makes cut comfortably at Texas Open
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Lahiri shoots 73, makes cut comfortably at Texas Open
San Antonio (US), Apr 2 (Golf News) Indian golfer Anirban Lahiri had a modest second round of one-over 73 after a strong start on the first day but it was enough to comfortably make the cut at the Valero Texas Open here.
Lahiri (68, 73), who had a brilliant second place finish at The PLAYERS last fortnight, slipped from T-7 to T-27 after the second round.
The Indian is now three-under for 36 holes as Ryan Palmer leads at 10-under with Matt Kuchar, Dylan Frittelli, and Kevin Chappell tied for second at eight-under.
Among the notables missing the cut were Rory McIlroy, Bryson DeChambeau, Jason Day and Rickie Fowler Lahiri hit 13 of 18 greens in regulation during his second round. He began well with a birdie on the first as he drove to the left intermediate rough on the 454-yard par-4 first hole. But he chipped in his third for a birdie start.
On the 602-yard par-5 second hole, Lahiri reached the green in 3 and had a three-putt after missing a 6 feet putt he finished with a 3-putt bogey, putting him at even for the round. On the 604-yard par-5 eighth, Lahiri drove to 329-yard drive and then chipped his third shot to two feet, which he rolled for one-putt birdie on the hole.
This moved Lahiri back to one-under for the round. Lahiri gave that gain back on the 405-yard par-4 11th after hitting the green in 3 and two putting. That meant he was once even par for the round.
After a tee shot at the green on the 183-yard par-3 16th, Lahiri missed a birdie attempt from 5-feet, taking a par and ended at 1-over.
JJ Spaun, Charles Howell III, Lucas Glover, Brendon Todd, and Gary Woodland are tied for 5th at seven-under.
First-round leader Russell Knox fell to T27 following a second-round four-over 76.
Defending champion Jordan Spieth is currently T47 in bid to become the event's first repeat winner since Zach Johnson (2009).
One week before defending his 2021 Masters Tournament title, Hideki Matsuyama withdrew during round two with a neck injury.
Also Read : Avani Prashanth makes cut at Augusta Women’s Amateur event
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Avani Prashanth makes cut at Augusta Women’s Amateur event
Augusta (Georgia), Apr 1 (Golf News) Avani Prashanth will become the first Indian woman golfer to play a competitive round at the fabled Augusta National Golf Club after making the cut for the amateur event here.
The Indian teenager shot rounds of 76-73 in difficult conditions at the Augusta National Women’s Amateur Championship. She then waited to see if she made the cut as play on the second day was interrupted due to inclement weather.
When play ended in second round she was T-21 after 36 holes, while Indian-American Megha Ganne (73-80) missed the cut. Ganne hit headlines in US Women’s Open, where she was the top amateur after being among contenders for a while.
Lying T-26 when play was suspended after her two rounds, she had to wait overnight for others to finish to see if she would be among top-30 from a field of 72 who started at the Champions Retreat.
The Top-30 make the cut for the final round, which is to be played on Saturday at the Augusta National Golf Club, which hosts the 86th Masters next week.
When second play finally ended Avani moved up to T-21 and easily made the cut, which was a sigh of relief.
“I came here to do well and this is the first step. I have one more round at the famous Augusta and I am excited,” said Avani, who is using a caddie introduced to her by Swedish pro Henrik Norlander, a friend of Anirban Lahiri.
Avani shot 76 in the first round with three birdies against seven bogeys and was T-39. In the second round she played some great golf finishing 1-over for the day. She had three birdies and two bogeys and a double bogey.
She missed two other birdies on Hole 8 and 9. The Birdies came on first, third and fifth with the putt on first coming from 25 ft.
On Hole 3, a par 5, she hit her second shot to the green after a fantastic drive of 265 yards and she two-putted for a birdie. Hole 5 was a great approach to 8 feet and she converted it for a birdie.
She started the second round from 10th, and the bogeys came on Hole 13, a double on the 16th and a bogey on the 4th.
Her tee time for the second round was 7.30 am but finally teed off at 3 pm. It was a good end to a round that needed a lot of determination in tough conditions.
The Augusta National Women’s Amateur is a 54-hole stroke play that features 72 of the top women amateurs from around the world.
Also Read : Kemmer wins Gurugram Challenge, Arjun Bhati finishes third
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Kemmer wins Gurugram Challenge, Arjun Bhati finishes third
Nuh (Haryana), Apr 1 (Golf News) American Dodge Kemmer fired a brilliant last round of six-under 66 to win the Gurugram Challenge by three shots ahead of Thailand's Chanat Sakulpolaphaisan (68), here on Friday.
Seventeen-year-old rookie Arjun Bhati, playing only his second event after turning professional, was the best-placed Indian with a third place finish. He aggregated 18-under 270 at the PGTI event.
Bhati's final round of 66, along with winner Kemmer's round, was the day's joint best score. India's Yuvraj Singh Sandhu (67) and England's Joshua Grenville-Wood (68) also took a share of fourth place. Indonesia's Rory Hie, the leader for the first three days, carded a 73 on Friday to finish tied fourth at 17-under 271.
Kemmer (67-66-66-66), shot a third straight 66, a bogey-free round, to come home the winner on the most windy day of the week. Asian Tour regular Kemmer's success ratified his decision to stay on for the event after last week’s The DGC Open presented by Mastercard, where he finished joint 49th.
"It was a great decision. I like being in India, it was an easy choice. Obviously, a win is always good and good for the confidence and gets me in a good place on the ADT list in case I need that to stay on the Asian Tour next year," he said.
Chanat Sakulpolaphaisan (66-67-67-68), who was overnight tied third, shot a flawless 68 in round four to rise one spot to second place. He chipped-in for birdie on the fifth.
Bhati (70-66-68-66) mixed seven birdies with a bogey during his 66. He began his day with a 30-feet birdie conversion on the first hole that set up the round for him.
"I'm very proud of my effort this week. Scoring 18-under is a huge confidence-booster for me. It's a dream start to my career. I putted really well this week," Bhati said.
Also Read : Solid finish sees Lahiri card 68, Indian lying seventh in Texas Open
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Solid finish sees Lahiri card 68, Indian lying seventh in Texas Open
San Antonio (US), Apr 1 (Golf News) India's Anirban Lahiri overcame a sluggish start to fire a solid 4-under 68 and lie three strokes off the early first round lead at the Valero Texas Open here.
Lahiri, who was the runner-up in a dramatic finish at THE PLAYERS Championship three weeks ago, was 1-over through 10 holes at TPC San Antonio before coming home with five birdies, thanks largely to a hot putter.
Scotland's Russell Knox opened with a 65 to lead the USD 8.6 million PGA TOUR event.
The 34-year-old Lahiri is attempting to win a first career title in the US after coming agonisingly close at the TOUR's flagship tournament at TPC Sawgrass, and victory on Sunday would also secure a spot in next week's Masters Tournament.
"Today was about trying to find the same kind of rhythm to my routine, rhythm to how I was swinging the club.
"The body still feels a bit rusty. When I started, it was a bit cold and there was bit of moisture on the surface and I was trying to get a good feel and speed of the greens," said Lahiri on Thursday.
"I definitely wanted to get back into my rhythm after being away and battling an infection I picked up from my daughter. I was laid off in bed for a few days and didn't play that much golf but I didn't really hit a lot of bad shots." Starting from the 10th, Lahiri navigated his opening 10 holes with two bogeys against a lone birdie before his putter started to find its range.
He rolled in a nine-footer on the second, a 23-footer on the fifth and then nailed three successive birdies from nine, 18 and 30 feet respectively to close out his round in style.
"On the back nine, I found the speed of the greens. I've played this course quite a bit and I understand the nature of this course.
"You try to just put yourself in good positions and places where you can make aggressive swings and aggressive putts. If you can do that, you can make a couple of birdies.
"The putter got a little warmer and it was a nice bonus on the last to get a long one which feels really good," said Lahiri, who finished solo fifth at TPC San Antonio last season.
Despite his stellar finish at THE PLAYERS, Lahiri intends to keep his foot on the pedal a bid to regain his place among golf's elite. He was ranked as high as 33rd on the Official World Golf Ranking in 2015 and featured in the Presidents Cup twice for the International Team.
"THE PLAYERS Championship was fantastic and it's in the past now. It's time to move on and try to be in the present which was pretty much what I did.
"I'm just trying to do the same, stay in the present, stay in the now, do what I need to do, what I need to feel, what I need to work on. I'm just trying to get back to that and it's nice to see my golf responding," said Lahiri.
South Korea's Si Woo Kim and CT Pan of Chinese Taipei got off to good starts at the Valero Texas Open with matching 69s.
Despite missing six greens in regulation, Pan, who is a one-time TOUR winner, kept the bogeys off his card while Kim posted five birdies against two bogeys.
Japanese star Hideki Matsuyama, who will defend his Masters title next week, opened with a 74 in what is his first appearance since withdrawing from THE PLAYERS Championship due to a back injury.
Also Read : Indian quartet lies tied 3rd after first round of Gurugram Challenge Golf
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Indian quartet lies tied 3rd after first round of Gurugram Challenge Golf
Nuh (Haryana), Mar 29 (Golf News) The Indian quartet of Amrit Lal Lubana, Tapy Ghai, Shamim Khan and Rajiv Kumar Jatiwal shot an impressive 66 to be placed tied third after the opening round of Gurugram Challenge TATA Steel PGTI-ADT golf tournament here on Tuesday.
The Indians were tied alongside Thailand's Chanat Sakulpolaphaisan.
Indonesia's Rory Hie returned to his happy hunting ground with a stunning nine-under 63 to take a two-shot lead at the Classic Golf & Country Club.
Rory, who won his only Asian Tour title at the Classic Golf & Country Club in 2019, posted a flawless round, which also featured birdies on the last three holes.
Ira Alido of the Philippines fired a 65 to be placed second at the event co-sanctioned by the PGTI and the Asian Development Tour (ADT).
Rory was off to a solid start in round one with three birdies on the front nine. The 33-year-old consistently landed it within 10 feet of the flag and then added three more birdies between the 10th and 13th.
Rory signed off with a late flurry, sinking birdies on the last three holes. A great tee shot on the 16th set up an easy second shot and a subsequent short putt for him.
Rory then chipped in from an awkward position on the 17th before closing with a quality chip-putt on the 18th.
Rookie Ira's 65 was also a bogey-free round. Ira hit his wedges well as he chipped in on the 12th and landed most other shots within a range of six feet of the flag.
Tapy Ghai, playing at his home course, had a run of five consecutive birdies from the third to the seventh. He then had a double-bogey on the 12th but bounced back well with two birdies thereafter.
Amrit went error-free during his 66. He made a couple of good par saves from the bunker on the second and third.
Shamim Khan's round featured an eagle on the closing 18th along with five birdies and a bogey. Rajiv came up with eight birdies and two bogeys.
India's Rashid Khan, one of the pre-event favourites, carded a 67 to be tied eighth.
Also Read : Resurgent Lahiri eyes title at Valero Texas Open with Masters in mind
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It's hard to accept, Warne will continue to live in our hearts: Tendulkar
New Delhi, Mar 29 (Cricket News) Sachin Tendulkar has paid rich tribute to the late Shane Warne, calling him a "fierce competitor", against whom he always had to prepare differently as the Australian spin legend was good in playing mind games and gave nothing away with his body language.
One of the all-time greats of the game, Warne died at the age of 52 due to a suspected heart attack in Thailand on March 4.
"My first proper series against Shane Warne was in 1998 in India and everyone tagged that series as Tendulkar versus Shane Warne clash. And to remind people that it's not Tendulkar versus Shane but it is India vs. Australia. But such was the following," Tendulkar said.
"That kind of following is going to put you under pressure. When you are playing a world class bowler like him, you just can't turn up and hope that things are going to be okay.
"So I had to prepare properly, not just out being there at the nets but when you're sitting in the room, you have to be a step ahead of him, what he would be thinking because he was extremely good in putting pressure and playing mind games and trying to plan your dismissal." Tendulkar had many fierce battles with Warne and the 1998 series in India will remain a part of cricketing folklore.
"It didn't matter, you looked at his body language. One didn't know whether Warne had picked up four wickets, five wickets or he was bowling wicketless. Every delivery that he bowled, he was a fierce competitor.
"So even if you're facing the second last over of the day, one had to keep their eyes open, because he was always up to something and trying to figure out how could he dismissed." Tendulkar said "there were number of good spinners, but Shane was different".
"One of those very few bowlers against whom you couldn't hit the ball on the rise. He was someone if you did not get to the pitch of the ball, there was no way one was expected to go and drive on the rise," he said.
"That was his class the way he got the ball to drift and that can only happen if you have strong shoulders and you're giving it a rip, the ball drifts down the leg and then spinning away from you.
"I had to also practice because till then nobody had bowled round the wicket in the rough, trying to get you out. It was usually bowled to keep things under control. If the batter was scoring runs, to kind of slow him down.
"But Shane was actually looking to get the batter out, so one had to prepare the defensive and attacking options." West Indies batting great Brain Lara also hailed Warne as the "most potent player" for Australia, who sealed his place "in the upper echelons of world cricket" with his performances in the Ashes series, which included the ball of the century that he bowled to England's Mike Gatting in 1993.
"I grew up in a country where spin bowling dominated. The lower part of the Caribbean, Trinidad, Guyana, we played spin very well. And Warne posed a lot of trouble for a lot of other players. I found myself winning a lot of those battles, but he never gave up," he said.
"He always produced that miracle delivery the one that you didn't know was coming. So I always had my eyes open for Warne throughout my career. He was just a tremendous bowler, bowling in an attack which had awesome fast bowlers." Condoling his death, Lara said: "He was huge, such a legend, such a king, someone who I felt was, you know, gigantic when it comes in the world of sport, and it's unfortunate what has happened, it's very sad. He has a very young families, his parents still alive. It's a weird feeling that he's gone..." Remembering his last meeting with Warne in 2021, Tendulkar said: "After the last IPL, I went to spend some time in London where we got in touch. There was never a dull moment. He was full of entertainment, full of jokes and you know those battles those mini competitions.
"I realised that it was not just about spin, the swing also came naturally to him. He was a good golfer. I hate saying he was a good golfer because it's hard to accept what has happened and for us he will continue to live in our hearts.
"...He had this tremendous attitude towards life. Always positive and always welcoming. It's really hard to accept that he is no more among us..."
Also Read : Would be very emotional thinking about de Villiers if we win IPL: Kohli
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Resurgent Lahiri eyes title at Valero Texas Open with Masters in mind
San Antonio (US), Mar 29 (Golf News) Bolstered by a career-best runner-up finish at THE PLAYERS Championship, a buoyant Anirban Lahiri will now tee up at the Valero Texas Open, eyeing a victory to earn a coveted place in the Masters Tournament.
Lahiri enjoyed his best finish in the PGA Tour at THE PLAYERS Championship at TPC Sawgrass two weeks ago and the Indian is determined to build on his resurgence at the TPC San Antonio which hosts this week's USD 8.6 million tournament starting on Thursday.
"Who doesn't think about the Masters? We all do," said Lahiri. "I understand I'm going to need a win, just like everyone else who are not already in Augusta will be hoping to do so." The Masters Tournament, the year's first major, begins at Augusta National Golf Club next week with Japan's Hideki Matsuyama defending his title. The winner in Texas, who is not otherwise exempt, will receive the final spot in the Masters field.
The Indian golfer has featured twice at Augusta National, finishing T49 and T42 in 2015 and 2016 respectively and those were the years when Lahiri felt he was playing some of his best golf.
The 34-year-old was back to his old self a fortnight ago when he led into the final round at THE PLAYERS before finishing second to Australia's Cameron Smith which saw him earn a career high USD 2.18 million.
"I'm looking forward to going back out. I've watched a lot of the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play (last week), a lot of friends battling it out and it makes me want to go out and play golf. I’m excited," said Lahiri.
"I've had a nice 10 days off at home but we had a few struggles. My little daughter picked up a little infection and we have all been fighting a bit of a cough and cold but we’re towards the end of it." Interestingly, Lahiri's return to form was largely due to him adding 3.5 grams of weight to his irons which has since resulted him in free-wheeling his way around the golf course.
"Equipment wise, I'm all sorted and just trying to build on it. Just the fact that I have what I need to play well, and I can trust myself a little more, I can stop trying harder and kind of let it happen just like I did a couple of weeks ago.
"In terms of the process of letting go and just playing, THE PLAYERS was an important week to me," said Lahiri, who is currently ranked 45th on the FedExCup standings.
A return to the Valero Texas Open will also give him a lot of confidence as he finished fifth in the event last year.
"I have good memories from last year as Valero was one of my standout events and I played really well, really consistently. It's a tough golf course especially when it's windy. It can get firm and fast and it's another course that you need to drive it good.
"Strategically, you need to be very sound in how you navigate the golf course as there is a lot of trouble. I think that works to my advantage as strategically, I have a good game plan. It comes down to the execution and putting it in play."
Also Read : DGC Open: Sandhu loses in play-off, finishes second; Nitithorn wins maiden Asian Tour title
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DGC Open: Sandhu loses in play-off, finishes second; Nitithorn wins maiden Asian Tour title
New Delhi, Mar 27 (Golf News) Indian golfer Ajeetesh Sandhu came agonisingly close to winning the inaugural DGC Open before going down in the play-offs as Thailand's Nitithorn Thippong claimed his maiden Asian Tour title in a compelling finish here on Sunday.
Sandhu (71) and Nitithorn (73) produced a birdie each in the 18th hole to finish seven under after four rounds, forcing a play-off.
Nitithorn, the overnight leader by two shots, then made a brilliant birdie on the first play-off hole -- par-five 18th, while Sandhu holed out for par to miss out in the end.
"It was a good week. Looking back, I'll definitely take a lot from it. It was disappointing how it finished but that's golf. You always have to keep coming back from disasters. No regrets because while competing you’re always trying your best," said Sandhu.
"In hindsight, I would say on the 17th I tried to hit a shot which was not a high percentage one. I tried to move it with the wind to go into the flag but just didn’t make a good swing." Thailand's Settee Prakongvech ended one shot short of the play-off after returning 71 to finish outright third for his best Asian Tour result, while Gaganjeet Bhullar from India carded 72 to claim sole fourth, two strokes further back.
Nitithorn lived up to his nickname "Fever" by raising the temperature of his game on the famous 18th at the DGC.
Tied with playing-partner Sandhu on the last in normal time, he holed a 10-footer for birdie which forced his Indian opponent to make his four from five feet to send the tournament into overtime.
The 25-year-old Thai golfer then reached the green with two fine shots in the play-off, leaving himself a 15-foot eagle putt, while Sandhu found the putting surface in three, having landed in trouble off the tee. After Sandhu missed his birdie attempt from 18 feet, Nitithorn triumphantly two-putted to earn a cheque for USD 90,000.
"I can't describe my feeling right now. To win on the Asian Tour I have been waiting for this for a long time," said Nitithorn, a professional since 2015.
His biggest win to date had been the 2018 PGM Penang Championship on the Asian Development Tour in 2018.
"I cannot describe my feelings, it is incredible, it’s amazing. I didn't putt so good today. I just tried to hit it on the green and make the putts, but I couldn't make them," he said.
"On the 14th, where I made bogey, I was so nervous there, but I did not lose my mind. I just focused on everything that I can, and just play. In the play off I wasn’t as nervous as in normal time. I felt more free and so comfortable." The tournament developed into a classic two-horse race with Nitithorn appearing to be on course for victory after staying two ahead after nine, before he made bogey on 10, 14 and 16.
Birdies on 13 and 14 meant Sandhu was two ahead with two to go but to the shock of the strong local support, the Indian golfer pushed his tee shot right on the par-three 17th, lost his ball, and ended up making a double bogey while Nitithorn made par to draw level and set up the dramatic finish on 18.
Justin Quiban from the Philippines produced his joint best finish on the Asian Tour when he was fifth on three under after shooting a 70.
India's Shiv Kapur, a four-time winner on the Asian Tour, carded a 68 and was in a group of players who finished a stroke further back in joint sixth.
The next event on the Asian Tour is the Trust Golf Asian Mixed Cup at Siam Country Club in Thailand from April 7 to 10.
Also Read : Tvesa and Amandeep make the cut at Joburg Ladies Open golf
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Tvesa and Amandeep make the cut at Joburg Ladies Open golf
Johannesburg, Mar 26 (Golf News) Indian golfer Tvesa Malik went one shot better than her first round with an even par 73 to make the cut at the Joburg Ladies Open here.
Tvesa was one of the only two Indians to make the cut as she was 1-over 147 and in Tied-16th place.
The other Indian to make the cut was Amandeep Drall (78-73) who fought back well after a disappointing first round.
Amandeep, a multiple winner on the domestic Tour in India, is now Tied-48th.
The other Indians in the field, Vani Kapoor (76-78), Diksha Dagar (79-77) and Siddhi Kapoor (84-78) missed the cut, which fell at 7-over.
Tvesa had one birdie and one bogey on either side of the course.
Maria Hernandez and LET rookie Linn Grant are tied at the top heading into the final day at the Par-73.
Overnight leader Hernandez produced a steadier second round, with three birdies and two bogeys enough to come home in 72 (-1) and keep her name at the top of the leader board heading into the weekend.
Meanwhile, Grant recovered admirably from a bogey and double bogey on the third and fourth respectively to pull herself back up the leader board throughout the day, having birdied the first.
Alice Hewson and Kim Metraux are hot on the heels of the leading duo heading into the final 18 holes, as the English star picked up four shots on the front nine, before a solitary bogey on the tenth saw her finish three shots to the good for her day’s play and just a shot behind the leading pair.
Also Read : Indian Golfer Shubhankar Sharma slips to T-10 in Qatar Masters
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Indian Golfer Shubhankar Sharma slips to T-10 in Qatar Masters
Doha, Mar 25 (Golf News) India's Shubhankar Sharma, who was bogey free on the first day, witnessed an up-and-down outing in round two as he shot one-over 73 to slip to tied-10th from second position at the Commercial Bank Qatar Masters at the Doha Golf Club here on Friday.
Sharma was three-over at one stage with bogeys on eighth, 13th and 14th, but birdies on 15th and 16th helped him recover to some extent.
Pablo Larrazabal displayed a superb back nine fightback to retain the lead at the halfway stage.
The Spaniard leads by one on nine-under par after posting a one-under par round of 71 on day two, but the 38-year-old's second round was truly a tale of two nines.
The overnight leader made the turn at four-over par following a double bogey on the par five ninth, but immediately responded with an eagle at the tenth.
Three additional birdies put the finishing touches to a five-under par back nine to complete a return to the top of the leader board on a windy day here.
The six-time DP World Tour winner is closely followed by Chase Hanna of the United States, Poland's Adrian Meronk and South African Wilco Nienaber, who all share the second place on eight-under par, with Romain Langasque of France a shot further back on seven-under par.
Scotland's Ewen Ferguson, English duo of Daniel Gavins and Matthew Jordan, and Austrian Lukas Nemecz share the sixth place on six-under par, while Sweden's Marcus Kinhult, whose seven-under par round of 65 was the lowest round of the day, is part of the group in a tie for the 10th spot at five-under par.
Also Read : Ahlawat, Sandhu occupy top-2 spots at midway stage of DGC Open
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Ahlawat, Sandhu occupy top-2 spots at midway stage of DGC Open
New Delhi, Mar 25 (Golf News) Veer Ahlawat and Ajeetesh Sandhu played bogey-free rounds of 67 and 68 to take the first and second positions respectively at the midway stage of The DGC Open golf tournament here on Friday.
Ahlawat, looking for his maiden win on the Asian Tour, is nine-under and two clear of Sandhu, who is looking to add to the lone Asian Tour win he had in Chinese Taipei in 2017.
The Gurgaon-based Ahlawat was leading the pack at nine-under par 135 (68-67) and Ajeetesh Sandhu (67-68) climbed into the sole second place at 137.
Gaganjeet Bhullar played his best-ever round at the DGC with a six-under 66 that included five birdies in a row from 13th to 18th after starting on the 10th.
Lying in sole third was Thailand's Nitithorn Thippong (68-70) at six-under 138.
Bhullar (73-66) was tied-fourth with two other Thailand golfers in Chanat Sakulpolphaisan and Kasidit Lepkurte as the top six at the USD 500,000 Asian Tour event had three Indians and three Thais.
Sandhu was one of the few to buck the trend of the morning starters dominating the leaderboard with his bogey-free round late in the afternoon. He needed a small slice of luck with a tricky third shot over the greenside bunker on the ninth hole and an up-and-down to keep a clean card.
Ahlawat, who has been looking good on the domestic Tour and also had a good showing when the Asian Tour resumed action, said, "My swing is feeling pretty good so I was confident that if I keep hitting it in the fairway, I'm going to hit good second shots." "That was my plan for today. Just keep it in play - you don't have to get long off the tee, just keep it in play. I started pretty good on the back nine and kept sticking it really close and made five birdies.
"On the front nine, I missed a chip-putt on the first for birdie and after that, I did hit it pretty close. I did save a few par putts like on the seventh where I holed a six-footer and then on the last hole I made a 15-footer for par." Sandhu felt he had left a few shots out on the course but was satisfied with his effort overall.
"I'm happy but I think there were a lot of missed opportunities again, but that's OK. It was tough with the wind. I think you really had be patient, but the greens are excellent. If you miss a putt, you can't really complain about the surface, it's your fault. The course is playing fantastic." Bhullar went on a tear towards the end of his outbound nine, rolling in five birdies in a row after a bogey-birdie swap to turn in five-under 31. He then picked up two further shots but gave one back in a six-under 66 card for the day.
Shiv Kapur survived a difficult second day to sit on level par 144 (71-73) in a tie for 22nd place after coming back from four-over through 10 holes to one-over for the round.
Overnight joint leader Shankar Das was down in shared 12th place at three-under 141 (67-74) after a difficult second day. Australian Travis Smyth struggled in the tougher afternoon conditions as he slipped into a tie for seventh place on four-under 140 (67-73).
Making the cut, which came at five-over par 149, were Indian golf legend Jeev Milkha Singh, former Indian Open winners SSP Chawrasia, Siddikur Rahman of Bangladesh and South Africa's Ian Snyman in the 138-strong field.
In all, 67 professionals went through to the money rounds in an event that has seen scores on the higher side on the first two days. None of the amateurs made the cut.
Also Read : Hitaashee wins sixth leg of Hero WPGT with a stunning 12-under total
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Hitaashee wins sixth leg of Hero WPGT with a stunning 12-under total
Gurugram, Mar 25 (Golf News) Hitaashee Bakshi became the second player to win multiple titles this season as she claimed the sixth leg of the 2022 Hero Women's Pro Golf Tour at the Golden Greens Golf & Resorts here on Friday.
Following up on her brilliant second round 65, Hitaashee added a solid three-under 69 to emerge a comfortable winner.
Hitaashee's sister, Jahanvi produced the best round of the final day with a bogey free six-under 66 that included three successive birdies at the end to claim the runner-up position.
Hitaashee, who also won the third leg of the Tour, aggregated 12-under 204, the lowest winning total this year.
Jahanvi was second at eight-under 208. She also was the top pro in the second leg but was overall second to amateur Sneha Singh.
While the Bakshi sisters finished 1-2, Gaurika Bishnoi, who set the trend for low scoring this week with 65 on the first day, faltered in the final round with a 74 that included three closing bogeys.
She was third at six-under 210, in a tournament where seven players finished under par and another two players were par for the week. That meant the top-10 were par or better for the week, setting a very good standard.
Hitaashee, who led Gaurika by one shot after two rounds, birdied third and fifth, while Gaurika bogeyed second, birdied fifth but dropped shots on sixth, seventh and eighth to fall way behind.
On the back nine, Hitaashee birdied 11th, 15th and 17th but dropped shots on 14th and 17th.
However, that was more than enough as Gaurika, despite one birdie and no bogeys on the back nine, was unable to make up lost ground.
Jahanvi, who was seven shots behind her sister Hitaashee after two rounds, was left four behind despite the 66.
Amateur Heena Kang (70), who finished as best amateur, Ridhima Dilawari (68) and Pranavi Urs (71) were tied for fourth at three-under 213.
Afshan Fatima (69) was seventh, while Neha Tripathi (73), with an eagle and a double bogey, was eighth.
Shewta Mansingh (71) and Durga Nittur (76) were tied-ninth at even par 216.
Pranavi Urs continued to stay on top of the Hero Order of Merit but now Hitaashee is less than Rs 26,000 behind her.
Both have played all six events this season and won twice each. Jahanvi Bakshi is third, while Gaurika Bishnoi and Ridhima Dilawari are fourth and fifth respectively.
Also Read : Golfer Tvesa Malik top Indian at T-20 in Joburg Ladies Open
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Golfer Tvesa Malik top Indian at T-20 in Joburg Ladies Open
Johannesburg, Mar 25 (Golf News) Tvesa Malik landed an eagle on her second nine in an even par 73 second round that positioned her Tied-20th in Joburg Ladies Open, here.
Tvesa was the best-placed Indian in the large six-member contingent from India.
Vani Kapoor, who seems to have taken a liking for South Africa after a series of decent results earlier in the season, shot 3-over 76 and was T-42, while Amandeep Drall (78) was T-68.
Diksha Dagar, who won the South African Women’s Open in 2019, shot 79 and was T-79 while Siddhi Kapoor struggled to 84 and was way behind at T-123rd.
Tvesa, who missed the cut in her first start of the season in Saudi Ladies International last week, played in the afternoon when the wind was up.
She started from the 10th and was one-over for the first nine, which was the back nine of the course.
Another bogey on the third put her at 2-over before she eagled the Par-5 fifth. A bogey on 16th meant she ended at even par 73.
The 36-year-old Maria Hernandez gave herself the perfect birthday present with a two-shot lead in the opening round.
The Spaniard made the most of an early start and the tranquil conditions to fire a four-under-par 69 that featured five birdies to set the early clubhouse lead that went unchallenged.
Alexandra Swayne from the US Virgin Islands, Germany's Luisa Dittrich, Smilla Soenderby from Denmark and Italy's Virginia Carte tied for second on two-under.
South Africans Nicole Garcia and Ivanna Samu finished a further stroke back in a tie for eighth.
Sweden's Linn Grant – a two-time winner on the Sunshine Ladies Tour this season and the current Investec Order of Merit Leader – and 2020 Investec South African Women's Open champion Alice Hewston from England are also at one-under alongside Manon De Roey from Belgium, Finland’s Noora Komulainen and Frenchwoman Emma Grechi.
Also Read : Hitaashee Bakshi cards 7-under 65, moves into lead at 6th leg of Hero WPGT
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Hitaashee Bakshi cards 7-under 65, moves into lead at 6th leg of Hero WPGT
Gurugram, Mar 24 (Golf News) Hitaashee Bakshi became the second player in two days to shoot a bogey-free seven-under 65 to move into a one-shot lead after the second round of the sixth leg of the Hero Women's Pro Golf Tour here on Thursday.
Bakshi, who has one win against her name this season, equalled the first round score of 65 by Gaurika Bishnoi, whose second round 71 saw her slip to the second place.
Bakshi's 65 was flawless too, just as Gaurika's in the first round.
After the second round, Bakshi leads at nine-under 135 with Gaurika is at eight-under 136.
Bakshi hit a purple patch around the middle of her outing. After seven pars to start the day, she fired six birdies in seven holes between eighth and 14th. She also birdied the 18th. Gaurika had three birdies against two bogeys.
Bengaluru golfer Durga Nittur, who turns 20 in May, put herself in a fine position at third with rounds of 69-71. She is four-under 140.
Durga started the day with a bogey and then parred all the way till the 10th before she found her first birdie on 11th and added a second on 18th.
Neha Tripathi (72), Pranavi Urs (73), a multiple winner this season, and Jahanvi Bakshi (74) are all tied-fourth at 142 with amateur Heena Kang (69) and Nayanika Sanga (74) tied-sixth at one-under 143.
Nayanika also holed one of the two eagles of the day, when she registered a three on the Par-5 18th.
The other eagle of the day came from Shweta Mansingh (72), who was tied ninth alongside Afshan Fatima (70), Ridhima Dilawari (74) and Lakhmehar Pardesi (75).
The cut was applied at 12-over and 25 players, including four amateurs, made the cut.
Also Read : Amandeep Drall looks for an encore at sixth leg of Hero WPGT
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Amandeep Drall looks for an encore at sixth leg of Hero WPGT
Gurugram, Mar 22 (Golf News) Amandeep Drall, winner of the fifth leg last week, returns for the sixth leg of the Hero Women's Pro Golf Tour at the Golden Greens Golf & Resorts Ltd. here on Wednesday hoping for an encore.
Amandeep, who is planning to play on the Ladies European Tour over the next few weeks, will face a strong challenge from Pranavi Urs, who has already won twice this season.
A total of 32 players will play for a purse of Rs. 11 lakhs and the field also includes six amateurs.
Of the four players who won the five previous events, amateur Sneha Singh is not playing, while Pranavi (two wins), Hitaashee Bakshi and Amandeep are back in the field for the week at Golden Greens.
While Tvesa Malik, Diksha Dagar and Vani Kapoor are missing this week, the other major contenders include Jahanvi Bakshi, Gaurika Bishnoi, Ridhima Dilawari, Seher Atwal and Lakhmehar Pardesi, all of whom have won on the Tour in the past.
Pranavi leads the Hero Order of Merit, while Jahanvi Bakshi and Gaurika Bishnoi are second and third, with Hitaashee Bakshi and Ridhima Dilawari occupying the fourth and fifth places.
Also Read : Sharma shoots under par in both rounds but still misses cut
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Sharma shoots under par in both rounds but still misses cut
Johannesburg, Mar 19 (Golf News) India's Shubhankar Sharma missed the cut by one shot at the Steyn City Golf Championship, despite producing sub-par cards in the first two rounds here.
Sharma, who shot 69 in the first round, scored 71 in the second and despite being 4-under, he missed the cut by one shot.
It was especially disappointing for the 25-year-old, who had made the cut in each of five starts before this –- four on the DP World Tour and one on the Asian Tour.
He came close to winning his first Rolex Series event, when he finished second at the Abu Dhabi Championship.
Sharma, starting on 10th, double bogeyed the 11th and then had seven birdies and two bogeys, but a late double on eighth, his 17th hole, pushed him to the wrong side of the cut line.
Sharma will be back in action at the USD 2 million Qatar Masters next week.
Meanwhile, South African Shaun Norrish picked up four shots in his last four holes as he came home in 30 and carded the lowest round of his DP World Tour career. The 62 coming on top of a 64 put him at 18-under and he leads by three over countryman, James Hart Du Preez.
His 18 under par 36-hole total matches the record of countryman Ernie Els at the 2004 Heineken Classic but, with preferred lies in place after heavy rain earlier in the week at The Club at Steyn City, Norris will not enter the history books alongside the four-time Major Championship winner.
Home favourite Dean Burmester was third at 13-under.
A truly international player, Norris spent three months on the Japan Golf Tour between August and November last year but he made the most of the trip, winning the Japan Open Golf Championship for his sixth win in Japan to go with another win on the Asian Tour and two on the Sunshine Tour.
On his return, he finished third at the Joburg Open and has since also secured a top ten at the Ras al Khaimah Championship presented by Phoenix Capital to sit 51st in the DP World Tour Rankings in Partnership with Rolex.
Also Read : Rough start for Tvesa, Diksha in strong windy conditions in Saudi
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Rough start for Tvesa, Diksha in strong windy conditions in Saudi
Kaec, Mar 18 (Golf News) Tough conditions throughout the day took a toll as the Indian duo of Tvesa Mailk and Diksha Dagar shot 7-over 79 and 9-over 81 respectively in the opening round of the Ladies European Tour's Aramco Saudi Ladies International here on Friday.
Strong winds from the Red Sea adjoining the Royal Greens Golf and Country Club created a lot of trouble for the Indian duo as neither Tvesa nor Diksha had the best of starts in the tournament presented by Public Investment Fund.
Tvesa, who had a great 2021, had a rather rough back nine of 7-over 36 following an even par front nine, while Diksha had 38-43 in the two nines.
Both will need very strong second rounds to make the cut.
England's Georgia Hall and Germany's Sophie Witt fired rounds of 69 (-3) to be tied at the top of the leaderboard.
The wind was a big factor on day one but the morning starters had the better of the conditions with stronger gusts of up to 60 km/h in the afternoon.
One golfer who made light of the conditions later in the day was Major winner Hall, as she was the only player who was able to maintain her challenge at the summit when the wind picked up.
Three consecutive birdies on holes two through four and another on the ninth saw the Englishwoman make the turn in 32 (-4).
In her next eight holes, Hall rolled in three pars, three birdies and two bogeys before finding the water on 18, but a double bogey on the last ensured the two-time Solheim Cup winner was still tied at the top alongside Witt.
Three players are in a share of third place on two-under-par with American duo Angel Yin and Lindsey Weaver-Wright alongside Sweden’s Anna Nordqvist.
Five players sit in a tie for sixth place on one-under-par including French rookie Charlotte Liautier, who made a hole-in-one on the par-three eighth.
The Frenchwoman rounds out the top ten alongside Sweden’s Johanna Gustavsson, Dutch star Anne Van Dam, Germany’s Chiara Noja and Wales’ Chloe Williams.
Also Read : Yuvraj registers lowest total at Tollygunge, climbs to second on the PGTI Order of Merit
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Yuvraj registers lowest total at Tollygunge, climbs to second on the PGTI Order of Merit
Kolkata, Mar 18 (Golf News) Yuvraj Singh Sandhu produced a gritty final round score of four-under 66 to record the lowest winning total of 21-under 259 in the TATA Steel PGTI Players Championship 2022 here on Friday.
Twenty-five-year-old Yuvraj made a final flourish with an eagle-two on the 16th and a 35-feet birdie conversion on the 18th that helped him to prevail in a thriller and earn his second title.
Chandigarh-based Yuvraj (67-65-61-66), the third round leader by three shots, was given a scare by Kolkata’s Viraj Madappa (64-70-62-64), who shot the day's joint best score of 64, before he finished runner-up at 20-under 260.
Yuvraj's victory, his second in four months, lifted him from 23rd to second place in the PGTI Order of Merit after he picked up the winning cheque worth Rs 8,08,250.
Rahil Gangjee, originally from Kolkata now based in Bengaluru, secured the third place at 17-under 263 following his final round of 66.
Twenty-four-year-old Viraj Madappa, who was overnight tied second and three off the lead, had turned the tables early on Friday with six birdies over the first 13 holes with all aspects of his game coming together.
At that stage, Madappa, a winner on the Asian Tour, enjoyed a three-shot lead over Yuvraj.
After Viraj dropped a bogey on the 14th and both he and Yuvraj picked up birdies on the 15th, there was a momentum shift back in favour of Yuvraj.
Yuvraj came up with an incredible approach shot from 99 yards on the 16th that found the hole for an eagle and brought him on level terms with Madappa.
Yuvraj finally nailed an unbelievable 27-feet birdie putt on the 18th to get over the line and break the record for the lowest winning total at Tollygunge Club previously standing at 18-under 262, which was jointly held by Md Zamal Hossain Mollah (Bengal Open 2019) and Anirban Lahiri (PGTI Players Championship 2011).
Rashid Khan and Shamim Khan were tied fourth at 16-under 264.
Kolkata's SSP Chawrasia finished tied ninth at 11-under 269, while Indian golf legend Jeev Milkha Singh ended tied 17th at eight-under 272.
Also Read : Amandeep keeps Pranavi at bay to win 5th leg of Hero WPGT
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Amandeep keeps Pranavi at bay to win 5th leg of Hero WPGT
Gurugram, Mar 17 (Golf News) Riding on her back nine, Amandeep Drall carded a three-under 69 in the final round to emerge champions in the fifth leg of the Hero Women’s Pro Golf Tour here on Thursday.
Even as Pranavi, who has won twice this season, turned in the week’s best round of a bogey-free 67, Amandeep (69) drilled four birdies against one bogey to coast to a comfortable 2-shot win and take her first title of the season.
Amandeep had three birdies and three bogeys on the front nine and overall, she had as many as seven birdies against four bogeys for a creditable 69.
Amandeep aggregated 1-under 215 during her wire-to-wire win and was the only player in the field to finish with under par total.
Pranavi, who had 75-75 on the first two days, was in great form with five birdies and no bogeys in her 67.
Jahanvi Bakshi, who was in the fray till the end of the front nine, put herself out of reckoning with four bogeys against two birdies on the back nine in her card of 73, and finished third at 4-over 220.
Gaurika Bishnoi (71), after an early birdie on second, had a hat-trick of birdies at the end of the front nine, but she also gave away a double bogey and another bogey. She was fourth, while Hitaashee Bakshi (72) was fifth after two birdies and two bogeys on the final day.
After two tough days with 78-79, Vani Kapoor shot 1-under 71, which was one of the four under-par scores of the day. She finished sixth.
Amateur Nishna Patel (75), Neha Tripathi (76) and Astha Madan (78) were Tied-ninth while Saaniya Sharma and Trimann Saluja were Tied-10th. Ridhima Dilawari was 12th.
Pranavi stayed on top of the Hero Order of Merit with Rs.4,88,500, Jahanvi was second with Rs.4,18,000 and Gaurika Bishnoi (Rs.4,02,000) was third.
Also Read : A happy Lahiri has lots on his plate but he is not complaining
News Source : PTI
A happy Lahiri has lots on his plate but he is not complaining
New Delhi, Mar 16 (Golf News) A remarkable return to form that also brought with it a career-best pay cheque of USD 2.18 million, Indian golfer Anirban Lahiri has lots to celebrate but very little time as he also has lots on his plate to deal with.
For starters, his coach is recovering from a quadruple bypass, his own body is "beat up" after an exhausting week in challenging weather, and he is also awaiting the birth of his second child soon.
And in between all this, the 34-year-old is basking in the glory of a sole second finish at the PLAYERS Championship in Florida, a performance that brought him the attention of even cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar.
"It was a pleasant surprise and I got it barely 10 minutes before I came here. As a cricket follower, like many other Indians, I have been a great fan of Sachin, I have met him in the past," Lahiri said in an online media interaction.
"When Tiger Woods came to India in 2014, it was around the same time as Sachin got his Bharat Ratna. We had gone for the dinner for Tiger and Sachin was in the same hotel.
"Later, he invited us, Shiv Kapur, Sharmila Nicollet and me, and we had a great time talking golf and cricket. He loves his golf and I know he follows golf, so it feels great," recalled Lahiri after his career's second runner-up finish.
Despite some huge upticks like getting back into Top-100, rising up the FedEx Cup standings and the prospects of earning a place on the International Team at the President's Cup, Lahiri is clear on the road ahead.
Lahiri confessed that the week at TPC Sawgrass, with its incredibly tough conditions, has left him in a state where he feels he needs time to focus on getting back his energy before he gets back to action in a week or two.
"It was a great result, lot of positives. The game was good and it was great to talk to the family, friends. Was amazing to hear how many people stayed up to watch and cheer.
"It feels fantastic. It is not just the appreciation, but I can see the different in their voice and how much they enjoyed it." Lahiri was also relieved to hear from his coach and mentor Vijay Divecha.
"I have known him since almost childhood. He is a father figure for me. On February 2 after his birthday, he was fine and then a day later he had a heart attack. Four-five days later he had a quadruple bypass. So, it is nice to see him getting back," he said.
About the conditions at the TPC Sawgrass in Florida, he said it was draining. "That week in TPC Sawgrass felt like a month. The body was beat up and I was so tired," said Lahiri.
"That morning on Sunday when I teed, it was like -2 degrees Centigrade. In all my 20 years of playing pro golf I had not played in such weather with the wind, the cold, the rain and so on." He also revealed that on the final day, he carried with him a duffel bag with a lot of warm clothes.
"I tried out a lot of clothes to see how I could be warm with those layers also comfortable, so I tried a on lot of them." As he ruminated over "what could have been" after coming so close to the title, that is ranked only behind the four Majors, Lahiri said, "Right now my focus is to get back to 100 per cent and I need to recover fully, before I tee up again.
"So, going from here in terms of my schedule, I will be playing the Texas Open, a week before the Masters, so that will be my last chance to get into the Masters. Texas, it will be RBC, Mexico and Wells Fargo." Lahiri and his wife, Ipsa, are expecting their second baby. "After that schedule I will be on stand-by as we expect our second (baby)." Asked if the impending arrival of his second baby will motivate him, Lahiri laughed and said, "Not really. It's a bit of cliche. It’s life. So, after the baby's arrival and planning, I will be back to golf and that’s what I do." Talking of the closing stages of the PLAYERS Championship, he said, "The last time I held a 54-hole lead was at the CIMB in 2016 and that second place at the Memorial later was when I had my back to the wall. This time I was the last guy on the course.
"I did not have to finish and then wait in the clubhouse. I have never played in conditions like that in 20 years with cold, wind, dust. So, it was a wholesome performance." He admitted the last time he was playing so well was before the PGA Championships in Whistling Straits, when he finished T-5 in 2015.
Also Read : Tvesa, Diksha ready for USD 1million Aramco Saudi Ladies International
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Tvesa, Diksha ready for USD 1million Aramco Saudi Ladies International
KAEC (Saudi Arabia), Mar 16 (Golf News) India’s main challengers on the Ladies European Tour, Tvesa Malik and Diksha Dagar will rub shoulders with some big names when they tee off in the Aramco Saudi Ladies International golf tournament starting here on Thursday.
The two Indian golfers will compete for a share of USD 1million prize money in the second event of what will be a record-breaking season on the Ladies European Tour.
They will compete against a field featuring the likes of Major-winners and Solheim Cup stars Georgia Hall, Anna Nordqvist, Emily Kristine Pedersen and Bronte Law in what is now one of the biggest paying events on the LET calendar.
Malik is looking forward to laying down an early season marker at one of the biggest non-Major events of the year.
“I'm very excited to be back, and I'm very excited to start here in Saudi with such a big event," she said.
"The course looks really good, so I'm looking forward to it. This is the windiest we've played it so far but I’m getting used to it now. It takes some getting used to, but yeah, I think it's going to be a good test.” This will be Malik’s first event of the new season, following a three-month break which she spent at home, working on a number of alterations to the way she plays the game.
“I worked on a lot of changes in my swing, just to see if I can get a little better,” explained Malik, who has been an LET professional since 2017.
“It’s a work in progress that needs a little bit of time, but I'm working hard at it, so I hope it all comes together soon.
“I had a decent finish last year. I finished in the top 20, but I'd like to finish better than that this year. If I can get the swing changes to set in, I think I’ll be pretty happy.” Asked on the increased investment in the women’s game, Malik said: “I think it's amazing. It makes it really exciting and is reward for how hard we work and how much time we're spending out here." Speaking ahead of the tournament, Dagar admitted that she too has her eyes set on making an impact in Saudi Arabia.
“I have played this course many times. The last time I played was in the Aramco Team Series – Jeddah in November with Georgia Hall and Maha Haddioui and I had so much fun," she said.
"This week is a big event with $1million prize money. That's a lot of money for the girls who play on the Ladies European Tour, so I’m looking forward to playing and to try to win this trophy."
Also Read : Amandeep holds lead despite struggle on day 2 of WPGT 5th leg
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Amandeep holds lead despite struggle on day 2 of WPGT 5th leg
Gurugram, Mar 16 (Golf News) Amandeep Drall endured a tough day but managed to hang onto the lead, which narrowed from three to just one shot, after the second round of the Hero Women's Pro Golf Tour's fifth leg at the DLF Golf and Country Club here on Wednesday.
As Amandeep struggled to 5-over 77 leaving her 2-over 146 overall, Jahanvi Bakshi, who trailed by three, reduced the gap to just one shot with a round of 75. She was 3-over 147 after two rounds.
The day's best round came from Gaurika Bishnoi (74), who was tied third with Pranavi Urs (75) at 4-over 148.
Hitaashee Bakshi equalled Gaurika's best score of the day with 74 but was tied fifth alongside Astha Madan (76) and Rhea Purvi Saravanan (77).
Amandeep opened the day with a birdie and then safely parred the next two. A bogey on Par-4 fourth and another Par-4 sixth saw her turn in one-over 37.
On the back nine, the woes increased with bogeys on 11th and 12th and a triple bogey on the par-4 14th. The birdie on 15th was a small consolation as she signed her card for 77.
Neha Tripathi (75) was sole eighth, while four players -- Trimann Saluja (76), amateur Nishna Patel (78), Durga Nittur (79) and Seher Atwal (79) -- were tied for ninth.
Among well-known names, Ridhima Dilawari (80) was T-15 and Vani Kapoor (79) was 17th.
The cut fell at 162 and 24 players, including three amateurs made it.
Also Read : Amandeep blazes on back nine to take 3-shot lead in Hero WPGT
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Amandeep blazes on back nine to take 3-shot lead in Hero WPGT
Gurugram, Mar 15 (Golf News) Amandeep Drall played a sublime back nine with four birdies and no bogeys to make up for lapses on the front nine to take the lead in the fifth leg of the Hero Women’s Pro Golf Tour here on Tuesday.
Amandeep, who is yet to win on the domestic tour this season, was the only player to score under par after the first round.
Amandeep took a three-shot lead over Jahanvi Bakshi (72), while Rhea Purvi Saravanan and Nayanika Sanga shot 2-over 74 each to occupy the Tied-second place.
Pranavi Urs, the current leader on the Hero Order of Merit, Seher Atwal, Astha Madan and Durga Nittur carded 3-over 75 each and were Tied-fifth.
Six players including one amateur were Tied 9th at 76 each. Apart from amateur Nishna Patel, there were Rhea Jha, Asmitha Sathish, Gaurika Bishnoi, Ridhima Dilawari and Saaniya Sharma. Hitaashee Bakshi, who already has a win this season, was 15th.
Amandeep began with a birdie on Par-3 third but dropped a shot on Par-5 fourth, which was not playing easy – though Vani Kapoor (78) and Neha Tripathi (78) birdied the same hole.
Amandeep had a second bogey on Par-5 eighth and turned in 1-over 37. On the back nine she picked shots on 10th, 14th, 15th, and the 17th.
Jahanvi dropped three bogeys between third and sixth but also had a birdie on fifth. She steadied herself and birdied the ninth to turn in 1-over 37.
On the back nine she had one birdie on Par-5 15th and parred the rest for a day’s work of 72.
Rhea had three birdies against three bogeys and a double bogey, while Nayanika had two birdies against four bogeys.
Also Read : Lahiri leads after third round, in sight of historic win at Players Championship
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Lahiri leads after third round, in sight of historic win at Players Championship
Ponte Vedra Beach (Florida), Mar 14 (Golf News) Chasing his first win on the PGA Tour, India’s Anirban Lahiri will take a one shot lead into the final day of the of THE PLAYERS Championship after completing the third round with a 5-under 67 on Monday morning.
Lahiri completed his remaining seven holes in even par after trading a bogey on 15 and a birdie on 16 and leads on 9-under 207 from Sebastian Munoz (65), Doug Ghim (68), Paul Casey (69) and Sam Burns (71) in the TOUR’s flagship USD 20 million tournament.
It will be only the second time in his career that the Indian will hold the 54-hole lead as he seeks to join countryman Arjun Atwal (2010 Wyndham Championship) as the only Indian to win on the PGA TOUR.
He is also bidding to become the third Asian to win THE PLAYERS after Korea’s K.J. Choi (2011) and Si Woo Kim (2017).
“There's not much to get too far ahead of yourself. I'm just trying to stay in the moment and just do what I need to do next. I think the short turnaround time actually helps because you don't really have time to do anything else.
"You're just on a schedule and you're trying to make sure that you are resting and prepping and feeling and doing all the things that you need to do. It's been pretty good actually,” said Lahiri, who will head out with Ghim and Munoz in the last group at 1.01pm local time.
Lahiri, whose best finish on TOUR was a T2 at the 2017 Memorial Tournament, had led into the final round at the CIMB Classic in Malaysia in 2016 before finishing tied third.
The welcome change in form has put Lahiri in a good place as he seeks his career breakthrough despite struggling all season without a single top-10.
And it looks like all it has taken for the change in fortunes was adding some 3.5 grams of weight to his irons and making a slight adjustment to have a more open stance at address.
“I love golf, and when you know you can play well and you don't, you're not happy. Then when you start playing well again and you start hitting it the way you want to hit it again, you are happy. I mean, it's pretty simple.
"I'm just in that place right now where I'm just hitting it nice, I'm seeing it nice, I'm feeling it nice, and that just makes me happy,” he said.
“My irons were pretty much the same as when I came here seven years ago. That's basically what we thought and talked about and said, let's experiment. It can't be worse than what it is. I've been hitting it so bad to be honest.
"I was like, you know what, let's just throw some lead tape on and see what happens because I've felt like I'm swinging good, and yeah, it made a huge difference." South African Louis Oosthuizen, who enters the final round three shots back of Lahiri, is not surprised to see the Indian challenging for a first win at THE PLAYERS. “He's a great player. He's obviously gone through a lot of things and wasn't playing well there for a while, but when he gets going, he can shoot a low one.
"He's a fighter really. You know, he doesn't get down on himself. He goes and just plays and whatever happens, he's focused on the next shot and the next hole. He's a great character,” said Oosthuizen, who has been in two International Teams at the Presidents Cup with Lahiri previously.
Also Read : Pranavi, Amandeep and Bakshi sisters among top contenders in fifth leg of Hero WPGT
News Source : PTI
Pranavi, Amandeep and Bakshi sisters among top contenders in fifth leg of Hero WPGT
Gurugram, Mar 14 (Golf News) A strong field will be seen in action at the fifth leg of the Hero Women’s Pro Golf Tour which tees off at the DLF Golf and Country Club here on Tuesday.
The purse of Rs 11 lakhs, the highest this season, will act as an added incentive for the golfers.
The field has 37 players, including six amateurs, making it one of the largest on the WPGT. Barring Ladies European Tour regulars Tvesa Malik and Diksha Dagar, who are scheduled to play at the Saudi Ladies International this week, the fifth leg will have all other strong contenders.
Amandeep Drall, who was in the reserve list for Saudi, will lead the list of contenders, which includes Pranavi Urs, winner of two of the first four legs and Hitaashee Bakshi, who won the third leg earlier this month.
Joining them is Jahanvi Bakshi, who won four times last year, and was the top professional when amateur Sneha Singh won the second leg in February.
Other contenders for the honours include Vani Kapoor, who is slowly but steadily finding her form, more so after playing a series of events in South Africa where she had three Top-20 finishes in three starts, Gaurika Bishnoi, runner-up in Leg 1, Ridhima Dilawari, runner-up to Hero Order of Merit leader Pranavi in Leg 4, Seher Atwal and Lakhmehar Pardesi among others.
One of the marquee groups in the first round will see Seher, Gaurika and Ridhima, while Hitaashee has promising amateur Zara Anand and Suchitra Ramesh with her. Jahanvi Bakshi goes out with Neha Tripathi and Lakhmehar Pardesi.
Also Read : Jeev, Chawrasia among top golfers to tee off at TATA Steel PGTI Players Championship
News Source : PTI
Jeev, Chawrasia among top golfers to tee off at TATA Steel PGTI Players Championship
Kolkata, Mar 14 (Golf News) Indian golf legend Jeev Milkha Singh and four-time European Tour winner SSP Chawrasia will be among the top attractions at the TATA Steel PGTI Players Championship beginning here on Tuesday.
Jeev will be playing a professional event in Kolkata for the first time since 2016 when he tees off at the revered Tollygunge Club.
The fourth event of the 2022 TATA Steel PGTI season, which carries a prize purse of Rs. 50 lakh, consists of 132 players including 129 professionals and three amateurs.
It is a 72-hole stroke play event with the cut being applied after 36 holes.
The stellar field features some of the biggest names in Indian professional golf such as Rahil Gangjee, Olympian Udayan Mane, Rashid Khan, Khalin Joshi, Viraj Madappa, Ajeetesh Sandhu, Chikkarangappa and defending champion Karandeep Kochhar.
At the previous PGTI Players Championship held at Tollygunge Club in 2016, Karandeep Kochhar, while still an amateur, created history by becoming the youngest player to win on the PGTI at the age of 17 years and 163 days. As a result, he also became the first Indian amateur to win on the PGTI.
The foreign players competing are Sri Lankans Mithun Perera, Anura Rohana, N Thangaraja and Vijitha Bandara as well as Bangladeshis Md Zamal Hossain Mollah and Badal Hossain.
Besides Chawrasia, Gangjee and Madappa, the other prominent Kolkata-based professionals in the field are Shankar Das, Feroz Ali Mollah, Sunit Chowrasia, Divyanshu Bajaj and Mohammad Sanju.
The three Kolkata-based amateurs participating are Rohan Shroff, Samridh Sen and Rahul Batra.
Also Read : Lahiri takes one-shot lead at weather-hit PLAYERS Championship
News Source : PTI
Lahiri takes one-shot lead at weather-hit PLAYERS Championship
Ponte Vedra Beach (US), Mar 14 (Golf News) Chasing a breakthrough win, India's Anirban Lahiri dished out a superb performance in brutal conditions to grab a slender one-shot lead at the weather-hit PLAYERS Championship, the PGA Tour's flagship USD 20 million tournament.
Lahiri (67-73 and 5-under through 11) at 9-under took one-shot lead over American duo Harald Varner III (69-69 and 2-under through 9 in third) and Tom Hoge (66-71 and 1-under through 9 in third).
The third round was suspended at 7.32pm on Sunday due to darkness following multiple weather disruptions since Thursday.
Lahiri was 4-under and T-11 when the midway point of the Players was reached in a week that has seen over 4.5 inches of rain, forcing a Monday finish.
It is still a long way with 25 holes to go, but Lahiri could not stop smiling.
"I'm just being in the moment right now. I'm really happy, I'm confident," he said.
"The ball seems to be coming out in front of me, which hasn't happened that much in the past. I'm just going to try and do the same thing: Fire at pins that I'm comfortable with and clubs that I'm comfortable with.
"When I get an uncomfortable shot then just respect it and try and make a putt. I think that's all I can do." After his best ever start at The PLAYERS with a 67 in first round, he did not swing a club on Friday or Saturday and returned to action only on Sunday and played 29 holes in extremely cold conditions, that he admittedly is not used to.
Lahiri shot one-over 73 in the third round and that included his second eagle of the week, this time on a Par-5, and closed the round with a bogey.
The relief of coming out with a par on the deadly Par-3 17th’s Island Green was evident as he put his hand to his heart after landing on the green.
Left on the wrong side of the cut line and missing it were the likes of Collin Morikawa, Patrick Cantlay and Xander Schauffele, while Rory McIlroy and Scottie Scheffler just about squeezed in.
Two and a half hours after closing his second round with a bogey, Lahiri came out for the third round and opened birdie-birdie from 10 feet and two-putting from 45 feet on Par-5 second. Three pars followed and then a birdie putt from nine feet dropped.
Back-to-back birdies on eighth and ninth followed. His tee shot on Par-3 eighth came to rest less than four feet and he holed a 25-foot bomb on ninth to turn in 5-under.
The 10th saw his first mistake as the tee shot went into the trees but he got back to the fairway and then onto the green in three. From 39 feet, Lahiri two-putted for a bogey.
Minutes later two superb shots – a drive and an approach brought him within 30 feet of the hole and he two-putted for his sixth birdie of the day and moved to 5-under for the day and 9-under for the tournament and a one-shot lead.
The hooter went off and Lahiri was back in the clubhouse after a 12-hour day.
Lahiri is seeking his first PGA Tour win after being on the PGA Tour since 2016 and having made 153 starts.
In 2021-22, he has so far made 12 starts but does not have a single Top-10 and came to TPC Sawgrass on a run of three missed cut. TPC Sawgrass has not been kind to him either with four missed cuts and a best of T-74 in five starts.
Yet this week, the slightest of changes made to his equipment by adding 3.5 grams of weight to his irons have made a huge difference.
"Yeah, who doesn't want to win THE PLAYERS Championship?" Lahiri told the media after he brilliantly produced six birdies against a lone bogey in 11 holes of his third round.
"You just don't know. You grind away, you keep chipping away, you keep working on your game, and when it clicks, it clicks. It could be this week, it could be next week. As long as it happens, and that's the belief you've got to have.
"I'm just happy that I'm playing well, hitting my irons well. When you are in that state of mind, you usually play well, and that's what's happening." Lahiri has two DP World Tour titles which he achieved in 2015, including one in his home country at the 2015 Hero Indian Open.
He has twice played on the International Team player at the Presidents Cup and has been on the PGA TOUR since 2016 and has a career best finish of T-2 at the 2017 Memorial Tournament and 12 other top-10s through 153 starts on TOUR.
Also Read : Aditi ends up tied 44th with 5-under 67 at LPGA Thailand
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Aditi ends up tied 44th with 5-under 67 at LPGA Thailand
Chonburi, Mar 13 (Golf News) Aditi Ashok shot a bogey-free five-under 67 to finish tied 44th at the Honda LPGA Thailand which concluded on Sunday.
This was the second successive start when Aditi had finished the week strongly with an error-free card – she had a 9-under 63 in LPGA Drive On Championships.
Aditi, who shot 70-72-68 on the first three days ended the week at 11-under 227, as Nanna Koerstz Madsen became the first Dane to win on the LPGA tour. She beat China's Xiyu Lin with an eagle on the second play-off hole.
Starting from the 10th hole, Aditi had a great run in the middle of the round with birdies on 17th, 18th, first and third. She added one more on eighth.
Koerstz Madsen and Lin finished at -26 overall to set a new tournament scoring record, breaking the mark of -25 set by Jessica Korda in 2018.
Koerstz Madsen, who entered the day with a one-stroke lead over Lin and Celine Boutier, went four clear of Lin through 15 holes.
"It's amazing. It's a dream come true," said Koerstz Madsen, an LPGA Tour Member since 2018. "It was a crazy day; a lot of good things. It was actually fun playing the playoff with (Xiyu) at the end. I'm really excited to be standing with the trophy right now."
Also Read : Aditi shoots 68 in third round at LPGA Thailand
News Source : PTI
Aditi shoots 68 in third round at LPGA Thailand
Chonburi, Mar 12 (Golf News) Indian golfer Aditi Ashok shot her best round in three days as she carded 4-under 68 to climb five places at the 2022 Honda LPGA Thailand here on Saturday.
Aditi, who shot 70-72 in the first two rounds, is now 6-under for three days and T-47th in a tournament that has produced a lot of low scores.
Starting from the 10th tee, Aditi birdied 10th and 18th and added birdies on first, sixth and seventh. Her only bogey was on third.
After finishing in top-15 in her previous two LPGA starts in 2022, Aditi will need a really low score like the 63 she shot in the final round of LPGA Drive On Championship last month.
With 18 holes to go, Denmark’s Nanna Koerstz Madsen led a tightly packed leaderboard. She played a bogey-free round of 66 in the third round and reached -21 overall, setting a new tournament 54-hole scoring record.
The previous mark was -20, set by Jessica Korda in her 2018 victory. The 195 also sets a new personal best.
If she wins, she will become the first Danish to do so on the LPGA Tour.
China’s Xiyu Lin and France’s Celine Boutier are tied for second, one stroke behind Madsen at -20. Like Madsen, Lin is looking for the first win of her LPGA Tour career.
Mexico’s Gaby Lopez, Canadian Brooke Henderson and Japan’s Nasa Hataoka are tied for fourth at -18.
Also Read : Golf: Kshitij Naveed Kaul grabs five shot lead at Chattogram Open
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Golf: Kshitij Naveed Kaul grabs five shot lead at Chattogram Open
Chattogram (Bangladesh), Mar 11 (Golf News) India's Kshitij Naveed Kaul carded a brilliant five-under 67 in round three to grab a five-shot lead at the Chattogram Open being played at the Bhatiary Golf & Country Club here on Friday.
Kaul (71-63-67), who had posted a 63, the tournament's best score so far in round two to move into second place, made further gains on day three with seven birdies and two bogeys to move to a total of 15-under 201 at the Rs 50 lakh event.
Chiragh Kumar (71-69-66) struck a 66 to move up five places into joint second at 10-under 206.
The two other players in tied second were the Bangladeshi duo of Md Siddikur Rahman (71-66-69), who gained two spots, as well as overnight leader Md Akbar Hossain (67-66-73).
Two-time PGTI winner Kaul, who was one off the lead after round two, had a quiet start on Friday with five pars and a bogey on the first six holes.
Kaul, fresh from a top-10 in Ahmedabad last week, got his round going with a birdie on the seventh thanks to a precise tee shot and a 10-feet conversion.
Kshitij then came up with a flurry of good chip-putts for birdies on the eighth, 10th, 11th and pars on the 12th and 13th.
The 21-year-old Kaul's terrific hitting off the tee and accurate approach shots earned him three more birdies on the 14th, 17th and 18th in exchange for a bogey on the 15th as he emerged as the top contender for the title.
"Even though I've been striking it well recently, today it was my chipping and putting that stood out. All those up and downs from the eighth onwards were crucial to my round today," Kshitij said.
"At this course, you get into a lot of situations where chip-putts need to be made, so either your chipping or putting has to be excellent on the given day." Asian Tour winner Chiragh Kumar, lying overnight tied seventh, had an early bogey on the third but soon rallied with an eagle on the fourth where he had a great tee shot and second shot to leave himself a six-feet conversion.
Chiragh's eagle gave him the much-needed momentum shift and helped him add five more birdies thereafter.
Chiragh, a former PGTI Order of Merit champion, said, "I didn't hit it great today but managed to keep the round together. I hit some good shots but the bad ones were totally out of position so I had to scramble my way out of the round. But I’m quite pleased with today’s effort.
"The eagle on the fourth was crucial as it moved me from over-par to under-par for the day and that just got me in a positive frame of mind and got my round going." Two-time Asian Tour winner and Bangladesh’s premier golfer Md Siddikur Rahman, who was overnight fourth, shot a 69 featuring six birdies and three bogeys to move into tied second place.
Md Akbar Hossain, the leader for the first two days, slipped one spot to tied second as a result of his round of 73.
India's Divesh Rana, one of only five players to shoot three sub-par rounds so far this week, returned a 69 to occupy the fifth place at nine-under 207.
Bangladesh's Md Zamal Hossain Mollah fired the day’s best score of 65 to move into tied eighth place at seven-under 209.
Also Read : Mixed bag for Aditi Ashok at LPGA Thailand
News Source : PTI
Mixed bag for Aditi Ashok at LPGA Thailand
Chonburi (Thailand), Mar 11 (Golf News) Indian golfer Aditi Ashok endured a mixed bag in the second round, that included three bogeys and an eagle, to be placed Tied-52nd at the Honda LPGA Thailand.
The Indian shot an even par 72, which had an eagle, a birdie and three bogeys.
She slipped from Tied-42nd to Tied-52nd but there was no pressure of missing the weekend in the no-cut event.
Over the weekend she will give herself a chance to add to the two Top-15 finishes she has in two starts this season.
Nasa Hataoka (63-65) and Su Oh (63-65), two of the three overnight co-leaders, still lead together but German Esther Henseleit fell back with a round of 71.
Hataoka and Oh were both 16-under while Celine Boutier, who has family in Thailand, added 64 to her first round 65 to share the third place with Nanna Koerstz Madden (65-64).
Aditi found more fairways than the first day, but fewer greens with the iron play not being at the same levels.
She found 13 of the 14 fairways as against 11 out of 14 on first day but found only 50 per cent of the greens in regulations, which was lower than the first round. She once needed 27 putts.
Aditi opened with a birdie but gave the gain away on the sixth with a bogey. The pendulum swung once again and she landed an eagle on Par-5 seventh to turn in one-under.
There were no more birdies, but she did drop shots on 10th and 17th and finished at even par.
Hataoka, a two-time winner on the LPGA Tour, is still bogey-free after 36 holes of which she had birdied 16.
Though Hataoka and Oh share the lead, Boutier has the most birdies with 18 against three bogeys. She had 10 birdies against two bogeys on the first day and had eight birdies against one solitary bogey on the second.
Boutier’s parents, Christopher and Jacqueline, who now live in France, moved from Thailand.
Boutier and her siblings were raised in Paris, but visited Thailand each summer to see her extended family.
There are 67 players in this limited field event.
Also Read : Lahiri lands an eagle on way to 5-under 67 in Rd1 of PLAYERS C'ships
News Source : PTI
Lahiri lands an eagle on way to 5-under 67 in Rd1 of PLAYERS C'ships
Ponte Vedra Beach, Mar 11 (Golf News) Indian golfer Anirban Lahiri finally got a start he had been desperate for as he carded an impressive five-under 67, which included an eagle, in the weather-hit opening round of the prestigious PLAYERS Championship at the TPC Sawgrass here.
Making his sixth start at the PGA Tour's flagship event, which carries a massive USD 20 million purse this year, Lahiri holed an eagle on a Par-4 on way to a 5-under 67, his best score at the event.
On a day, when weather played spoilsport and delayed the start, Lahiri was fortunate to finish in near darkness and his 67 placed him one shot behind the clubhouse co-leaders Tommy Fleetwood and Tom Hoge, who shot 66 each.
Three other players, apart from Lahiri shot 67, and they were Kramer Hickok, the in-form Joaquin Niemann and Keith Mitchell.
Lahiri hit 14 of 18 greens in regulation. Beginning on the 10th with a par, he had an eagle putt from 10 feet, but two-putted for birdie.
He played steady for pars for next four holes and then on Par-16th, he was on the fringe in two and two-putted from there for another birdie.
On the famous Par-3 17th, he had a four foot putt for par, but missed and the three-putt on the tricky green meant he turned in one-under.
On the 532-yard par-5 second hole, Lahiri reached the green in three and sunk a 9-foot putt for birdie to get to 2-under. Then came the sixth, where his drive went to the left side of the fairway on the 393-yard par-4 sixth hole.
Lahiri chipped in 125 yards for an eagle to get to 4-under. At the 237-yard par-3 eighth, Lahiri hit a tee shot 205 yards at the green, setting himself up for the 21-foot putt for birdie.
Three of the 72 players who began in the morning were yet to complete their rounds, while none of the 60 from the afternoon had completed the round. Twelve players, including Indian-American Sahith Theegala, were yet to begin their first round.
"It feels really good," smiled Lahiri. "It was nice to actually make some of the momentum putts. Obviously a big bonus when you see a ball disappear from the middle of the fairway. That was really nice on six (sixth hole)." "I think today's round was very close to how I've been playing the last few weeks. The only difference was I managed to keep it clean, and a couple of times that I got out of position, I managed to save par.
"It's very satisfying. Been working hard on trying to clean up my game, so it was nice to see it come together," he added.
In five previous appearances Lahiri has missed four cuts four times and finished tied 74th in 2019. The current season, too, has been disappointing as his 12 starts have seen him miss seven cuts and T-40 is his best finish till now.
Lahiri said the key difference was that he put some weight to his irons.
"I think the biggest difference was we made a change to the irons this week. I changed the weight, and the irons have been my weak link. They came out much better. I feel like my confidence is getting better, which is really positive," said Lahiri.
"It's really something that's minor. I've added maybe 3 1/2 grams of weight to all of my irons. It sounds inconsequential, but it almost makes a 10, 12-yard difference in our line." He is still waiting for his first win on the PGA TOUR. His last global win was in 2015 at his home event, the Hero Indian Open.
It was a long 12-hour day for the players at the course and with his first round, he will get some rest on Friday morning.
"It's pretty much pitch dark. It was nice to get it in because the weather is not looking nice for tomorrow. It's probably going to be worse than today. So glad to have finished my round," he said.
Also Read : Kshitij Naveed Kaul moves to 2nd place with 63, Hossain maintains lead in Chattogram Open
News Source : PTI
Kshitij Naveed Kaul moves to 2nd place with 63, Hossain maintains lead in Chattogram Open
Chattogram, Mar 10 (Golf News) India's Kshitij Naveed Kaul produced the day's best score of nine-under 63 to move up five spots to second position at Chattogram Open golf tournament here on Thursday.
Md Akbar Hossain (67-66) of Bangladesh carded an excellent six-under 66 to continue his lead by one shot for the second straight day as his total read 11-under 133 at the Rs 50 lakh event.
The halfway cut went at five-over 149. Fifty professionals and three amateurs made the cut.
Kaul made an astonishing 10 birdies at the cost of a lone bogey to fall just one short of Indian professional Kapil Kumar's course record of 62 set in 2018.
The 21-year-old Kaul, a two-time PGTI winner, scored six birdies on the back-nine thanks to some outstanding approach shots and up and downs as he landed it within five feet on five occasions.
His lone bogey was the result of a three-putt on the 15th. On the front-nine, Kaul added four more birdies, including a 25-feet conversion on the ninth.
"I put myself in great positions thanks to my accurate approach shots today. Even when I missed the green, I made some quality chip-putts. I took advantage of all the par-5s draining birdies on all four of them," Kshitij, who aggregated 10-under 134, said.
"I've enjoyed a good start to the season with a top-20 followed by a top-5 result at the two events in Ahmedabad. So, I feel my game is in good shape at the moment and I'm looking to build on this foundation over the last two days." Bangladesh's Md Razu continued in third place after shooting a second consecutive 68 that took his total to eight-under 136.
Bangladesh's premier golfer Md Siddikur Rahman followed up his first round of 71 with a 66 on Thursday to rise three spots to fourth position at seven-under 137.
Divesh Rana was the next best Indian after Kaul as the former occupied tied fifth place at six-under 138 along with Bangladesh's Badal Hossain.
Md Zamal Hossain Mollah, another prominent name from Bangladesh, was placed tied 20th at even-par 144.
Also Read : Aditi shoots 70, lies T-42nd in Honda LPGA Thailand
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Aditi shoots 70, lies T-42nd in Honda LPGA Thailand
Chonburi (Thailand), Mar 10 (Golf News) Indian golfer Aditi Ashok returned to action with a modest two-under 70 to be placed tied 42nd after the first round of the Honda LPGA Thailand here on Thursday.
Despite an under-par score, Aditi found herself in a relatively good position on a low-scoring day at the Siam Country Club's Old Course.
Japan's Nasa Hataoka, Germany's Esther Henseleit and Australian Su Oh shared the lead with sizzling rounds of nine-under 63 each. China's Lin Xiyu was fourth at 64, while six players shot 65 each at the 67-player, no-cut event.
The fourth-place finisher at the Tokyo Olympics, Aditi was T-13 in her first start of the season at Gainbridge in Boca Rio. She was then T-15 in her last start at the LPGA Drive On, where she finished the week with a nine-under 63.
Aditi, playing her first LPGA event in Thailand, had an early bogey on the second hole but got that shot back with a birdie on the eighth to turn even par. A birdie on 15th and then a closing birdie on Par-5 18th saw her finish at 70. Interestingly, she has now played last five rounds in par or better.
Aditi found 10 of the 14 fairways and reached 11 of the 18 greens and needed 27 putts.
Hataoka, who has two LPGA titles, birdied four of her final five holes to take a share of the first-round lead with a nine-under 63.
Co-leader Henseleit birdied three of her final four holes, and Su Oh had four birdies on the front side and five on the back nine.
Brooke Henderson was among six players tied for fifth, two strokes behind.
Defending champion and former world no 1 Ariya Jutanugarn of Thailand got off to a slow start with a 74.
Also Read : Tiger Woods inducted into World Golf Hall of Fame
News Source : PTI
Tiger Woods inducted into World Golf Hall of Fame
(Golf news) Golf legend Tiger Woods was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame at the PGA Tour headquarters in Florida on Wednesday. Woods has won 15 majors, second behind Jack Nicklaus' 18 and a joint-record 82 times on the PGA Tour. The 46 year old is currently recovering from the injuries he sustained in a car crash in 2021 and missed out on the Players Championship at Sawgrass.
Despite playing with his son in December, Woods is yet to set a date for his return to the PGA Tour. At the ceremony, Woods was introduced by his daughter Sam and was inducted alongside former PGA Tour commissioner Tim Finchem, four-time major winner Susie Maxwell and course developer and architect Marion Hollins.
Speaking before the Players Championship, Rory McIlroy said “He was going to be a Hall of Famer when he was five years old. He's been an inspiration for so many of us. We - all that are playing here this week - have to thank Tiger for where the game is and where the Tour is." Woods recently won $8 million for generating more media interest than any other golfer as well as PGA Tour's Player Impact Programme. His last official PGA Tour event was the 2020 Masters.
Having been seriously injured in a car crash, Woods was not seen publicly for a year and in late November last year, the golfer posted an image on Twitter of him hitting golf balls with the caption "making progress" which attracted 7.8 million views. He partnered with his son Charlie in the PNC Championship - a parent-child exhibition event a month later and the duo finished 2nd, making 11 consecutive birdies in the final round.
Woods drew level with Sam Snead on 82 PGA Tour wins at the ZOZO Championship in Japan in October 2019.
Also read: India's Sethie placed third after round one of Chattogram Open
India's Sethie placed third after round one of Chattogram Open
Chattogram (Bangladesh), Mar 9 (Golf News) Harshjeet Singh Sethie was the highest-placed Indian golfer at the Mujib Borsho Chattogram Open after a round of three-under 69 that placed him third while local lad Mohammed Akbar Hossain fired an opening round of five-under 67 to take lead here on Wednesday.
Hossain has a one-shot lead over compatriot Mohammed Razu (68) at the Bhatiary Golf & Country Club which is staging the third event of the 2022 TATA Steel PGTI season and the first Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) event in Bangladesh in three years.
Sethie began the day with three straight birdies on the 10th, 11th and 12th but dropped two bogeys on the back-nine. The six-feet six-inch tall Sethie, who turned professional in 2020, added four more birdies to his card on the front-nine in exchange for two bogeys.
Hossain, a 10th tee starter, made early inroads with birdies on the 11th, 12th and 13th. He then picked up two more strokes on the 16th and 18th to go five-under at the turn. However, he had a relatively quiet front-nine making a birdie and a bogey each.
Hossain, who earned his full card on the PGTI this season after finishing inside the top-40 at the Qualifying School, said, "I hit it close throughout the day today. My iron shots were very accurate and helped me set up short birdie putts. I had 15 greens in regulation and landed it within three feet on three occasions." Razu enjoyed an error-free day with an eagle-two on the 10th and two birdies to be hot on the heels of the leader.
There was a three-way tie for fourth place at two-under 70 between Mohammed Rasel of Bangladesh, India's Shankar Das and Sri Lanka's N Thangaraja.
Bangladesh's premier golfer Siddikur Rahman, one of the pre-tournament favourites, was among the 16 players bunched in tied seventh place at 71.
Zamal Hossain Mollah, another prominent name from Bangladesh, was in tied 34th position with a score of 74.
Also Read : Ahed of PLAYERS C'ship, Lahiri says he is close to 'finding the code' to his game
News Source : PTI
Ahed of PLAYERS C'ship, Lahiri says he is close to 'finding the code' to his game
Ponte Vedra (USA), Mar 9 (Golf News) After almost seven seasons on the PGA Tour, Indian golfer Anirban Lahiri is still searching for his maiden win but far from being bogged down, he says he is close to "putting it all together" as he gears up for this week's USD 20 million PLAYERS Championship here.
Unfazed by his lack of title success, Lahiri said he is getting closer to finding his rhythm.
"I'm at that stage where I'm trying to find the code because I feel like I'm not too far from putting it all together. The beauty about what we do is that you're one week away from being a PGA TOUR winner," Lahiri said.
"You're one week away from being at Augusta. You're one week away from having a two, three year exemption. You're one week away from you having a different kind of conversation with me." Drawn to play with Peter Malnati and Alex Noren on the first two days of the PLAYERS at the famed TPC Sawgrass, Lahiri will tee off at 8.35 am in what will be his sixth start at the storied event. He has not had much success here with four missed cuts.
Lahiri feels his game is a work in progress as he readied himself for the flagship event of the Tour, which has almost all the Top-100 in the field.
"The last month has been a tough one. I've had different departments of my game challenge me. I think in Phoenix my putting was a big issue. At Riviera I managed to kind of get around that, but my driver wasn't as well.
"Last week wasn't pretty either. I know I made the cut, but it was a tough test. On the weekend, again, I think my iron play was something that let me down, and it showed because you couldn't hit it offline last week," he conceded.
Yet Lahiri is optimistic.
"Even coming into this week, just working on some improvements with my coach remotely, also looking at just tweaking my equipment a little bit. There's always something around the corner I feel that could change it, and I think I found some good rhythm with my driving and my putting," he said.
Lahiri has been a regular on the Tour since 2016, a year after his last international win at the 2015 Hero Indian Open at home. He has kept his card and status, though one year he came through the Korn Ferry finals.
Talking of the PLAYERS and his own view of it, Lahiri said, "It's like a major, and everybody goes about it in their most efficient way. For me personally, I haven't had a lot of success." "The biggest difference coming into this week for me compared to previous years is I'm probably driving it the best I've driven it in a long time in my career. That is almost a prerequisite if you want to have any kind of success at TPC Sawgrass.
Also Read : This week I am focusing on getting my short game and iron play sharp again: Lahiri
News Source : PTI
This week I am focusing on getting my short game and iron play sharp again: Lahiri
New Delhi, Mar 8 (Golf News) Indian golfer Anirban Lahiri on Tuesday said his focus this week is to sharpen his "short game and iron play" and put up a good show at THE PLAYERS Championship at TPC Sawgrass starting on Thursday.
Lahiri has endured a tough phase in the PGA Tour this season, missing seven cuts out of 12 tournaments so far. Last month, the Indian golfer missed three successive cuts before breaking the streak with a T-74 finish at Arnold Palmer Invitational last week.
"It has been a difficult last month, I had different departments of my game challenge me. In Phoenix, my putting was a big issue, at Riviera, my driver wasn't.... I have been chipping away and working on different departments," Lahiri said during a virtual press conference on Tuesday.
"Last week wasn't pretty either, I made the cut but it was a tough test. On the weekend my iron play let me down. Last month has been challenging but I have made steady progress.
"I am working on some improvement with my coach remotely. There is always something around the corner that can change it. I found some good rhythm with my driving and putting. This week I am focusing on getting my short game and iron play sharp again. Definitely working my way back into playing better golf." Despite not winning on the PGA Tour where he has been a regular since 2016, Lahiri has managed to keep his card, though on one occasion he had to come through the Korn Ferry Finals. His best finish in 2022 has been T-46 at Farmers Insurance Open.
"I had some major struggles with iron play, I haven't hit it close. I haven't scrambled well, so all these don't add up to a good result. I am just working on cleaning what happens in the middle part of the hole," he said.
"My work off the tee has been good, my work around the greens has been decent but in between, there has been a major lapse. It is kind of glaring.
"The way I have played last few weeks, most of my drop shots have come from the fairway and it is criminal at the level I am playing. I am working on it and it is a matter of time before that trend changes." Talking about the roadmap this season, Lahiri said: "The road map for me is to build some confidence and momentum for the rest of the season. The one important thing is to hit quality shots in competition, that is the starting point.
"There are guys who have missed 4-5 cuts and then they will have that big win out of nowhere. So need to work on quality of golf and train in the right direction and let things happen." Talking about the week ahead, Lahiri said: "The Players championship is unofficially the fifth major and everyone approaches it differently. For me, I haven't had a lot of success. I have struggled with some specific holes at TPC Sawgrass.
"There are few holes where I have to come up with a different strategy but at the end of the day when you play a setup like this, you need to have all departments firing. I am driving well. I am just keeping my head down and working on my iron play and approach play." It is the sixth time that Lahiri will be competing at the PLAYERS Championships.
"You need to build momentum. On a golf course like this need to stay focused through 72 holes. So the plan is simple, try to hit as many fairways you can and take advantage of the pins which you can be aggressive," he said.
"Experience also makes a lot of difference. The first 2-3 times that I have played here I made a lot of mistakes in terms of strategy, being over aggressive, so I am better prepared this time."
Also Read : Lahiri finishes lowly T-72nd in Palmer Invitational golf
News Source : PTI
Warne was an illusionist first and leg-spinner second, says Greg Chappell
Melbourne, Mar 7 (Cricket News) Former Australia captain Greg Chappell on Monday paid glowing tributes to Shane Warne, describing the spin legend as an illusionist first and then a spinner, who mesmerized the world with his craft and took it to an altogether different level.
Warne died at the age of 52 due to a suspected heart attack at the Koh Samui island in Thailand on Friday, leaving the world stunned and shell-shocked.
"When I think of Shane Warne, I think of the words of American naturalist, poet and writer Henry David Thoreau: 'It's not what you look at, it is what you see.' Shane Warne was an illusionist first and a great leg-spin bowler second," Chappell wrote in his column for 'Sydney Morning Herald'.
"I was fortunate to get to know Shane well in his post-cricket days by playing numerous games of golf with him at one of his favourite courses, Cathedral Lodge and Golf Club in Thornton, Victoria. You get to know someone pretty well when you spend four hours with them on the golf course and then as many again over post-round replays." Chappell said Warne was just more than a great leg-spinner as he inspired a generation of cricketers to take up his craft.
"Shane was more than just a leg spinner. He was an entertainer with enormous charisma who attracted attention wherever he went. His success generated millions of viewers to the game and brought the art of leg spin to life.
"It also spawned a new generation of leg spinners who tried to walk up to the crease and let it rip! What they didn't have was Shane's brute strength and native cunning, so very few have reached great heights," he said. Chappell, a former India coach, feels Warne's public perception was "coloured" and misunderstood.
"What you got with Shane wasn't necessarily what you saw. You only got what he let you see. Most people’s impressions of him were coloured by what they gleaned from the way he was depicted in the media. That, often, only touched the surface," he wrote.
"Shane was the quintessential competitor. He loved games and he loved to pit himself against an opponent where he could utilise his mental acuity and his enormously strong self-belief. I have often experienced his uncanny ability to will the magical to happen.
"He had so much belief in his superpowers that he was usually staggered when it didn’t come off. It was invariably written off to extreme bad luck. Some of his golf opponents tried to use this against him by telling him how unlucky he was, but it is hard to kid a kidder," Chappell added.
Also Read : Ponting says every time he thinks about Warne, he becomes emotional
News Source : PTI
Lahiri finishes lowly T-72nd in Palmer Invitational golf
Orlando, Mar 7 (Golf News) India's Anirban Lahiri crashed to one of his worst rounds, on what was also a demanding final day, to finish a disappointing tied 72nd at the Arnold Palmer Invitational golf tournament, presented by Mastercard.
With firm, windy conditions making scoring difficult in the past three days, Lahiri plummeted to 10-over 82 with just one birdie on the card against nine bogeys and a double.
It was a tough day, when the scoring average approached 76.
While he managed to break his run of missed cuts, Lahiri would hardly be pleased heading into the TPC Sawgrass for the PLAYERS Championship.
Meanwhile, Scottie Scheffler, who played his first 70 PGA Tour events without a win, won his second PGA Tour title in three starts.
He finished with an even par 72 to finish at five-under 283 and win by one shot over past champion Tyrrell Hatton (69).
Hatton was tied for the second spot with Viktor Hovland (74) and Billy Horschel (75) at four-under 284.
After going winless in his first 70 TOUR events, Scheffler has recorded seven top-25s in 10 starts this season, and he joins Hideki Matsuyama as the first two-time winners of the 2021-22 TOUR campaign.
Also Read : Lahiri slips in tough conditions at Palmer Invitational
News Source : PTI
Ponting says every time he thinks about Warne, he becomes emotional
Dubai, Mar 7 (Cricket News) Former Australia captain Ricky Ponting "loves" Shane Warne so much that he tends to switch off his television set on hearing the late spin king's voice in it in the past couple of days as he can't still believe that his one-time team-mate is no more.
In an emotional tribute to Warne with whom he played for much of his 15-year international career, Ponting said he is still struggling to comprehend the unexpected death of his close friend.
"It was so raw to me I couldn't really speak and every time I thought about him and our experiences and our journey together and I just got short for words," Ponting told Isa Guha, on The ICC Review.
"Even today I have had the TV on watching the tributes, but every time I hear his voice I have to turn it off.
"It's been a tough couple of days, but it makes us a bit more aware of things I probably need to pay more attention to and there is stuff there for all of us to learn.” Ponting knew Warne better than most having played alongside the iconic spinner for much of his international career, where the duo shared numerous Test victories, memorable series triumphs and a successful World Cup campaign in 1999.
But while Ponting lived in the same Melbourne bayside suburb as Warne and even caught up for the occasional game of golf all the way up to his death, the former Australia skipper said there was one thing he will never get to share with his long-time friend.
"I would say just how much I love him," Ponting said tearily, when asked what he would say to Warne if he had the chance for one final conversation.
"I didn't say that to him and I wish I did." Warne died at the age of 52 of suspected heart attack at the Thai resort of Koh Samui on Friday, leaving the cricket world stunned and shell-shocked.
"I woke up nice and early I was getting the kids ready to go to netball and Rianna (Ponting’s wife) looked at her phone and told me the news about Warney," he said.
"I grabbed the phone out of her hand to look at it and I couldn't believe it and it is still the same now," said the legendary batsman.
He vowed to ensure the champion leg spinner's legacy continues through his interactions with younger generation.
"He (Warne) was a teacher through his commentary and I've seen hundreds of photos over the last 24 hours of all the spinners he worked with. He helped Steve Smith in his younger days and Rashid Khan has been catching up with him - just imagine the conversations they would have had.
"So I feel it is now up to me whenever I get an opportunity to just let the world know what he was like and pass on some of the things I learnt from him." Ponting also reflected on the special memories he had with Warne while also paying homage to the type of man he was.
"If you spent a day with him (it was amazing to) see some of the names flashing up on his mobile phone.
"It was very rare for Warney just to be sitting at home. He would always try and find time for his friends and his family and that was one of his great strengths," Ponting said.
"The more people talking about Shane, the thing that will shine through will be just how loyal he was to family and friends and how loved he was. He had the energy that drew you to him and that is a trait that not a lot of people have."
Also Read : India register emphatic win against Sri Lanka with multiple milestones
News Source : PTI
Lahiri slips in tough conditions at Palmer Invitational
Orlando, Mar 6 (Golf News) In extremely tough conditions, India's Anirban Lahiri shot 4-over 76 and slipped from tied 51st to tied 63rd after three rounds in the Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill.
Lahiri, who has not been having the best of season that has included a lot of missed cuts and some lower order finishes, will have one more round to regain confidence and find some rhythm ahead of the flagship event, the PLAYERS Championship, next week.
Billy Horschel (71) and Talor Gooch (72) held on in the rough conditions with strong wind and greens with little grass because of the strong sun. Gooch and Horschel were at 7-under 209.
Viktor Hovland lost a four-shot lead at the turn. He shot 40 on the back nine for a card of 75 and is now one shot behind.
Rory McIlroy seemed to be making his move until a tee shot out-of-bounds on the 15th led to double bogey and slipped down to tied 6th with a 76.
Scottie Scheffler made a charge despite missing three straight par putts from 6 feet or less on his front nine. Then Scheffler made three birdies and a 20-foot eagle for a 31 on the back for a 68, which was the low score of the day.
Hovland three-putted from 10 feet on the par-3 second hole but holed a bunker shot for eagle on the par-5 sixth. The back nine saw him take bogeys with three putts twice. He shot 40 on the back nine for a 75.
Max Homa made an ace on the par-3 14th hole with a pitching wedge from 163 yards, meaning a USD 200,000 donation by presenting sponsor Mastercard to the Arnold & Winning Palmer Foundation.
Also Read : Anirban Lahiri makes cut at Arnold Palmer Invitational
News Source : PTI
Anirban Lahiri makes cut at Arnold Palmer Invitational
Orlando, Mar 5 (Golf News) Indian golfer Anirban Lahiri ended a run of missed cuts by making the weekend rounds of the Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by Mastercard despite an underwhelming one-over 73 in the second round here.
Lahiri, who shot 73 in the first round as well, was two-over for 36 holes and was placed T-51. A total of 78 professionals at 3-over 147 from a field made the cut.
Young Norwegian star Viktor Hovland moved to the top with a 6-under 66. He is now 9-under 135 for 36 holes and holds a two-shot lead over Tyrrell Hatton (69-68) at Bay Hill.
Lahiri had a terrible start as he followed four pars with a bogey-double bogey to go 3-over for the day and 4-over for the tournament. A birdie on eighth helped and another one on 10th brought him to 1-over for the day and 2-over for the tournament.
Lahiri handled the rest of the eight holes carefully with eight pars in a row to ensure he would get to play on the weekend for the first time since the Farmers Insurance in late January. He missed cuts at Phoenix Open, Genesis and Honda Classic.
Hovland, playing in the morning wave, took advantage with seven birdies and some good par saves late in the second round.
With increasing wind in the afternoon, scoring was not easy and Rory McIlroy found that out with a 72 and slipped down.
His putter let him down on greens and his misses included a 4-foot par putt and putts from 8 feet for birdie and par.
He was two behind along with past Bay Hill winner Hatton (68) and Talor Gooch (68), who won his first PGA Tour title in the final official event last year.
Last year, Hovland was two shots out of the lead going into the weekend but closed with 77-78 to finish T-15.
Among those missing the cut at 3-over 147, was Patrick Reed who fell short by one shot. It was his third straight tournament missing the cut.
Also Read : Shubhankar Sharma leads by one shot in Magical Kenya Open
News Source : PTI
Shubhankar Sharma leads by one shot in Magical Kenya Open
Nairobi, Mar 4 (Golf News) India's Shubhankar Sharma added a fine four-under 67 to his first round score of six-under 65 to get to 10-under par and hold a one-shot lead in the Magical Kenya Open golf tournament here on Friday.
Sharma, looking for his third DP World Tour title, was followed by Japanese Masahiro Kawamura (66) and Ewen Ferguson (67), both of whom were at nine-under.
Sharma's first DP World Tour win came at the Joburg Open in South Africa followed by the second one was in Malaysia.
Teeing off from the 10th, Sharma had a slow start with two pars and a bogey and that was followed by three more pars. At that stage, he was one-over after eight holes for the second round.
Then came the eagle on Par-5 18th that gave him wings for the rest of the round.
On his second nine, a birdie on Par-3 second followed by a bogey on third meant, he was still one over for the day.
Then he had three birdies in last four holes, including back-to-back efforts on eighth and ninth, his closing holes.
"I'm really happy, whenever you finish with two birdies you're always happy. It was a good round for me today, it was quite a slow start for me starting on the back nine, not much was happening for me, but that eagle on the 18th really propelled me," Sharma said.
"The front nine (his second nine) was great, missed birdie opportunities on both the par fives but came back strong on eight and nine with birdies and I'm really pleased with the score.
"It does fly a long way, personally I've done well whenever I play at altitude, I'm good at controlling my irons, so I did not do too much trackman work this week. I might have hit about 50 balls on the trackman this week – and I just got my numbers." Earlier, Sharma got off to a flying start with a bogey-free six-under 65 to be placed tied-2nd after the opening round.
Sharma, who finished second at the Rolex Series Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship, had three birdies on either side of the Muthaiga Golf Club on the DP World Tour in the opening round.
Also Read : Lahiri begins with 1-over 73 in Palmer Invitational; McIlroy opens with 65
News Source : PTI
Lahiri begins with 1-over 73 in Palmer Invitational; McIlroy opens with 65
Orlando, Mar 4 (Golf News) India's Anirban Lahiri had yet another disappointing start as he carded a 1-over 73 in the first round of the Arnold Palmer Invitational golf tournament here.
Lahiri, who has missed the cut in his last three starts, had two birdies against three bogeys. The Indian was lying tied-63rd and would need to get a better score to ensure weekend action.
Rory McIlroy, the 2016 and 2019 FedExCup champion, holds a two-stroke lead after a sizzling 65 which included a 41-foot eagle at the par-5 16th. It was the longest eagle putt of his PGA TOUR career.
McIlroy’s lowest start at Bay Hill gave him a two-shot lead over Billy Horschel, Beau Hossler and J.J. Spaun. Adam Scott, Graeme McDowell and Ian Poulter, who dressed in Ukrainian colours, were in the group which was three shots behind at 68.
Lahiri hit eight of the 18 greens in regulation. Starting on the 400-yard par-4 10th, he had a bogey after hitting the green in three and missed a par from just over six feet.
Lahiri then bogeyed the 458-yard par-4 18th, getting on the green in four and one putting.
After a 283 yard drive on the par-5 fourth, Lahiri chipped his third shot to seven feet, which he rolled in for a birdie. On the par-5 sixth, he had a birdie.
Late in the round on the eighth, his 17th hole, Lahiri went into the rough on second but hit to six feet with his third shot. He missed the par putt and finished one-over for the day.
Asia’s best came from Korea’s Sungjae Im, who produced a solid 4-under 68 to match his tournament low score and sit in a share of fifth place.
The 23-year-old Im showed his fondness for Bay Hill Club and Lodge as he took advantage of the par-5s with birdies on each of the four holes on No. 12, 16, 4 and 6, in addition to another birdie on the par-3 14th hole after starting his day from the 10th.
In three previous appearances at the USD 12 million showpiece, which is one of three elevated events on the PGA TOUR, Im finished top-3 in 2019 and 2020 while he came in tied 21st last season.
Countryman Si Woo Kim carded a bogey-free 69 for tied 11th position while K.H. Lee was a stroke back following a 70.
Also Read : Pranavi grabs lead, Hitaashee slips to second spot in 4th leg of Hero WPGT
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Pranavi grabs lead, Hitaashee slips to second spot in 4th leg of Hero WPGT
Mumbai, Mar 3 (Golf News) Pranavi Urs finished with a four-under par 140 to edge past overnight leader Hitaashee Bakshi and win the fourth leg of the Hero Womne's Professional Golf Tour at the Aamby Valley Green Golf Course on Thursday.
The tougher back nine showed its teeth and extracted three shots from the leaders, Pranavi (68-72) and Hitaashee (67-74).
Pranavi, who won the first leg, and Hitaashee, who won the third leg, were first and second.
The duo along with Ridhima Dilawari, who had the day's best card of two-under 70, were the only ones with under par totals.
Pranavi was four-under par 140, while Hitaashee was three-under par 141 and Ridhima was one-under 143.
Vani Kapoor, who had one of the rare birdies on the final hole, shot one-under 71 and was placed fourth at one-over 145.
Pranavi, who had a superb four-under 68 in the first round, looked set for another solid round as birdies on first and fourth saw her turn in two-under.
But on the back nine she dropped shots on 13th, 15th and 17th against one birdie on Par-5 14th.
Hitaashee, who played bogey free on the first day, was one-under for the front nine and dropped three shots on the back nine on 12th, 13th and 15th. Her only birdie of the day was on the Par-3 sixth.
Experienced Amandeep Drall (75-73) and Gaurika Bishnoi (74-74) were tied fifth at 148 and Jahanvi Bakshi (77-73) was lying seventh.
Amateur Jasmine Shekhar had a roller coaster of a round with an eagle-2 on Par 4 11th besides three birdies, four bogeys and two doubles. She finished with four pars for a card of 75 and was eighth.
Durga Nittur (76-78) was ninth, while four players, Jyotsana Singh, amateur Vidhatri Urs, Asmitha Sathish and Rhea Purvi Sarvanan were tied for the 10th place at 155.
The cut fell at 161 and the top-20 players made the final round. The casualties included Lakhmehar Pardesi, Gauri Karhade and Astha Madan.
The final round will see Pranavi, Hitaashee and Ridhima in the lead group with Vani, Amandeep and Gaurika one group ahead of them.
Also Read : Lahiri looks to return to form at Arnold Palmer Invitational in Bay Hill
News Source : PTI
Lahiri looks to return to form at Arnold Palmer Invitational in Bay Hill
Orlando, Mar 2 (Golf News) Ace Indian golfer Anirban Lahiri will tee up at the prestigious Arnold Palmer Invitational here on Thursday, hoping to stop the run of missed cuts and make up for a series of disappointing starts this season.
Lahiri, who was looking to 2022 to make a fast start and get some solid results, has missed the cut in last three starts and his best finish in 2022 has been T-46 at Farmers Insurance Open.
Lahiri, who despite not winning on the PGA Tour, where he has been a regular since 2016, has managed to keep his card, though on one occasion he had to come through the Korn Ferry Finals.
There have been Top-10s and even a second place over these years, but victory continues to elude him since the 2015 Hero Indian Open on European and Asian Tour.
This week Lahiri plays the first two days with JJ Spaun and Adam Schenk in a star-studded field at the Arnold Palmer event, which now carries a whopping prize purse of USD 12 million.
The event comes ahead of the block buster, The PLAYERS, which carries a purse of USD 20 million.
The Arnold Palmer Invitational, which deserves a stronger field, will still have 30 of the world's top-50 on site at Bay Hill this week.
Defending champion Bryson DeChambeau, who beat Lee Westwood by a one stroke last year, has pulled out due to an injury.
Bay Hill has plenty of hazards -- both the sand and water –-- which gobble up wayward shots.
The finish at Bay Hill is particularly challenging with the par-3 17th and par-4 18th both averaging over their allotted par during tournament week. The scoring is always a challenge and only once in the past decade (in 2020) has the winning score been double digits under par.
The 2018 champion Rory McIlroy is a perennial contender here and can't be left out of considerations.
England's Matt Fitzpatrick is another one who likes the event with three top-10 finishes in seven starts here. His recent form gave him top 10s at both Pebble Beach and the Phoenix Open.
Also Read : Hitaashee plays bogey free 67 to lead in fourth leg of Hero WPGT
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Hitaashee plays bogey free 67 to lead in fourth leg of Hero WPGT
Mumbai, Mar 2 (Golf News) Hitaashee Bakshi continued from where she left in the third leg with a superb first round to enjoy the sole lead in the fourth leg of the Hero Women's Pro Golf Tour at the Aamby Valley Green Golf Course on Wednesday.
Hitaashee had a brilliant front nine with five birdies against no bogeys followed by a no-frills back nine with nine straight pars.
HItaashee birdied first, fifth, sixth, seventh and ninth.
Hitaashee led by one shot over Pranavi Urs, winner of the opening leg this season. Pranavi also had five birdies, but she also dropped a bogey on the Par-4 fourth, after which she birdied four times in the next five holes to turn in three-under. On the back nine she had another birdie on the Par-5 14th hole.
Hitaashee and Pranavi were way ahead of the rest of the field as third placed Ridhima Dilawari was one-over 73 with one birdie against two bogeys, while Vani Kapoor, fresh from three good starts in South Africa, carded two-over 74, as did Gaurika Bishnoi.
Amandeep Drall had a very eventful round with four birdies against seven bogeys in her 75 and was tied sixth with Rhea Purvi Saravanan.
Four players Seher Atwal, Khushi Khanijau, Durga Nittur and amateur Jasmine Shekhar were Tied-eighth at 76.
Hitaashee's sister, Jahanvi, who was the top professional in the second leg, struggled as she shot five-over 77.
Also Read : Vani looks to carry on good form from South Africa in 4th leg of Hero WPGT
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Vani looks to carry on good form from South Africa in 4th leg of Hero WPGT
Mumbai, Mar 1 (Golf News) The stage is set for the fourth leg of the Hero Women's Pro Golf Tour with 33 players, including six amateurs, teeing off at the par 72 Aamby Valley Green Golf Course on Wednesday.
Vani Kapoor, who is back after a good run in the Sunshine Tour in South Africa, will be watched closely, along with Amandeep Drall, who will soon turn her focus onto the Ladies European Tour.
Vani played three weeks in a row in South Africa. She had Top-20 finishes in each of them. She was 11th at Dimenson Data Ladies Pro-AM, followed by T-17 at SuperSport Ladies Challenge and T-20 at Jabra Ladies Classic.
Those results should give her a lot of confidence.
Amandeep Drall, who is still on the reserves list for the Saudi Ladies International, is however confirmed for the Joburg Ladies and the Women's South African Open. She is hoping to get some good tournament practice before she ventures outside for the start of her 2022 campaign.
Last week's winner Hitaashee Bakshi and her sister Jahanvi will be among the front runners, along with Pranavi Urs. Amateur Sneha Singh, who won the second leg, is not playing this week.
Among others looking at some exposure outside India this summer are Gaurika Bishnoi, Ridhima Dilawari and Pranavi Urs.
The six amateurs in the field are Smriti Bhargava, Heena Kang, Rishika Muralidhar, Jasmine Shekhar, Jia Kataria and Vidhatri Urs.
Also Read : Disappointing start for Lahiri at Palm Beach; Kitayama leads
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Disappointing start for Lahiri at Palm Beach; Kitayama leads
Palm Beach (US), Feb 25 (Golf News) Indian golfer Anirban Lahiri endured a disappointing start as he carded a 3-over 75 in the first round of the Honda Classic at the PGA National here.
Though the round was not complete with three more players having to come next morning to finish their first round, Lahiri was way behind at T-104th.
American Kurt Kitayama, who is ranked 289th in the world, carded 6-under 64 to take a one-shot lead over Daniel Berger, Chris Kirk and Rory Sabbatini.
It was Kitayama’s best round on the PGA Tour, where he has played off-and-on but without much success. In all he has had 25 starts and has no Top-10s.
Lahiri starting from 10th, bogeyed 14th and 15th and then went into the water off his third shot on 18th, his ninth hole, to drop a double bogey.
Turning in 4-over he had two birdies against one bogey. One of the birdies came on ninth, his closing hole.
Kitayama was nearly flawless on Thursday, shooting a 6-under 64 to take the lead.
It was Kitayama's best score in 69 rounds on the PGA TOUR, fuelled by a career-best run of four consecutive birdies on his second nine.
Berger also was bogey-free, and missed an 8-foot birdie try on the par-5 18th to settle for 65.
Peter Uihlein, TOUR rookie Matthias Schwab and Danny Willett were among the group at 67.
Brooks Koepka, a Palm Beach County resident, was in a group at 68. Joaquin Niemann, the Genesis winner last week at Riviera, was 4 under through 12 before giving it all back and settling for an even-par 70.
Curtis Thompson holed out for an eagle at No. 6, the first on that hole since The Honda Classic moved to PGA National in 2007. Thompson shot 70 and was T-45th.
Also Read : Amandeep off to a flying start in 3rd leg of WPGT
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Amandeep off to a flying start in 3rd leg of WPGT
Mumbai, Feb 23 (Golf News) Amandeep Drall started and finished in glorious manner for a superb 4-under 66 despite a double bogey in the middle of the first round in the third leg of the Hero Women’s Pro Golf Tour here on Wednesday.
Amandeep was one shot ahead of the promising youngster Hitaashee Bakshi, who shot 67, as did Seher Atwal.
Ridhima Dilawari and amateur Sneha Singh, who won the title last week, were tied fourth at 68, while Gaurika Bishnoi shot 1-under 69 to be sixth.
With Neha Tripathi also shooting even par 70, seven players carded par or better on a good scoring day at the Bombay Presidency Golf Club.
Pranavi Urs, winner of the first leg, led a group of four players at 1-over 71 who were Tied-eighth. The other three were Smriti Mehra, Rhea Purvi Saravanan and amateur Nishna Patel.
Fancied Tvesa Malik was trying to shake off the rust as she shot 3-over 73, which included a double bogey on the Par-5 16th while the much-talked about amateur Avani Prashanth carded 2-over 72, which included a run of four bogeys in five holes in the middle of the round.
Amandeep, who plans to play more on the Ladies European Tour this season, started in style with birdies on the first two holes and two more on fifth and sixth to be 4-under after six holes.
A double bogey on Par-4 ninth and a bogey on 12th pushed her back. She fought back with three birdies in the last four holes on 15, 16 and 18th.
Ridhima closed the round with an eagle on Par-5 18th, while Neha Tripathi eagled the Par-5 fourth.
Hitaashee had four birdies against one bogey, while Seher Atwal was the only player to return a bogey free card. She had three birdies.
Jahanvi Bakshi had a rare off day as she had four bogeys and a double bogey against just one birdie for a round of 5-over 75 that saw her trail in Tied-16th place.
Amandeep Drall will go out in the lead group with Hitaashee Bakshi and Seher Atwal in the second round.
Also Read : Lahiri hoping to reverse fortunes at PGA National, his home course
News Source : PTI
Lahiri hoping to reverse fortunes at PGA National, his home course
Palm Beach (US), Feb 23 (Golf News) India's Anirban Lahiri is looking to turn his fortunes around at The Honda Classic golf tournament starting on Thursday at the PGA National Champion here, a club he considers as his home course in the US because of its proximity to his residence.
For Lahiri, so far it has been a disappointing start to the season, which started in Fall and almost a third of it is over.
Lahiri needs to make a move quick to go up the FedExCup standings and get back to the Play-offs once again like last year.
He has made only four cuts in 10 starts with a best finish of T-40 at WWT Mayakoba last November. He has missed the cut in his last two starts at the Phoenix Open and Genesis Invitational.
Lahiri will play his first two rounds of The Honda Classic with two-time Major winner, Martin Kaymer and Aaron Rai, an Indian origin player from England. They will tee off from the 10th early in the morning.
Lahiri, who was invited to join the Club by Jack Nicklaus himself, has one of the most difficult three hole stretches on the Tour with the 15th, 16th and 17th holes making up what is called the Bear Trap.
The PGA National came on as a host in 2007 as a 7,241-yard layout and it now plays to 7,125 yards while remaining a par 70 the entire time. Water and wind are the key factors which come in the way of low scores.
The Florida Swing which begins with this week's The Honda Classic, will continue over the next four weeks. The Honda Classic will be followed by Arnold Palmer Invitational, THE PLAYERS Championship and Valspar Championship.
The field includes Joaquim Niemann, who won last week at Genesis, Brooks Koepka, who is a favourite, besides Tommy Fleetwood, who likes playing in the wind.
Some of the top stars in the field are Daniel Berger, Fleetwood, Sungjae Im, Gary Woodland, Rickie Fowler and Nicolai Hojgaard, the young 20-year-old Dane making his first non-Major PGA start.
Many of the players like Niemann, Sungjae Im (South Korea), Louis Oosthuizen (South Africa), Mackenzie Hughes (Canada) and Lucas Herbert (Australia) are hoping to secure their places in the International team for the President’s Cup.
Also Read : Karandeep Kochhar's sizzling 64 gives him first round lead
News Source : PTI
Karandeep Kochhar's sizzling 64 gives him first round lead
Ahmedabad, Feb 22 (Golf News) Chandigarh golfer Karandeep Kochhar's sizzling eight-under 64 gave him the round one lead in the Gujarat Open Golf Championship 2022, the first event of the 2022 TATA Steel PGTI season, here on Tuesday.
Yashas Chandra MS of Mysuru struck a 65 to be placed second at the Rs. 40 lakh event.
The three players tied for third place at 66 were Om Prakash Chouhan of Mhow, Tapy Ghai of Gurugram and Jaipur-based rookie Prakhar Asawa.
Karandeep Kochhar, who finished second on the PGTI Order of Merit last year courtesy his two wins, had a quiet start to the day after he bogeyed the first hole and followed it up with pars on the next five holes.
Kochhar produced a great tee shot on the par-3 seventh that led to his first birdie of the day and set him up for the rest of the round as he went on to add eight more birdies including a chip-in on the 15th and five conversions from a range of 12 to 15 feet.
Yashas Chandra, who hit it close through the day, was six-under through 12 holes before his first bogey of the day on the fifth. Yashas, however, ended the day well with two more birdies on the seventh and ninth.
Prakhar Asawa, making his debut as a professional, scored 10 birdies and conceded four bogeys during his 66 while Om Prakash Chouhan, who came close to winning last year's edition, produced eight birdies and two bogeys. Tapy Ghai made an eagle on the eighth as well as five birdies and a bogey.
Among the Ahmedabad-based golfers, Anshul Patel was the best-placed as he shot an opening round of 73 to be tied 32nd.
Olympian and reigning PGTI Order of Merit champion Udayan Mane began with a 79 to be tied 98th.
Also Read : Tvesa, Amandeep and Avani in action in 3rd leg of Hero WPGT
News Source : PTI
Tvesa, Amandeep and Avani in action in 3rd leg of Hero WPGT
Mumbai, Feb 22 (Golf News) Tvesa Malik and Amandeep Drall will start their 2022 season with the third leg of the Hero Women’s Pro Golf Tour at the Bombay Presidency Golf Club here on Wednesday.
The two are expected to spend a lot of their time on the Ladies European Tour. While Tvesa is getting the first taste of action in this calendar year, Amandeep has already played at the Magical Kenya Ladies Open.
Tvesa was 19th and the top Indian on the LET Order of Merit, while Amandeep was 13th on the LET Access Series merit list, but is hoping for more starts this year on the LET schedule also.
While Tvesa, Amandeep and other professionals like Pranavi Urs and Gaurika Bishnoi battle it out in the professional ranks, last week’s winner amateur Sneha Singh and Avani Prashanth, who has got an invitation for the Augusta National Women’s Amateur Championship, will also be involved in a tight contest amongst the amateurs.
The two amateurs already know what it is like to win against the professionals.
The Bakshi sisters, Jahanvi and Hitaashee, are also in the field as are Ridhima Dilawari, Gaurika Bishnoi, Astha Madan, Suchitra Ramesh, Durga Nittur and others who are all hoping to get to the international Tours.
Neha Tripathi, Saaniya Sharma and Smriti Mehra are experienced campaigners and would like to get into contention early in the season.
Other past winners include Seher Atwal, Gauri Karhade, Khushi Khanijau and Lakhmehar Pardesi among others.
A total of 37 players, including six amateurs, will be seen in action. in the tournament. The prize purse is Rs 11 lakhs, the highest this season.
Also Read : TATA Steel PGTI tees off 2022 season on Tuesday with Gujarat Open C'ship
News Source : PTI
TATA Steel PGTI tees off 2022 season on Tuesday with Gujarat Open C'ship
Ahmedabad, Feb 21 (Golf News) The TATA Steel Professional Golf Tour of India (PGTI) begins the 2022 season from Tuesday with the second edition of the Gujarat Open Golf Championship here.
The tournament carrying a prize purse of Rs 40 lakh will be played at the Kalhaar Blues & Greens Golf Club.
The tournament comprises a field of 126 players -- 123 professionals and three amateurs.
The event will feature some of the top Indian professionals such as Olympian and 2021 PGTI Order of Merit champion Udayan Mane, Karandeep Kochhar, Yuvraj Singh Sandhu, among others.
The foreign challenge will be led by Sri Lanka's Mithun Perera, Australia's Kunal Bhasin, Nepal's Sukra Bahadur Rai and the Bangladeshi quintet of Md Akbar Hossain, Md Muaj, Md Somrat Sikdar, Md Sayum and Md Shakhawat Hossain Sohel.
The local challenge will be spearheaded by professionals Varun Parikh, Anshul Patel, Jay Pandya, Shravan Desai and Arshpreet Thind. The Gujarat-based amateurs in the field are Rajiv Vasa, Dhruv Suri and Rachit Mankoti.
One of the tournament favourites, Mane said, "I'm excited about playing the Gujarat Open 2022 as it's always a treat to play in Kalhaar, one of the top championship venues in India. I've also won at this venue in the past and that adds to my confidence this week.
"It's a course where the approach shots demand a lot of precision. I would like to carry forward the momentum from last year's Order of Merit win."
Also Read : Indian golfer Anirban Lahiri misses cut at Genesis Invitational
News Source : PTI
Indian golfer Anirban Lahiri misses cut at Genesis Invitational
Los Angeles, Feb 19 (Golf News) A five-hole stretch with four bogeys on the front nine ended Indian golfer Anirban Lahiri’s hopes of making the weekend at the Genesis Invitational hosted by Tiger Woods.
Lahiri, who shot 75 in the first round, needed a low round on the second day to make the cut.
He turned in 2-over 37 on the front nine and despite five birdies against one bogey on the back nine, the Indian ace fell well short of the cut, which fell at even par.
Lahiri was 2-over for 36 holes.
Among the big names to miss the cut were major champions Dustin Johnson, Brooks Koepka, Bubba Watson and Patrick Reed.
Joaquin Niemann, a one-time winner on PGA Tour, shot a second straight 63 for a career low 126 total for 36 holes.
Cameron Young’s 62 also marked a career-low round for him on TOUR. He is two shots behind Niemann.
Justin Thomas, seeking his 15th PGA TOUR title, was 11-under with 67-64, while Adam Scott (68-64) was T-4th at 9-under.
Collin Morikawa (67-67) can move to World No. 1 with a win if Jon Rahm (T-60) finishes outside solo-fourth.
Jordan Spieth (66-67) is T-4, while Viktor Hovland (71-64) is T-7.
Rahm (73) and Patrick Cantlay (72) sit T-60 at even-par after both ended lengthy consecutive par-or-better streaks.
Also Read : Amateur Sneha holes an albatross to win 2nd leg of Hero WPGT
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Amateur Sneha holes an albatross to win 2nd leg of Hero WPGT
Visakhapatnam, Feb 18 (Golf News) Amateur Sneha Singh grabbed the second leg of the Hero Women’s Pro Golf Tour to ensure that she would figure in the list of champions for the fourth straight year as she played one of the best nine hole stretches in the history of the Tour, here.
Sneha, trailing Jahanvi Bakshi by two shots after the second round, fell back even more after a bogey-bogey start. To make it worse, the overnight leader birdied the second and the lead swelled to five shots.
Yet by the end of the day, Sneha won by three shots, as she shot 7-under 29 on the back nine of the Par-72 layout at the East Point Golf Club. The nine-hole run had four birdies and the first ever albatross on the Hero WPGT as Sneha holed her wedge shot from just over 120 yards.
As Sneha ended at 10-under 206, Jahanvi, four-time winner in 2021, was second at 7-under 209. Ridhima Dilawari (72) was third at 2-under 214.
While Sneha took the trophy, Jahanvi picked up the winning cheque as the top professional.
With Jahanvi dropping shots on two par 5s and managing only two birdies on the home stretch, she ended with 71 for her third successive under par round.
However, Sneha, who had brought down the deficit to four when the leaders took the turn, was in sizzling form.
After birdies on 10th and 13th she holed her second shot on the Par-5 14h for an albatross which put her back into contention. Further birdies on 15th and 17th sealed her first win of 2022 and her fourth on Hero WPGT while still an amateur. It was among the finest nine-hole runs in Indian women’s golf.
Sneha has now won at least once each year since 2019.
The Hyderabad-based Sneha, who started playing at the famous Royal Calcutta Golf Club before she was four, is now based in Hyderabad. She is coached by her father, Sanjay Kumar Singh, Class A certified Golf Teaching Professional and a former Professional golfer on the men’s Indian Tour. Apart from her pro wins, she has won both the All India Juniors and the All India Ladies Amateur Golf Championship.
Gaurika Bishnoi (72) was fourth at even par 216, while Rhea Purvi Saravanan (76) was fifth. Seher Atwal (73) was sixth.
Pranavi Urs, winner of the first leg, finally got an under par round this week with 71. Nayanika Sanga (74) and Neha Tripathi (78) were Tied-seventh. Neha went 10 shots more than her second round 68. Amateur Vidhatri Urs and Hitaashee Bakshi were tied tenth.
Jahanvi with her second place finish but 1st amongst the professionals overtook Pranavi on the Hero Order of Merit. Pranavi was second and Gaurika Bishnoi was third after two events.
Also Read : Disappointing start for Lahiri at Genesis Invitational
News Source : PTI
Disappointing start for Lahiri at Genesis Invitational
Los Angeles, Feb 18 (Golf News) Indian golfer Anirban Lahiri endured a disappointing opening round at the historic Riviera Country Club as he shot 4-over 75 in the Genesis Invitational hosted by Tiger Woods.
Lahiri was at T-105th and he faced an early exit unless he comes up with a low second round.
Starting from the 10th, he birdied 11th, but three were no more birdies after that. He had five bogeys, two on his first nine and three more on the back nine. Three times, he missed inside five feet and three more times at 10 feet or under.
Joaquin Niemann of Chile led the field with a stunning 8-under 63 that had nine birdies against one bogey after starting from the 10th.
World No. 1 Jon Rahm and Rory McIlroy shot 69 each and were T-22, while Hideki Matsuyama (72) was T-77 and Dustin Johnson (73) was T-87.
Asia’s top star, Chinese Taipei's CT Pan drove well to fire a solid 4-under 67 and was tied sixth.
After missing two cuts in his last three starts, the 30-year-old was rewarded for some extra hours put at the range as he pencilled down five birdies against a lone bogey to lie four back of early pacesetter, Niemann.
Defending champion Max Homa, Jordan Spieth, Cameron Young and last week’s WM Phoenix Open winner Scottie Scheffler all fired 66s to share second place in the star-studded USD 12 million tournament, which is hosted by Tiger Woods.
The tournament is one of three elevated events on the PGA TOUR.
Korea's Si Woo Kim shot a 69, countryman Sungjae Im returned a 71 while current FedExCup leader Hideki Matsuyama of Japan, KH Lee and Jaekyeong Lee all posted 72s to leave themselves with some work to make the weekend cut.
Also Read : Jahanvi fights back on back nine to retain lead in 2nd Leg of Hero WPGT
News Source : PTI
Jahanvi fights back on back nine to retain lead in 2nd Leg of Hero WPGT
Visakhapatnam, Feb 17 (Golf News) Jahanvi Bakshi, the most successful player on the domestic circuit in 2021, played a superb back nine with four birdies and no bogeys to keep a two-shot lead after two rounds in the second leg of the Hero Women’s Pro Golf Tour here on Thursday.
Chasing Jahanvi was amateur Sneha Singh (70-70), two shots behind. Lying third at 141 were Neha Tripathi (73-68) and Rhea Purvi Saravanan (72-69).
Ridhima Dilawari, second after the first round, slipped to fifth with a card of 73, while Gaurika Bishnoi rose to fifth with 68, the day’s other best card along with Neha Tripathi at the East Point Golf Club.
Jahanvi, who shot 68 and led the field by one at the end of the first round, lost the early advantage with bogeys on third and ninth, as she turned in two-over.
As Sneha Singh turned in one-under to take the lead, Ridhima who was one-over after the front nine, caught up with Jahanvi.
On the back nine, Jahanvi was in full flow with birdies on 11th, 12th, 14th and 17th and carded 70 to take the lead. Winner of four titles, Jahanvi could well open her account for 2022 on Friday.
Sneha, after back-to-back birdies on second and third, dropped a shot on eighth, but got back a shot on 15th to score a second straight 70.
Neha Tripathi, who last bagged a title in the first leg of the 2019 season in Pune, birdied second and seventh and in between dropped a shot on sixth. She picked three birdies on the back nine on 10th, 13th and 15th to finish the day at 68 and jumped to third, after being tied-eighth on the first day.
With Top-18 and ties making the cut for the final round, 21 players made the money round. The cut fell at 11-over. Two established names missing out were Saaniya Sharma and Suchitra Ramesh.
Also Read : Lahiri seeks return to form at Genesis Invitational
News Source : PTI
Lahiri seeks return to form at Genesis Invitational
Los Angeles, Feb 17 (Golf News) Indian golfer Anirban Lahiri will be hoping to sharpen his iron play and short game as he prepares for an exciting run of events on the PGA TOUR starting with this week’s star-studded Genesis Invitational, an event hosted by Tiger Woods.
The 34-year-old Indian conceded that his form has been off the mark since the start of the year but he would look to turn his fortunes around at the historic Riviera Country Club which stages the USD 12 million showpiece as one of three elevated status events on TOUR.
Each of the world’s top-10 players, led by No. 1 Jon Rahm and reigning FedExCup champion Patrick Cantlay, are in this week’s elite field. Max Homa is defending his title.
“I’ve played good in patches and had disappointing results overall, no doubt about it. ,” said Lahiri.
“I felt I have gotten some positives to take from whatever golf I’ve played this year and it’s clear what I need to work on. I need to keep sharpening my game, putting and scrambling.
“From Riv to the stretch of events that follow, we’re going to go to golf courses which are demanding and require elite ball-striking. I’m working on my putting and iron play, and just trying to stay patient and focussed. I’ve been guilty of losing my patience in the past.” The Indian star has made two cuts from three starts in 2022, while missing the weekend at last week’s WM Phoenix Open following rounds of 70 and 75.
A first trip back to par-71 Riviera course in three years, which is also the host site for the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles, has given him a dose of good vibes.
“It’s fantastic to be back. Riv is by far my favourite golf course that we play on our regular schedule outside of the majors. I fell in love with this place from the first time I came here,” said Lahiri, who finished T64 and T26 in 2017 and 2018 respectively when the event was then known as the Genesis Open.
“I played well in the past and have great memories. I love old school golf courses. It’s a joy, a real pleasure and we’re in a great area and everything is so amazing with this tournament." While the 2028 Olympic Games is still a long way off, Lahiri is not writing himself out of the reckoning to feature one more time for his country as he knows what the Olympics does promote the game in India.
“2028 is a long ways away. I’ve been fortunate enough to wear the tricolour on two occasions (Rio in 2016 and Tokyo last year) and definitely Paris (2024) is a goal of mine and I’m actively looking to that,” he said.
“If I was to get an opportunity to do it over again in 2028, it’ll be fantastic. I won’t be a spring chicken by then but if I can stay fit and healthy, who’s to say I won’t come back, and wear the orange, the saffron and green again. Golf in the Olympics has been amazing, especially for some of the minority golf nations like India.” Lahiri last won a pro title in 2015 in the Hero Indian Open and since then has been seeking his first PGA Tour win.
Also Read : Varun Parikh surges into second round lead in Final Qualifying Stage
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Varun Parikh surges into second round lead in Final Qualifying Stage
Ahmedabad, Feb 16 (Golf News) Varun Parikh landed two eagles during his second round of three-under 69 to move up one spot into a two-shot lead at eight-under 136 in the Final Qualifying Stage of the TATA Steel PGTI Qualifying School here on Wednesday.
Gurugram-based Sunhit Bishnoi (66-72), the first round leader, closed the day in second place at six-under 138 after his 72 at the Kalhaar Blues & Greens Golf Club.
The cut went at 11-over 155. Out of a field of 121, the top 82 players including 15 amateurs made the cut.
Playing in his home town, the 23-year-old Varun (67-69), who was overnight second and one shot off the lead, made a steady start with pars on the first four holes before landing his four-iron approach to within six feet of the hole for an eagle on the par-5 fifth.
Varun, a professional since 2019, capitalized on the next par-5, the eighth hole as well, making a 12-feet birdie conversion there.
On the back-nine Parikh conceded bogeys on the 10th, 12th and 15th but also chipped-in on the 14th for his second eagle of the day and sank a 10-footer for birdie on the 17th to stay in front of the rest at the halfway stage.
Varun said, "I hit my tee shots and approach shots well over the last two days. Here at Kalhaar, the approach shots need to be well-placed keeping in mind the undulating greens and I managed to do that.
"Playing in familiar conditions has helped as Kalhaar is almost like a home course for me since I practice and play here regularly while not on tour. I know this course well and that is a big advantage. I'm approaching this week like any other event and taking it one round at a time." Manish Thakran (69-71) was placed third at four-under 140.
The seasoned Vijay Kumar, a former Indian Open champion, struck a hole-in-one on the second hole during his round of 74. He was placed tied eighth at even-par 144.
At the end of round four, the top 40 players will earn their full cards for the 2022 PGTI season.
Also Read : Jahanvi takes lead in 2nd leg of Hero WPGT
News Source : PTI
Jahanvi takes lead in 2nd leg of Hero WPGT
Visakhapatnam, Feb 16 (Golf News) Jahanvi Bakshi, a four-time winner in 2021, carded a superb 68 to take lead in the second leg of the Hero Women’s Pro Golf Tour here on Wednesday.
The 19-year-old, who was fourth in the opening leg last week, started off with a birdie and then had five more between seventh and the 14th.
She bogeyed sixth and the 13th and ended with 68.
Jahanvi is one shot ahead of Ridhima Dilawari (69) and two clear of amateur Sneha Singh, who was third.
Shweta Mansingh (71) was fourth as three players -- Seher Atwal, Rhea Purvi Saravanan and Nayanika Sanga -- carded an even par 72 each to be placed fourth on a good scoring day.
Last week’s winner Pranavi Urs had a modest day with 75 as she twice had back-to-back bogeys.
Ridhima, who had a subdued opening to the season, had back-to-back bogeys on 18th and first, as she started from the tenth. She had five other birdies.
Sneha, a three-time winner while still being an amateur, was even for her first nine with two birdies and two bogeys, and then had one bogey and three birdies on her back nine.
Neha Tripathi, Hitaashee Bakshi and Trimann Saluja were tied for eighth place to complete the Top-10.
Also Read : Lahiri aims to regain form in star-studded Genesis
News Source : PTI
Lahiri aims to regain form in star-studded Genesis
Los Angeles, Feb 16 (Golf News) Indian golfer Anirban Lahiri returns to the Riviera for the first time since 2019 when he tees up at the prestigious Genesis Invitational hosted by Tiger Woods this week with an aim to to regain his form.
Lahiri, who has had mixed results at the storied tournament, will look to improve on his best here which was T-26 in 2018. He made the cut in 2017, but missed it in 2019. He did not play in either 2020 or 2021. Lahiri’s best round here was 67 in 2018.
It has been a mixed season for Lahiri, who after a disappointing fall, has made three starts in 2022 and made the cut twice.
There have been rounds, where he has shown his ‘A’ game, but has also made errors as he shakes off the rust.
Lahiri’s last worldwide win came at the 2015 Hero Indian Open after which he has been on the PGA Tour.
The Genesis is one of three PGA TOUR events with elevated status, along with the Memorial Tournament and the Arnold Palmer Invitational.
Those three events offer a larger purse of USD 12 million which is a big jump from USD 9.3 million in 2021.
The Genesis Invitational at the Riviera Country Club this year will feature all 10 players in the Official World Golf Rankings. It is the first time since last year’s TOUR Championship that all Top-10 in the OWGR will tee up at the same event.
In both 2017 and 2020, the Genesis Invitational had nine of that week’s top 10. It is a rare case for a PGA Tour event that is neither a Major or a FedExCup Playoffs event, World Golf Championships event, or THE PLAYERS Championship.
The last time any TOUR event had all Top-10 was the 2007 Wells Fargo Championship at Quail Hollow Club.
The Riviera has some of the most difficult greens on the TOUR and often requires a lot of crucial par saves. Amidst all this, world No.1 Jon Rahm comes with superb records of 33 successive rounds of par or better and that goes back to the first round of the 2021 Open Championship.
The record for most successive rounds par or better is 52, held by Woods starting in 2000 AT&T Byron Nelson running to the Phoenix Open in February of 2021.
Woods had six TOUR wins, including three majors, in that amazing stretch.
Collin Morikawa, one of the hottest players on the Tour, grew up 30 miles from The Riviera. He hasn't had much success here and will be looking to change that as he is one of the favourites.
Also Read : Sunhit Bishnoi fires 66 to establish early lead at Final Qualifying Stage
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Sunhit Bishnoi fires 66 to establish early lead at Final Qualifying Stage
Ahmedabad, Feb 15 (Golf News) Sunhit Bishnoi of Gurugram fired a six-under 66 to establish his lead in round one of the Final Qualifying Stage at the TATA Steel PGTI Qualifying School here on Tuesday.
Varun Parikh of Ahmedabad struck an error-free five-under 67 to be placed second at the Kalhaar Blues & Greens Golf Club.
Twenty-one-year-old Bishnoi, who has been India’s top-ranked junior in the past, produced a flurry of birdies early in his round as he picked up strokes on the 11th, 12th and 14th.
A bogey followed for Bishnoi on the 15th before the newly-turned pro from the DLF Golf & Country Club scored four more birdies on the front-nine.
Sunhit, a winner on the amateur circuit last year and a six-time winner on the junior tour, landed it within six feet of the flag on five occasions on Tuesday thanks to his outstanding wedge-play.
Bishnoi, making his first attempt at the PGTI Qualifying School, said, "Distance off the tee is one of my strengths and I capitalised on that today. I made all the par-5s count with my good ball-striking. I also played some excellent wedge shots into the green. My putting was quite consistent.
"The fact that I won at my last outing here in Kalhaar playing as a junior helped my confidence coming into the Qualifying School.
"Finishing inside the top-5 at my Pre Qualifying event further added to my confidence ahead of the Final Stage. My coach Karan Bindra has always believed in my abilities and I would like to thank him for that." The top 80 players (+ ties) will make the cut after round two of the Final Qualifying Stage. At the end of round four, the top 40 players will earn their full cards for the 2022 PGTI season.
Also Read : Pranavi looks to maintain momentum in 2nd leg of Hero WPGT
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Pranavi looks to maintain momentum in 2nd leg of Hero WPGT
Visakhapatnam, Feb 15 (Golf News) Her confidence soaring high after emerging winner last week, Pranavi Urs would like to carry forward the momentum into the second leg of the Hero Women’s Pro Golf Tour at the East Point Golf Club, here.
The 19-year-old Mysore golfer, who turned pro only in 2020, has now won five times, twice as an amateur and three times as a professional.
While Pranavi, then still an amateur, won for the first time on the Hero WPGT in the middle of the season in 2018, she finished runner-up in the season’s first event in each of the three years 2019, 2020 and 2021.
She broke that jinx in 2022 as she began with a win. Interestingly, Pranavi won the second event of the season in both 2020 and 2021.
Having recovered from a wrist injury which forced her to take a back seat after the initial two events last year, Pranavi feels more confident.
Pranavi, who tried and failed to secure a Ladies European Tour card at the Qualifying School late last year, now wants to consolidate her game and form before making another attempt.
"I will try and play a few LET Access Series and hopefully some LET events in Europe later this year," she said.
Pranavi has been paired with Gaurika Bishnoi and Agrima Manral in the first round and they tee off from the first tee as 30 players, including four amateurs, will compete in the event.
Among the challengers for Pranavi are Bishnoi, who she beat in the play-off last week, Jahanvi Bakshi, Hitaashee Bakshi, Khushi Khanijau, Lakhmehar Pardesi, amateur Sneha Singh, Ridhima Dilawari and Seher Atwal.
Also Read : Gaganjeet Bhullar slips to T-59 at Ras Al Khaimah
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Gaganjeet Bhullar slips to T-59 at Ras Al Khaimah
Ras Al Khaimah, Feb 12 (Golf News) Indian golfer Gaganjeet Bhullar carded a disappointing 74 in the third round to slip to tied 59th at the Ras Al Khaimah Classic here.
Bhullar, who began the week with rounds of 70-67, dropped four bogeys, three of them between 11th and 14th, and just two birdies to be 5-under after the third day.
It was not the best of days on the course for Bhullar, who went into the water on the third and later to the rough and native and missed a few fairways.
Meanwhile, Ryan Fox doubled his lead from three to six as he added 7-under 65 to go with his rounds of 63-69. He is now 19-under and leads a group of four players, Adrian Meronk, Scott Jamieson, Adri Arnaus and Pablo Larrazabal, who are at 13-under.
Robert McIntyre along with Marcel Siem and Masahiro Kawamura are all at Tied-sixth at 12-under.
Also Read : Diksha Dagar rises to 21st, Amandeep slips to 57th in Kenya
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Diksha Dagar rises to 21st, Amandeep slips to 57th in Kenya
Nairobi, Feb 12 (Golf News) Battling tough conditions, India's Diksha Dagar turned in an even par 72 to rise to tied 21st at the Magical Kenya Ladies Open here.
In contrast, fellow Indian Amandeep Drall had a very rough day with seven-over 79 that saw her drop sharply to T-57.
Diksha played well in the conditions which stayed difficult at the Vipingo Range, picking up four birdies.
Diksha had four birdies on second, 11th, 14th and 18th, while she dropped shots on first and 16th and a double bogey on par-4 fifth.
Amandeep failed to manage any birdies and had five bogeys and a double bogeys.
Linnea Strom stayed in the lead even though she was even par through 14 holes in the third round. She is 3-under, while Spaniard Luna Sobron Gomes (68) was second at 1-under.
Three players Esther Henseleit, Emma Grechi and Sophie Hausmann are tied for third at even par, but still have some holes left.
Also Read : Lahiri misses cut at Phoenix Open, Indian-American rookie Theegala leads
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Lahiri misses cut at Phoenix Open, Indian-American rookie Theegala leads
Scottsdale, Feb 12 (Golf News) Indian golfer Anirban Lahiri missed the cut after carding four-over 75 in the second round of the USD 8.2 million Waste Management Phoenix Open here.
Lahiri (70-75) found himself on the wrong side of the cut line for the first time in three starts as signs of early season rust continued to show.
He had just two birdies and dropped six bogeys and exited early as the cut fell at 2-under.
Indian-American Sahith Theegala continued to make his sponsor’s exemption count well as he pushed himself onto the top of the leaderboard at the halfway stage of the tournament. He is now 12-under for 36 holes.
Theegala was 7-under through 16 holes in the first round when the first day’s play ended due to darkness but when he came back to play in the morning he finished bogey-bogey to drop to 5-under 66.
However in the second round, Theegala got back to business with 7-under 64 which included eight birdies, four on each side of the course. He had one bogey on the eighth hole.
Theegala is now two shots clear of defending champion Brooks Koepka (66-66) and Olympic gold medallist Xander Schauffele (67-65).
Two weeks after receiving a surprise sponsor’s exemption, the 24-year-old Theegala finds in a title fight with the likes of Koepka and Schauffele. Reigning FedExCup champion Patrick Cantlay (66) at 9-under is three behind Theegala.
First round leader Korean K.H. Lee, who led after Theegala dropped two shots in his last two holes of the remaining first round, had to overcome an early double bogey in second round to card a 70.
He slipped to Tied-eighth place on 7-under while Masters champion Hideki Matsuyama, a two-time WM Phoenix Open champion, enters the weekend in T13 following a second straight 68.
Theegala, a former amateur star at Pepperdine University, began his second round in style with four birdies in his opening five holes and then finished with an aplomb with four more birdies in his closing six holes to extend his dream week.
"Pretty great. I haven't had time to let it set in and hopefully I don't think too much about it because obviously what I've been doing has been working, but, yeah, again, just thankful I'm here and trying to make the most out of the opportunity. No expectations at all, honestly," he said.
He showed a cool head despite a disappointing start to his day, and his ball-striking prowess has helped yield 15 birdies so far, which is the best haul amongst the elite field.
"I wasn't too upset about the way it started (in the remaining two holes of the first round). Like I had a 15-footer to start the day, I put a good roll, just missed. And the next tee shot I put it under the lip of the fairway bunker and I'm like, okay, I can't do much about that, right? And I knew if I kept putting the ball in the fairway I'm going to have scoring opportunities." Theegala, whose father emigrated from India to California, had initially planned to enjoy a week off after four straight tournaments but altered his plans after receiving the invitation to this week’s USD 8.2 million showpiece.
Last October, Theegala, who was ranked No. 3 in the world amateur golf ranking, held the lead/co-lead through three rounds at the Sanderson Farms Championship before finishing tied eighth, his lone top-10 to date on TOUR.
He hopes the experience will push him towards a win.
"That was a huge week for me. It was probably the best stretch of golf I played. Some of the best ball striking I've ever had. So it was really great for me, knowing that when I'm playing near the top of my game that I'm able to compete.
"That was the biggest takeaway I had from that week and because of that I was able to put myself in contention," said Theegala, who earned his PGA TOUR card through the Korn Ferry Tour Finals last year.
Also Read : Amandeep, Diksha make cut in tough conditions in Kenya
News Source : PTI
Amandeep, Diksha make cut in tough conditions in Kenya
Nairobi (Kenya), Feb 11 (Golf News) Indian golfers Amandeep Drall and Diksha Dagar navigated through extremely tough conditions on the second day to make the cut at the Magical Kenya Ladies Open here on Friday.
Amandeep, who was T-10 after the carding 73 on the first day, dropped to 5-over 77 and slipped to T-27th at the halfway stage, while Olympian Diksha, who shot an opening round 75, scored 76 on day two to get to 7-over 151 and was T-29th.
The cut fell at 11-over.
Leader Linnea Strom of Sweden (68-73) was left as the only player under par for 36 holes. The next best was Nuria Iturrioz of Spain, whose 2-under 70 was one of the rare under rounds and was par for two rounds.
Seven players including Becky Morgan, the former winner of Hero Indian Open, were T-3rd at 1-over.
Amandeep, who spent a considerable part of 2021 on the LET Access Series, started from the 10th, and suffered a massive drop on her first nine itself as she bogeyed 14th, 15th, 17th and double bogeyed the 18th. She turned in 5-over for the day.
On the second nine, she birdied third and sixth, but again dropped shots on seventh and ninth.
Diksha, one of the only two Indians to have won on the Ladies European Tour, also started on 10th and she opened with a birdie.
However, that was her only birdie of the day and she dropped five bogeys on 12th, 14th, fourth, fifth and ninth.
The conditions have been difficult for scoring and only four players had under par rounds and only one player is still in red numbers after 36 holes in the first event of the Ladies European Tour for 2022.
Also Read : Pranavi ends 13-month title drought, wins first leg of Hero WPGT
News Source : PTI
Pranavi ends 13-month title drought, wins first leg of Hero WPGT
Hyderabad, Feb 11 (Golf News) Mysuru teenager Pranavi Urs ended her 13-month title drought and signalled a full return from her wrist injury as she claimed the first leg of the Hero Women’s Pro Golf Tour here on Friday.
The 18-year-old had a birdie on the first play-off hole against Gaurika Bishnoi, who had held the lead for the first two days at the Boulder Hills Golf & Country Club.
Amateur Sneha Singh (70) was sole third at 2-under 214, while Jahanvi Bakshi (69) rose to fourth at 1-under 215.
Durga Nittur (69), who had the day’s best round along with Jahanvi, was fifth at 2-over 218.
Pranavi, who was nine shots behind Gaurika after the first round, had cut the lead to three after the second round.
In the final round, flying on the wings of a superb eagle on Par-5 seventh, the long-hitting Pranavi, totalled one-under 71 despite a closing bogey on 18th in regulation play.
Both Gaurika, the overnight leader, and Pranavi bogeyed the first on day three.
Gaurika increased her lead to four with a birdie on the second hole, but Pranavi got it back to three with a birdie on third.
The eagle from Pranavi on Par-5 seventh narrowed it to one before Gaurika dropped two shots in quick succession on eighth and ninth. That handed over the lead to Pranavi for the first time.
On the back nine, it was Pranavi’s turn to drop shots and she did so on 10th and 13th as the lead went back to Gaurika.
A crucial two-shot swing took place on the 14th as Gaurika bogeyed and Pranavi birdied. Another birdie on 15th put Pranavi two clear. The two players parred the par-3 16th.
Coming to the 17th tee, Pranavi was two ahead, but Gaurika holed a nearly 20-foot putt for birdie to cut the lead to one.
On the 18th, Pranavi, probably nervous, three-putted from 20-25 feet to drop a shot and fall into a tie at 5-under 211.
However, she made amends in the play-off with a birdie, while Gaurika managed only a par.
“I have been driving and hitting well this whole week. I am not tense anymore about my wrist and the game was good overall,” said Pranavi.
“It was a great battle as the lead changed hands a few times. Maybe the eagle gave me an edge, but Gaurika played well. She birdied 17th and I three-putted 18th and we went into a play-off. That’s how close it was.” It was the fifth win on Hero WPGT Tour for Pranavi, who has been playing alongside the pros even while being an amateur.
Her first two wins on the Tour came as an amateur in 2018 and in 2020. She turned pro the week after her second win as an amateur and immediately won her first start as a pro.
In 2021, she won the second leg and was then injured and did not perform up to her expectations. Now fully fit, she is off to a fine start on the domestic Tour.
“I also hope to go to Europe and try for a few starts on LET Access and LET. That will hopefully help me get into the LET,” said Pranavi, who finished school this year and plans to focus even more on professional golf.
For Gaurika, it was a disappointment after holding the lead for the first two days.
Nayanika Sanga (73) and Hitaashee Bakshi (75) were tied sixth, while Jasmine Shekar (73) was eighth.
Ridhima Dilawari (74), unable to break par on any of the three days, was ninth, while Neha Tripathi (71) and Seher Atwal (73) were tied for tenth.
With the opening win, Pranavi took early lead in the Hero Order of Merit.
The next event, the second leg of the Hero WPG Tour will be held at the East Point Golf Club in Visakhapatnam from Feb 16 to 18.
Also Read : Lahiri 44th in first round at Phoenix Open
News Source : PTI
Lahiri 44th in first round at Phoenix Open
Scottsdale (US), Feb 11 (Golf News) Indian golfer Anirban Lahiri made a strong comeback after a sedate start as he was one-under 70 in the opening round of the USD 8.2 million Waste Management Phoenix Open here.
Lahiri's 70 placed him T-44 in the unfinished first round, which was suspended due to darkness.
Lahiri, starting from 10th, birdied the 13th from just over 10 feet and then dropped a shot on 16th. He turned in one-under following a birdie on 18th with a nine-foot birdie putt.
On his second nine, Lahiri took a drop in left rough and then missed a 10-footer for par on Par-4 first.
On the Par-5 third, Lahiri reached the green in two and had a 21-footer for an eagle. He managed a tap-in birdie and finished the day with six straight pars for 70.
Indian-American Sahith Theegala, who has often expressed a desire to play in India, was in stunning form as he was 7-under through 16 holes after starting from the 10th.
Theegala, a much decorated collegiate golfer, faces a clutch 16-footer for par on 8th, his 17th hole when he returns on the second day.
Playing on a sponsor's exemption, Theegala is the provisional leader at 7-under, as Korea’s KH Lee fired a super 6-under 65 for the first round clubhouse lead.
Theegala was thrilled to be there in the first place as a sponsor's exemption.
"I was obviously really excited because I knew the history of the tournament and obviously super strong field, probably the strongest field I played in so far this year, and I just figured it was like another free roll opportunity, might as well take advantage of it and obviously super thankful that I got in,” Theegala said.
Holder Brooks Koepka is amongst those who opened with a 66 while World No. 1 Jon Rahm and Olympic Games gold medallist Xander Schauffele shot 67s.
Two-time WM Phoenix Open champion and FedExCup points leader Hideki Matsuyama carded a 68 despite making three successive bogeys early on.
Also Read : Amandeep Drall 10th, Dagar 27th after tough first day at Kenya Ladies Open
News Source : PTI
Amandeep Drall 10th, Dagar 27th after tough first day at Kenya Ladies Open
Nairobi (Kenya), Feb 10 (Golf News) Indian golfer Amandeep Drall carded a one-over 73 to be placed Tied-10th at the Magical Kenya Ladies Open, the opening event of the 2022 Ladies European Tour, here on Thursday.
The other Indian in the field, Olympian Diksha Dagar overcame an extremely rough start to finish with 75 and was placed T-27.
It was not an easy day for scoring but Swede Linnea Strom shot 4-under 68 and led the action on a day when only nine players shot par of better and just four players were under par.
Emma Grechi of France was second with 70, while Amy Boulden of England and Julia Engstrom of Sweden shot 71 each.
Amandeep, a multiple winner on the Hero Indian domestic Tour, who spent a lot of time on the LET Access series last year, was very steady through the day.
She parred every hole on the front nine and the next three on the back nine. She dropped a shot on Par-4 13th but got that back with her only birdie of the day on 14th. A closing bogey left a bad taste but a 73 on a day like this was a fine start.
Diksha held herself together well with a birdie on the 11th and no more bogeys for a 75 that eventually placed her in a decent T-27th place.
Some well-known stars like Christine Wolf, Lee Ann Pace and Esther Henseleit were at 2-over 74 and T-15th.
Esther Henseleit had won the inaugural edition of the Magical Kenya Ladies Open back in 2019 and it was her maiden LET title.
Also Read : Bhullar starts with 2-under 70 in Ras Al Khaimah
News Source : PTI
Bhullar starts with 2-under 70 in Ras Al Khaimah
Ras Al Khaimah, Feb 10 (Golf News) Gaganjeet Bhullar got off to a modest start of 2-under 70 including a birdie-birdie finish in the opening round of the Ras Al Khaimah Classic.
Playing his first event on the European Tour after four months and also after recovering from Covid last month, Bhullar had three birdies against one bogey.
Ryan Fox carded the best round of his DP World Tour career to storm into the lead at the Ras Al Khaimah Classic. His nine-under 63 gave him a two-stroke lead in the Tour's second successive event at Al Hamra Golf Club.
Bhullar had a birdie on fifth, but gave that shot away on seventh. He parred the next nine holes before he birdied both 17 and 18. Pleased with the finish, he said, "Those two birdies at the end, gave me a lot of positivity towards the end and I think that will definitely boost my confidence for the next round.
"Overall I started off really well, hit a lot of fairways gave myself actually a lot of birdie opportunities today. Overall an okay start to the tournament. I guess the goal is to build up momentum on top of it." He however admitted he struggled while reading the lines.
On his return from Covid,"Well, right now health wise, I'm perfectly fine. I am 100% right now. But yes, it's been a while. I think the last international tournament I played was last year in November in Spain.
"But after that, yes, I had to miss out a few tournaments and then of course with this COVID situation. So it was it was a little different. This morning I was the first off in a European tour event after a gap of four months.
"But I guess you have to you have to get used to this. There are no excuses. Just get used to with the conditions as soon as possible and put up your best." Portugal's Ricardo Gouveia sits in outright second place after a seven under 65, while nine players share third place on six under, including Scot Robert MacIntyre and in-form Englishman Richard Bland.
Also Read : Indian players led by Shiv Kapur excited about the DGC Open
News Source : PTI
Indian players led by Shiv Kapur excited about the DGC Open
New Delhi, Feb 10 (Golf News) Leading Indian golfers like Shiv Kapur and Gaurav Ghei are excited about taking part in the inaugural the DGC Open here from March 24 to 27 as they aim to make a mark at their 'home' course.
The USD 500,000 prize purse tournament is a much-awaited one as the Delhi Golf Course if hosting an Asian Tour event after more than two years. It is the third event in Asian Tour's 2022 calendar.
"Playing in Singapore and Saudi and then in Thailand later this month will be a great way for getting into the rhythm and in good form ahead of The DGC Open, a tournament most Indian players are eagerly looking forward to," said Kapur, one of the best players to emerge from the hallowed turfs of DGC.
"The DGC is my second home and I have perhaps spent more time on the course than even my own home in Delhi. It is easily my favourite golf course and I am not only proud that it is hosting an Asian Tour event, but is promoting it and putting it together," said Kapur, who won an Asian Tour event at the DGC in 2017.
A lot of players have been virtually brought up on the DGC fairways and greens, such as Chiragh Kumar, Manav Jaini and even the seasoned and veteran Gaurav Ghei, who all had great memories of this club.
"Where else would you find such a pretty course in the heart of the city," said Ghei in a release.
"I have great memories and I always feel wonderful while playing here, whether for fun with my close buddies or in a major event and I am looking forward to The DGC Open," said Ghei, whose famous eagle finish in 1995 gave India one of its earliest wins on the Asian Tour.
Before Ghei, there was Ali Sher, a two-time Indian Open winner in the 1990s and still a well-known golfer. Since Ghei, there have been numerous other Indians ranging from Jyoti Randhawa, Arjun Atwal, Vijay Kumar, Anirban Lahiri, SSP Chawrasia, Kapur, Chiragh Kumar, Khalin Joshi and others who have tasted success.
Golf legend and nine-time Major winner Gary Player is expected during the week of the tournament and it was his design firm that worked on the renovation of the DGC course.
The redesign of the green complexes has made the course challenging for both professionals and amateurs. It has added to the charm of the course, in the backdrop of its flora and fauna and monuments.
Also Read : COVID-19 hits Indian Open golf yet again, cancelled for third year running
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COVID-19 hits Indian Open golf yet again, cancelled for third year running
New Delhi, Feb 10 (Golf News) COVID-19 continued to take a toll on international golf events in the country as the upcoming Hero Indian Open has been cancelled for the third year running, the DP World (European Tour) announced on Thursday.
The tournament was scheduled to be held from February 17-20 at the DLF Golf & Country Club in Gurugram.
The Tour waited to see if restrictions imposed due to COVID protocols, including quarantine requirements for incoming foreign passengers, would ease. But with the cases, though waning, still around and restrictions continuing to stay, it was decided to cancel the tournament.
The event will now be held next year. This is the third successive edition of the tournament that has been hit by the pandemic.
The hugely popular event which was last held in 2019, when it was won by Scotsman Stephen Gallacher, was postponed in 2020, 2021 and now 2022.
The upcoming edition was to carry the highest purse ever as it was raised from USD 1.75 million to USD 2 million.
The tournament was first conducted in 1964 and has been held every year since then.
In 2014, the event was not held due to scheduling changes as it was shifted from its older November dates to February.
The calendar year 201 DP World (earlier called European Tour), said on its website, "After being postponed from its original scheduled date of February 17-20, it had been hoped to reschedule the Hero Indian Open later this Spring, but it will now not take place in 2022.
"Both Hero and the Indian Golf Union remain fully committed to the tournament, and along with the DP World Tour, are planning for it to return to the Tour's schedule in 2023." Meanwhile, the Volvo China Open, which was due to take place from April 28 to May 1, will also not take place as originally scheduled due to ongoing restrictions in China.
The DP World Tour will work with Volvo and the China Golf Association to try and find a suitable alternative date, either later in the 2022 season or in the beginning of next season.
Also Read : Pranavi shoots career-best 65 but Gaurika leads by 3 in second leg of WPGT
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Pranavi shoots career-best 65 but Gaurika leads by 3 in second leg of WPGT
Hyderabad, Feb 10 (Golf News) Pranavi Urs, who spent almost a year waiting for her wrist to mend, showed that she will be a big factor this season by shooting a brilliant personal best bogey free 7-under 65 in the second round of Hero Women's Pro Golf Tour here on Thursday.
Pranavi, who had a modest 75 in the first round, is now 4-under 140 but still trails first round leader Gaurika Bishnoi (66-71) by three shots.
Gaurika was also going great guns before a double bogey on the Par-4 10th set her back at the Boulder Hills Golf & Country Club.
Amateur Sneha Singh, a local, shot 70 on the heels of her first round 71. At 3-under 141 she is sole third, while Hitaashee Bakshi (74-70) is even par 144 and placed fourth.
Pranavi, who started the 2021 season with a runner-up finish and a win in her first two events, then suffered a wrist fracture that virtually finished her season.
"It took a time to heal and there was a scare that I might aggravate it. Now it is almost 95 percent fine and I am feeling confident," said Pranavi.
"I started the season well in 2021 and had a win and a 2nd but after that it was tough. I went to the LET Q-School and did not make it." Pranavi, assisted by coach Steven Giuliano who is based in Singapore, has been working on her game and it has helped.
"He is in Singapore and I am in Mysore, so we work online and when things get better I want to spend time with him in Singapore. We have worked on my iron play and the short game. It all came together today." "It was great to shoot a personal best and my first ever bogey free round on the Hero WGAI Tour. I hope to build on this," added Pranavi, who plans to try and play a few events in Europe also this year.
"I will try to get into some LET and LET Access Series events." Pranavi has always had great starts to her season. In 2020 she was runner-up in the season's first event as an amateur and then won the second leg, while still being an amateur.
She turned pro and won the third leg and was second in the 5th. Now she is hoping to put it all together for a solid 2022.
Gaurika, who had a fine 66 on the first day, had a bogey on the second and a double on the 10th. Her birdies came on 5th, 7th, 14th and 16th.
Sneha Singh, who is very familiar with this course, had three birdies against one bogey, while Hitaashee Bakshi had five birdies against three bogeys.
Nayanika Sanga (72), Shweta Mansingh (72) and Jahanvi Bakshi (73) are tied for sixth place, while Ridhima Dilawari (72-75) and amateur Jasmine Shekar (71-76) are tied eighth. Durga Nittur (77-72) and Jyotsana Singh (71-78) completes the Top-10.
Also Read : Golf: Lahiri looks for redemption at Phoenix Open
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Golf: Lahiri looks for redemption at Phoenix Open
Scottsdale (USA), Feb 10 (Golf News) Indian golfer Anirban Lahiri returns to the course after a short break when he tees up at the Waste Management Phoenix Open here this week, hoping to make up for the modest results so far this season.
Lahiri will play alongside Kyle Stanley and Hank Lebioda from the 10th tee.
Lahiri, who made the cut at both the American Express and Farmers Insurance, finished 66th and T-46 respectively.
This was after making just two cuts in six starts in the Fall season between October-November 2021.
His last worldwide win came way back in 2015 when he won the Hero Indian Open and since then, he has been mostly on the PGA Tour, where he is looking for his maiden win.
Last season, Lahiri made the FedExCup play-offs and would like to make an early charge for it this time and not leave till the closing stages.
Brooks Koepka, who came back from five strokes a year ago would be looking at defending the title. That was a welcome win after a long barren patch.
Apart from Koepka, the field includes World No. 1 Jon Rahm, in-form Viktor Hovland, FedExCup champion Patrick Cantlay, Justin Thomas, Jordan Spieth, Matt Fitzpatrick, Rickie Fowler, Tony Finau, Daniel Berger, Francesco Molinari, Scottie Scheffler, Adam Scott, Harold Varner III, Matt Wallace, Bubba Watson.
It is a star-studded field and very open as the season moves towards the Majors, starting with the Masters in April.
Also Read : Career-best 66 gives Gaurika 5-shot lead on first day of Hero WPGT 2022
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Career-best 66 gives Gaurika 5-shot lead on first day of Hero WPGT 2022
Hyderabad, Feb 9 (Golf News) Gaurika Bishnoi turned in a career-best six-under 66 to grab a five shot lead after the opening day of the Hero Women’s Pro Golf Tour here on Wednesday.
The 23-year-old Gurugram golfer, who last won on the Hero WPGT Tour in 2019 - a season in which she picked two titles, was five clear of the second placed trio, which included two amateurs, Sneha Singh and Jasmine Shekar along with pro Jyotsana Singh who all carded 1-under 71.
Ridhima Dilawari, who had four birdies in a span of five holes, dropped three bogeys on the back nine as she ended with an even par 72.
Gaurika, who was hit by Covid in January, opened with a string of five pars as she was in the first group to tee off. She then birdied three times in the last four holes of the front nine to make the turn at 3-under.
She added four more birdies on the back nine on 11th, 13th, 14th and 17th and her sole blemish came on the Par-4 12th.
Amateur Sneha had three birdies on the front nine and two bogeys on the back nine.
Another amateur Jasmine, starting on 10th, was 3-over through 11 holes. She then struck a purple patch with 4 birdies in six holes between the third and eighth.
Jyotsana, also starting on 10th, had a bogey on 11th but then holed three birdies between 12th and 15th. On the second nine she birdied first but bogeyed second and third and parred the rest.
Jahanvi Bakshi and Anisha Agarwalla shot 73 each and were Tied-6th while Hitaashee Bakshi, Shweta Mansingh and Nayanika Sanga were Tied-8th with 74 each.
Also Read : Bakshi sisters lead the charge at the first leg of Hero WPGT 2022
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Bakshi sisters lead the charge at the first leg of Hero WPGT 2022
Hyderabad, Feb 8 (Golf News) India's young talent including the Bakshi sisters -- Jahanvi and Hitaashee -- will be back in action on Wednesday as the first tournament in the 2022 season of the Hero Women's Pro Golf Tour gets underway here.
As many as 32 players, including six amateurs, will tee off in the Rs.10 lakh event at the Boulder Hills Golf and Country Club.
The Bakshi sisters, who have already tasted success on the pro circuit, will be joined by some of the established names like Gaurika Bishnoi, Ridhima Dilawari, Seher Atwal, Neha Tripathi, Saaniya Sharma, Lakhmehar Pardesi and Pranavi Urs.
Almost all of them are past winners on the Hero WPGT.
The field also includes promising amateurs like Sneha Singh, Vidhatri Urs and Nishna Patel.
Another established player, who can always be among the contenders, is the seasoned Smriti Mehra.
There will be three events in February, followed by three more in March. The season which was due to start in January had to be pushed to February because of the pandemic.
Also Read : Indians end on a disappointing note at Saudi International, Varner holes 92-foot eagle for stunning win
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Sindhu, Mirabai among five nominees for BBC Indian Sportswoman of the year award
New Delhi, Feb 8 (Sports News) Two-time Olympic medallist badminton star P V Sindhu and Tokyo silver winner weightlifter Saikhom Mirabai Chanu were among the five nominees for the BBC Indian Sportswoman (ISWOTY) of the Year award announced here on Tuesday.
Besides Sindhu and Mirabai, star golfer Aditi Ashok, multiple medal winner at Tokyo Paralympics in shooting Avani Lekhara, Tokyo bronze winner boxer Lovlina Borgohain were the other three nominees, shortlisted by an distinguished jury of sports journalists, experts and sports writers.
"Success doesn’t come easy, it's not just few months of hard work, but years of hard work. Every day is a process, that’s how you come up to a certain level," Sindhu, who won a bronze at Tokyo Olympics to go with her silver five years back at Rio de Janeiro, said in a release.
Online voting for the award will remain open until February 28 and the winner will be revealed on March 28 at a ceremony here.
Aditi Ashok, who finished fourth place at the Tokyo Olympics said: "I am grateful and thankful because this was a good year for me, and I had some great performances. I am happy that golf is becoming more popular in India." The awards ceremony will also honour a legendary sportswoman with the BBC Lifetime Achievement award, and a young female player will be named as the BBC Emerging Player of the Year.
Also Read : Deepak Hooda helps Jaipur Pink Panthers overcome Gujarat Giants
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Indians end on a disappointing note at Saudi International, Varner holes 92-foot eagle for stunning win
Kaec (Saudi Arabia), Feb 6 (Golf News) Indian golfers did not have a great outing on the fourth and final day with all four of them signing off their respective campaigns outside the top 50 at the Saudi International here.
While Shubhankar Sharma (75) was T-51, Viraj Madappa (74) and Rashid Khan (75) were T-55. Shiv Kapur, who started the week with a 65 and was T-4, ended T-68.
American Harold Varner III holed a sensational 92-foot putt for an eagle on the 72nd hole to vault ahead of Bubba Watson and win the USD 5 million event. The two-time Masters winner, Bubba Watson had himself eagled the 18th from 15 feet to set the clubhouse target at 13-under, but Varner coming in three groups to the 18th tee was 12-under and needed a birdie to force a play-off.
Instead Varner holed the 90-feet plus putt for an eagle and win the title outright for a purse of One million dollars at the Royal Greens and Country Club.
Varner, leader at the start of that, closed with a one-under-par 69 and finish on 13 under as 12-time PGA Tour winner Bubba Watson finished second at 12-under despite a final round of 64.
Spaniard Adri Arnaus shot 71 to take to sole possession of third, three behind the winner, while Asian Tour regular Steve Lewton, who was paired with Watson, enjoyed a superb finish with a 67 and was tied for fourth.
The Asian Tour’s next event is the Royal’s Cup at Grand Prix Golf Club from March 3-6.
Also Read : Aditi shoots career-best 63; rises cutline to finish T-15 at Drive On Champs.
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Aditi shoots career-best 63; rises cutline to finish T-15 at Drive On Champs
Fort Myers (US), Feb 6 (Golf News) India's Aditi Ashok produced a sensational career-best nine-under 63 in the third and final round as she shot from the cutline to finish T-15 at the LPGA Drive On Championship.
Needing just 23 putts to go through the round, Aditi holed nine birdies and had no bogeys. There was a point, when most of the leaders had not even begun as Aditi rose up the leader board to as high as Tied-third, but finished T-15 as the others came into play.
After a T-13 in her previous start, Aditi is showing solid form and could well break through this season for her maiden title on the LPGA.
Ireland’s Leona Maguire (67) gave her mother a birthday present a day early by becoming the first woman golfer from her country to win on the LPGA Tour. Finishing in solo second was 11-time LPGA Tour winner Lexi Thompson.
Aditi, who shot 72-71 in the first two rounds, needed a birdie on her last hole of the second round, to make the cut. On the final day she was on fire.
“I was putting really good,” Ashok told the LPGA. “I made almost everything. Every chance I got, I made the putt, which was great.” “I wasn't hitting it as good as I wanted to,” Ashok said on Saturday. “I feel like I was not in control most of the time, so I was holing like 10-, 20-footers. Still, the putting worked, so it was a good day.” “I think I was kind of playing with a draw. Well, I was calling it a hook, but my dad was being nice. He was calling it a draw. I was turning the ball right-to-left a lot. After a couple holes I was just like, ‘I have to play with it today.’ I think it worked well.” Maguire shot a final-round 67 to cruise into the winner’s circle. Her 198 ties her career-best 54-hole score, last recorded at the 2021 Pelican Women’s Championship.
Sarah Schmelzel made six birdies in her final seven holes to jump up into third at 14-under. Five players tied for fourth at 13-under, including Brittany Altomare.
Apart from Aditi, Xiyu Lin also shot a career-best 63 to finish T-45.
Also Read : Kapur drops late bogeys, but best Indian at T-17; 4 Indians make cut at Saudi
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Kapur drops late bogeys, but best Indian at T-17; 4 Indians make cut at Saudi
Kaec (Saudi Arabia), Feb 4 (Golf News) Indian golfer Shiv Kapur endured a tough second round, carding a disappointing two-over 72 on a windy day but managed to stay as the best-placed Indian at the USD 5 million Saudi International here on Friday.
Kapur, who shot 65 on the first day, is now three-under for 36 holes and slipped to T-17 from T-4 overnight. Four Indians of the seven who started made the cut.
Apart from Kapur, Shubhankar Sharma (67-71), Rashid Khan (66-75) and Viraj Madappa 71-72) also made the cut.
American Harold Varner III moved past a heavy star cast to take the clubhouse lead mid-way through round two.
He shot four-under-par 66 to reach 10 under. He leads by two from Australian Cameron Smith and Matt Wolff from the United States, after they returned 66 and 67 respectively, in the season-opening event on the 2022-23 Asian Tour.
Shubhankar added 71 to his first round 67 to slip to T-21, while Rashid, starting the day at 4-under, rose to 6-under at one stage, but then crumbled to 5-over 75 and slipped to T-46.
Madappa squeezed inside the cutline despite two bogeys in the last four holes after starting from the tenth. At 3-over 143, he was T-59 as the cut fell at 4-over.
Three other Indians S Chikkarangappa (72-73), Veer Ahlawat (71-74) and Khalin Joshi missed the cut.
Kapur expected the conditions to be tougher on the second day and he held well for most part of the round. He was even par for the day with two birdies and two bogeys till he came to the 16th. He bogeyed 16 and 18 and instead of hanging inside T-10, he fell to T-17.
England’s Tommy Fleetwood, after carding a 67 on another windy day, was fifth at a total of 7-under.
Three others including two-time Masters champion Bubba Watson were Tied-6th at 6-under.
Harold Varner III, who began on the back nine, started poorly and was one over for his round after seven holes but then birdied four out of his next five holes.
Smith, a four-time winner on the PGA Tour, including the Sentry Tournament of Champions, made his move on a day with blustery conditions.
"I like it windy," said the Australian, who played on the Asian Tour in 2014.
At the start of the day, American Bryson DeChambeau withdrew from the event with a left hand and left hip injury.
Also Read : Aditi Ashok gets off to an even par start at Drive On Championship
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Aditi Ashok gets off to an even par start at Drive On Championship
Fort Myers (US), Feb 4 (Golf News) Indian golfer Aditi Ashok made a modest start with an even-par 72 that placed her tied 63rd after the opening round of the LPGA Drive On Championship here.
Aditi, who finished a solid T-13 last week, had three birdies and three bogeys at a course which afforded a lot of scores.
At even par, the Indian golfer was T-63 in the 54-hole event. She birdied ninth, 12th and 18th but dropped shots on first, 13th and 15th.
Japan’s Nasa Hataoka and American Marina Alex topped the leader board after the first round with scores of 7-under 65 each.
Hataoka made eight birdies, with seven of them coming after her lone bogey on No. 13, her fourth hole of the day. Her last two victories have come in three-round events, including the 2021 Walmart NW Arkansas Championship and the Dana Open, when the fourth round was washed out due to rain. Of her five Tour wins, four were earned at three-round tournaments.
Alex posted her first bogey-free round since the 2021 Pelican Women’s Championship. Her 65 is her lowest 18-hole score since 2019. She recorded five-straight birdies from ninth to 13th.
Linnea Johansson, Leona Maguire and Patty Tavatanakit sit in a tie for third at six-under. Tavatanakit finished tied 13th in the first two events of the season.
Six players sit in a tie for sixth at five-under.
Also Read : Shiv Kapur strong finish places him T-4th in Saudi International golf
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Shiv Kapur strong finish places him T-4th in Saudi International golf
Kaec (Saudi Arabia), Feb 3 (Golf News) India's Shiv Kapur landed four birdies on the back nine, including three in the last four, to lie tied fourth with a five-under card at the star-studded USD 5 million Saudi International Golf Championship here Thursday.
Kapur was lying T-4th alongside former world no 1 Dustin Johnson and the latest Asian Tour Order of Merit winner, Kim Joohyung, who also shot 65 each.
Kapur, who turns 40 in less than 10 days, carded 65 and was three behind surprise leader Italian Matteo Manassero (62). England's Sam Horsfield and Spaniard Adri Arnaus carded 64 each and were tied-second.
Indian golfer Rashid Khan too had a good comeback after a sedate front nine for a round of four-under 66 that placed him T-12.
Shubhankar Sharma, runner-up at the Abu Dhabi Championship last month, looked in great form with three birdies on the trot in his first four holes after starting from the 10th.
Sharma then parred the next 10 before dropping a shot on sixth, which he made up with a birdie on Par-3 eighth, his penultimate hole. He was lying T-23rd.
Among other Indians Veer Ahlawat (71) is tied at one-over alongside Sergio Garcia and Lee Westwood, Khalin Joshi (74) shot four-over, while Viraj Madappa was one-under after 15 and S Chikkarangappa was even after 15.
Kapur, now based in Dubai, who also returned COVID positive during the break, said, "It was a pretty steady round. Nothing brilliant, just lots of fairways and greens. A couple of greens that I missed narrowly, I managed to get up and down. I never really put myself in trouble, so you know it was one of those sort of stress-free rounds - fairways and greens and give myself chances." "The greens are a little bit tricky to read here. Fast greens late in the day can be a bit of a challenge as ball kind of bounces around a bit." On his season so far, Kapur added: "A bit of stop and start after the break. I had COVID over the break and then came out a bit of lacklustre but I felt over the weekend I played quite steady in Singapore.
"Again nothing brilliant but just did a lot of good things and shot four rounds and came in this week. I was feeling quite good. I like the golf course and makes you think a little bit. There's a bit of strategy involved. And you need to have the right sections of the green." Kapur, who spent a little over 11 years between his first and second Asian Tour wins in 2005 and 2017, had three successes in 2017. Since then he lost a play-off in Thailand and a good start this week should renew his confidence.
Kapur began with a birdie on fourth but gave it back in sixth only to get another birdie on ninth.
On the back nine of the Royal Greens Golf and Country Club, Kapur birdied Par-3 11th and then further gained on 15th, 16th and 17th. It was a rare occasion when he missed the fairway on 18th and made only a par.
Also Read : Saudi International: Shubhankar is top Indian as Dustin Johnson leads field
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Saudi International: Shubhankar is top Indian as Dustin Johnson leads field
Kaec (Jeddah), Feb 2 (Golf News) Shubhankar Sharma is the best-ranked among seven Indians in fray at the star-studded USD 5 million Saudi International Golf Championship starting Thursday.
Former world No. 1 and current No 5, Dustin Johnson will be bidding for a hat-trick of Saudi International titles which also includes a bevy of global golfing superstars.
Johnson is joined by a powerful contingent of Americans, including Bryson DeChambeau, Xander Schauffele, Phil Mickelson, Tony Finau, Bubba Watson and Patrick Reed.
Northern Ireland's Graeme McDowell, the winner here in 2020, Spaniard Sergio Garcia, and Englishmen Lee Westwood, Paul Casey, Tommy Fleetwood, and Ian Poulter, are also competing.
The event will mark the start of the season on the Asian Tour at Royal Greens Golf & Country Club.
Apart from Sharma, who was runner-up at the Abu Dhabi Championship on the DP World a fortnight ago, the other Indians include Shiv Kapur, Rashid Khan, Khalin Joshi, Viraj Madappa, S Chikkarangappa and young Veer Ahlawat, who came close to winning his maiden Asian Tour title in Singapore last month as the 2021-22 season wound up.
The Asian challenge is led Korea's 19-year-old star, Kim Joohyung who won the 2021-22 Order of Merit.
Kim plays with Johnson and Jason Kokrak in the first round. Over 50 Asian Tour members are competing including six Asian Tour number ones. That includes Sharma, who was Asian Tour No. 1 in 2018.
Two-time Major winner Johnson made his first start of the year at the Farmers Insurance Open on the PGA Tour and finished at tied 25th.
"Well, I mean, this year is no different than any other year," said the 37-year-old.
"Absolutely, I'm going to try to do everything I can to put myself in a position to have a chance to win come Sunday. Yeah, obviously the field keeps getting better and better every year, so it gets a little harder and harder to win the trophy.
"They've done a great job with this event and keep bringing a lot of world-class players in. I think this year is probably the best field they've had. It's a lot of talent, a lot of really good golfers. It’s going to be a challenge," Johnson added.
Also Read : Aditi finishes T-13 as Lydia Ko wins title at Gainbridge
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Aditi finishes T-13 as Lydia Ko wins title at Gainbridge
Boca Raton (US), Jan 31 (Golf News) Indian golfer Aditi Ashok got her 2022 season off to a solid start with a T-13 finish at the Gainbridge LPGA here.
A fourth-place finisher at the Tokyo Olympics, Aditi, who shot 66 on the first day, closed the week with three birdies against a lone bogey for 2-under 70 that saw her total 4-under 284.
Aditi might well have been inside the top-10 finishers but for the third round in cold and windy conditions which saw her shoot 76 and drop down the leaderboard.
The Indian, who just got two welcome sponsorships from Hyundai and Radisson, was pleased with her start to the season.
“Nice start to my 2022 season here at Boca Rio at Gainbridge LPGA. Had a lot of fun playing in the Pro-Am with young girls,” she tweeted.
Gracious as ever, she also thanked the volunteers and all those involved with the tournament and her supporters.
Lydia Ko became the first player to reach 17 wins before the age of 25 since Nancy Lopez captured her 17th title in 1979.
Lydia (69) held off a strong challenge from Danielle Kang (68) and she later said the birdie on the Par-4 15th tilted the scales in her favour.
The Kiwi star added another birdie on No. 16 before getting up and down out of the greenside bunker on No. 18 to seal the win at 14-under overall.
Kang finished runner-up, a week after winning the Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions.
Yuka Saso (67) was sole third, two shots back of Ko, while Charley Hull (68) and Celine Boutier (69) shared fourth at 11-under.
Lexi Thompson (68) finished in a tie for sixth on 7-under with Brooke Henderson (68), while Nelly Korda shot 2-under 76 to conclude the week in a tie for 20th at -2.
Korda is expected to lose the No. 1 spot in the Rolex Rankings to Jin Young Ko, who is projected to assume the spot for the fourth time of her career despite not competing in Boca Raton.
Also Read : Hovland rallies to win Dubai Desert Classic, Sharma finishes 75th
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Hovland rallies to win Dubai Desert Classic, Sharma finishes 75th
Dubai, Jan 30 (Golf News) Viktor Hovland rallied from a six-shot deficit to get into a play-off and win the Dubai Desert Classic in rather dramatic fashion at the Emirates Golf Club here on Sunday.
The 24-year-old Norwegian youngster, who has now on three times in his last five starts had a birdie-eagle-birdie finish to end up at 12-under and the waited for the others, including Rory McIlroy to finish, even as the 48-year-old Englishman Richard Bland finished birdie-birdie to get to 12-under.
McIlroy needing a birdie to win outright had just saved par with two great shots on 17th, but on the 18th, going for the green in two, he found water. The resultant bogey dropped McIlroy to 11-under and out of the play-off.
In the play-off, Bland going for the green in two found himself in a divot and coming out of it, he left himself a birdie putt that just missed out. Hovland with a two-putt for a win made no mistake and added a second European Tour win to go with four others on the PGA Tour.
India’s Shubhankar Sharma after 72-72 on first two days, ended with 76-76 on last two days. The final round had two double bogeys besides three bogeys and three birdies for a 76 and ended T-75 a week after finishing second at Abu Dhabi.
As Bland finished second, McIlroy was left stranded third. Five players including Justin Harding, the overnight leader, Tyrrell Hatton, Sam Horsfield, Adrian Meronk and Erik Van Rooyen were Tied-fifth.
Hovland becomes the first Norwegian to win a Rolex Series event and adds this title to his maiden DP World Tour victory at the 2021 BMW International Open.
It is his third win in five starts after back-to-back victories in November and December at the World Wide Technology Championship at Mayakoba and Hero World Challenge, and could move him up to third in the Official World Golf Ranking.
Also Read : Aditi shoots 76 on tough day, drops to tied 17th
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Aditi shoots 76 on tough day, drops to tied 17th
Boca Raton (Florida), Jan 30 (Golf News) Indian golfer Aditi Ashok dropped to tied 17th on a very difficult day for scoring, when it was both chilly and windy, at the Gainbridge LPGA here.
The four-over card for Aditi began with a birdie but she had four bogeys in a row from fifth to ninth and another on 11th for a 76 after 54 holes.
Aditi shot 72 on the second day of the first event for the Indian this year.
Lydia Ko held her own for 72 in the tough conditions and carried a two-shot lead into the final round at 11-under overall.
Last week's Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions winner Danielle Kang signed for a 2-over 74 on Saturday.
Celine Boutier's 69 was one of two bogey-free rounds in the third round and it put her into sole third at 8-under.
A win by Boutier would give her three LPGA Tour victories, the most by a French player on LPGA.
Charley Hull (71) and Yuka Saso (72) shared fourth at 7-under, while Lexi Thompson (73) moved to tied 10th. Nelly Korda shot 4-over 76 to drop to tied 23rd.
Also Read : Lahiri finishes tied 46th at Farmers Insurance Open
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Lahiri finishes tied 46th at Farmers Insurance Open
San Diego (US), Jan 30 (Golf News) India's Anirban Lahiri began the final day with a superb 36-foot putt for birdie and added two more on front nine, but bogeys on second and ninth ensured a tied 46th-place finish at the Farmers Insurance Open here.
However, he did close with a birdie for 2-under 70.
Lahiri, who was tied 62nd after three rounds improved his ranking but that must have been small consolation for the Indian, who was looking for a good start to the year.
He was tied 66th last week at American Express and missed the cut in four of the six starts in the Fall season.
Luke List, who began the final round five shots behind co-leaders, Will Zalatoris and Jason Day, shot six-under and then waited for almost two hours to see if he had a chance to win his maiden PGA Tour title in nine years.
With Zalatoris shooting 71, both were 15-under and it came to a play-off and List won it with a birdie on the first sudden death hole.
Day fell one short with 72 at 14-under as did World No. 1 Jon Rahm (71) and Cameron Tringale (70). They were all tied for third at 14-under.
List birdied four of his first six holes and two of his last three to close with 66. And, he won with a tap-in birdie on the first extra hole, the par-5 18th. It was his 206th start at the age of 37 years, 15 days.
He also earned his second berth into the Masters Tournament and his first start at the 2023 Sentry Tournament of Champions.
Sungjae Im carded 71 and was the top Asian at tied 6th at 13 under, while fellow Korean Si Woo Kim (71) was tied 11th at 12-under. Hideki Matsuyama (68) ended tied 30th.
Also Read : Lahiri shoots 72, lies 62nd at Farmers Insurance Open.
News Source : PTI
Lahiri shoots 72, lies 62nd at Farmers Insurance Open
San Diego (US), Jan 29 (Golf News) India's Anirban Lahiri stayed where he was -- at tied 62nd position -- after an even par 72 in the third round of the Farmers Insurance Open on the PGA Tour here.
Lahiri was holding the same spot at the halfway stage of the tournament too.
The Olympian, who squeezed into the weekend rounds right on the cutline may well have improved his position but for a disappointing finish that saw him drop three bogeys in the last five holes after starting from the tenth.
Will Zalatoris, seeking his first PGA TOUR title in his 40th start, shot 65 and moved into shared lead with former world No. 1 Jason Day (67) at 14-under. Torrey Pines is also the site of Zalatoris' first professional start on TOUR.
Lahiri starting from 10th bogeyed the 11th, but back-to-back birdies on 12th and 13th followed by five pars saw him turn in one-under. On the second nine the Indian birdied second but over the last hole he dropped shots on fourth, fifth and seventh and picked one birdie on sixth. A few missed putts inside 10 feet did not help his cause.
Sahith Theegala, who, at 8-under was tied 27th, three-putted the 12th hole to end his TOUR-leading streak of 314 consecutive holes without a three-putt.
Day is looking for his 13th PGA TOUR title and third at Farmers Insurance Open.
England's Aaron Rai was placed tied 3rd, which is his best position after any of his 55 rounds on TOUR and he shared the spot with Jon Rahm, who is trying to become the first world No. 1 to win on TOUR since Dustin Johnson at the 2020 Masters Tournament.
Asia's top positioned player was Sungjae Im (69 and tied 5th).
Zalatoris holed a 40-yard pitch for eagle and added birdies at number 4, 8, 9, 10 and 14 for a bogey-free 65 (-7). The eagle at No. 2 marked his third in a 20-hole stretch and he carded eagles on his opening and closing holes on the North Course in round two.
Zalatoris' best finish has been runner-up at the 2021 Masters Tournament.
Day birdied his last three holes en route to 5-under 67.
Two-time DP World Tour winner and PGA TOUR rookie Aaron Rai birdied his final two holes for 4-under 68.
Sungjae Im at 12-under looks to continue his streak of improving his result in each appearance at Farmers Insurance Open.
Also Read : Aditi cards even par, stays in Top-5 at Gainbridge on LPGA
News Source : PTI
Aditi cards even par, stays in Top-5 at Gainbridge on LPGA
Boca Rio (US), Jan 29 (Golf News) Indian golfer Aditi Ashok carded a sedate even par 72 in the second round to slip to tied fifth at the Gainbridge LPGA here.
There were no fireworks from Aditi, who after a six-under 66 on the first day, slipped two places on Friday.
Danielle King (68) moved into the lead at 11-under alongside Lydia Ko (70).
Aditi, who finished fourth at the Tokyo Olympics, bogeyed second and seventh and birdied fifth and eighth and parred the entire back nine of the course.
This is Aditi's first start in 2022 and a good finish here will help her to build a fine season on the LPGA.
Meanwhile, Nishtha Madan, making her LPGA debut, exited early with rounds of 77-80.
Ko had four birdies for a two-under 70 in the second round, while Kang had five birdies against one bogey.
Two players are four shots behind Kang and Ko at -7, including Jodi Ewart Shadoff (69), who will round out Saturday's final grouping off No. 1 tee.
The other is Yuka Saso (70), the 2021 US Women's Open champion. Saso has not missed a cut on Tour since accepting LPGA Tour Membership after that victory.
A group of five individuals, including Aditi share the fifth spot at six-under overall. As many as 74 players made the cut at one-over.
Also Read : Tense closing birdie helps Sharma make cut at Dubai Desert Classic golf
News Source : PTI
Tense closing birdie helps Sharma make cut at Dubai Desert Classic golf
Dubai, Jan 28 (Golf News) Indian golfer Shubhankar Sharma rode on a closing birdie with a 12-foot tense putt to make the cut at the 2022 Slync.io Dubai Desert Classic here on Friday.
Sharma, at one time was in danger of missing the cut, which looked like falling at even par and eventually fell at one-over.
Sharma, with birdies on third and 18th and bogeys on fourth and sixth, carded a second straight par and was placed T-49th.
With the cut coming at one-over, as many as 80 players ensured play over the weekend.
South Africa's Justin Harding landed a spectacular eagle to light up a 68, which he also called a grind, and took a two-shot lead into the weekend.
The South African had to return to complete his opening round on day two and birdied the last to take a share of the 18-hole lead before a hole-out from 183 yards on the par-four sixth in round two helped him hit the front at 11-under, two clear of four-time Rolex Series champion Tyrrell Hatton.
Sharma, who finished runner-up at the Rolex Series Abu Dhabi Championship last week, was relieved to ensure a chance over the weekend instead of missing out after a good week in Abu Dhabi.
"That would have been a pity, as I am playing well. That closing birdie, which was a bit of a double breaker, was good to go back with. It gives you confidence," he said.
"Mentally, it was a grind. It wasn't easy to make putts. I wasn't stroking at the best either. So it was tough towards the end. I was waiting patiently for a birdie to secure my spot for the weekend. But, I'm still confident I'm playing well. It's all about getting on to a good start tomorrow." Asked about his hitting, Sharma added: "I was hitting the ball really well yesterday and even today it was just putting that didn't work. I would say it could have been a solid 3 or 4 under. With that hitting I should have done better." Harding is a two-time winner on the DP World Tour but is yet to star in a Rolex Series event, with last week's tie for 25th at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship matching his best finish.
South African Erik van Rooyen and Paraguay's Fabrizio Zanotti were at eight-under, one ahead of Ryder Cup teammates Viktor Hovland and Rory McIlroy, England's Richard Bland, Dane Joachim, B Hansen and Pole Adrian Meronk.
Defending champion Paul Casey was in the all-English group at six-under alongside Marcus Armitage, Tommy Fleetwood, Sam Horsfield and Lee Westwood.
Also Read : Aditi cards 6-under for a flying start, lies third; Nishtha way behind
News Source : PTI
Aditi cards 6-under for a flying start, lies third; Nishtha way behind
Boca Rio (US), Jan 28 (Golf News) Indian golfer Aditi Ashok got off to a flying start at the Gainbridge LPGA with a superb 6-under 66 to be Tied-third and three short of leader Lydia Ko (63) here.
Aditi, who missed the cut last time she played here at this course, was in sparkling form, finding the first 17 green in regulation. She faltered only once on the 18th and it ended in a bogey.
Another Indian, the LPGA debutant Nishtha Madan, who is playing on an invite, had a struggle with 5-over 77 that began with a birdie but then had five bogeys and a double against one more birdie on 12th.
Aditi carried a Callaway 5-Hybrid as she handled the longer holes very well on a track which is very long. The hybrid clearly worked for her and gave her more chances, prompting her to remark that she wished had taken a hybrid earlier in her career.
“Last time [here at Boca Rio] I missed the cut, but I remember it being really long. This time I was kind of focused on playing the long holes good and worked on my hybrids a lot the last three, four days,” Aditi said.
“That helped because I know I’m going to get at least five or six hybrids, maybe more, into greens. Being able to hit those close and make birdies with hybrids was good for me.
“I actually made, I think, three or four birdies today with a 5-hybrid [approach], which is great for me. Wish I would've added it sooner in my career, but better late than never,” Aditi added.
Ko, a 16-time Tour winner, fired a bogey free 9-under 63. That gave her a two-shot lead over Danielle Kang.
Kang, winner of the Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions last week, had eight birdies against one bogey in her 7-under 65.
Seven players are tied for fourth with 67s and the group included the 2021 U.S. Women’s Open champ Yuka Saso.
Rolex Rankings No. 1 and defending champion Nelly Korda was among those who shot 4-under to be T-11.
The Gainbridge LPGA was hosted by Lake Nona Golf and Country Club in Orlando last year and returned to Boca Rio Golf Club this year.
Also Read : Lahiri makes cut, ensures weekend action at Farmers Insurance Open
News Source : PTI
Lahiri makes cut, ensures weekend action at Farmers Insurance Open
San Diego, Jan 28 (Golf News) Indian golfer Anirban Lahiri returned a card of two-under 70 to make the cut and be placed Tied-62 at the halfway stage of the Farmers Insurance Open, here.
The Indian ace, who had just one birdie on either side of the at the Torrey Pines (South) however had the satisfaction of being bogey free.
With rounds of 71-70 he is now 3-under, which was also the cutline, and placed T-62, 14 places higher than where he was after the first round.
Lahiri did create a lot of opportunities between 10-15 feet for birdies, but missed at least six of them, including one inside 10 feet. His birdies came on Par- 4 12th and Par-4 fifth. He will now need to build on this bogey free round to rise upwards and finish strongly over the weekend.
Three players, including the current World No. 1 Jon Rahm, and former No. 1 Justin Thomas, shared the lead at 13-under for 36 holes.
The third player in the shared lead was Adam Schenk, who is a day short of his 30th birthday.
Asia's top man right now was the Korean golf star Si Woo Kim who soared into contention thanks to a stellar 8-under 64. He is tied sixth and four behind co-leaders Thomas, Schenk and Rahm.
The 26-year-old Kim, who is a three-time PGA TOUR winner rode on seven birdies and one eagle at Torrey Pines' North Course for a two-day aggregate of 9-under 135.
Schenk's 62 at North Course was a career low 62 and it featured eight successive birdies from Hole Nos. 4-11 while 2017 FedExCup champion Thomas and Rahm, who won the U.S. Open at Torrey Pines last year, carded 63 and 65 respectively also at the North Course to share the lead on 13-under.
Rahm birdied three of his first four holes and three of his last four on the North Course, for a 7-under 65, while Thomas made nine birdies and no bogeys to post a 9-under 63.
Dustin Johnson made five birdies against two bogeys for 3-under 69 and he was T-17.
Three-time Farmers Insurance Open winner Phil Mickelson followed a 4-over 76 in round one with a 1-under 71 to miss his second cut in as many weeks.
Another Korean, Sungjae Im, fired a solid 66 on the more difficult South Course for tied 12th place on 8-under.
Chinese Taipei’s C.T. Pan and Japan’s Masters champion Hideki Matsuyama will enter the final two rounds on 5-under after rounds of 72 (South Course) and 67 (North Course).
Players compete one round each during the first two days at the North Course and South Course, with the latter being used for the final two rounds.
Also Read : Madappa, Joshi and Chikka take India's strength at Saudi International to seven
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Madappa, Joshi and Chikka take India's strength at Saudi International to seven
Abu Dhabi, Jan 27 (Golf News) India's Viraj Madappa tallied 10-under for the 36-hole Saudi International qualifier to win it by four shots and make the main draw of the USD 5 million Saudi International next week.
The qualifier was played at the Abu Dhabi Golf Club.
Madappa joined Shubhankar Sharma, Rashid Khan, Veer Ahlawat and Shiv Kapur, who are already in the field for the star-studded lucrative event, which will herald the start of the 2022 Asian Tour season.
Making it sweeter for the Indian contingent was that Khalin Joshi, who failed to finish in Top-2 of the qualifiers also got into the field, as did S Chikkarangappa. That brought the total number of Indians in the field to seven.
The tournament, taking place at Royal Greens Golf & Country Club from February 3-6, will feature the strongest field ever assembled for an Asian Tour event.
The cream of the Asian Tour will compete in next week's PIF Saudi International. The field includes six Asian Tour number ones and over 50 Asian Tour players, who between them have hundreds of Tour titles.
The field, which includes some of the top stars of the world like former World No. 1 Dustin Johnson and US Open winner, Bryson DeChambeau, will see some young and upcoming Asian stars like Jooyhung Kim, 19, competing against them.
Kim just secured the 2020-21 Asian Tour Order of Merit title at the weekend, after finishing joint second in the SMBC Singapore Open.
Other world stars in the field include Olympic champion Xander Schauffele, multiple Major winner Phil Mickelson, Cameron Smith, former Masters champion Sergio Garcia, Lee Westwood, Paul Casey, Tommy Fleetwood, and Ian Poulter, among others.
Korea's Kim leads an impressive line-up which includes former Merit list champions Thongchai Jaidee from Thailand (2001, 2004, 2009), his compatriot Jazz Janewattananond (2019), India's Shubhankar Sharma (2018), Malaysia's Gavin Green (2017), and Australian Scott Hend (2016).
Majed Al-Sorour, Deputy Chairman and CEO of Golf Saudi and the Saudi Golf Federation, said: "It's incredibly exciting to enter a new era for the tournament in partnership with the Asian Tour by seeing the elite players from the region take on the world here in Saudi Arabia.
"There are some brilliant players who have qualified alongside some rising stars of the game across Asia that will have an amazing opportunity and platform next week to showcase their talent, in the strongest field in our history." The Asian Tour resumed play at the end of last year, following a 20-month break caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, with back-to-back events in Phuket.
Also Read : Sharma looks to build on Abu Dhabi showing in Dubai Desert Classic golf
News Source : PTI
Sharma looks to build on Abu Dhabi showing in Dubai Desert Classic golf
Dubai, Jan 26 (Golf News) Fresh from his best performance on the European Tour since 2018, Indian golfer Shubhankar Sharma is brimming with confidence and is raring to go in the second Rolex Series event at this week's Dubai Desert Classic here.
Sharma, who came within a shot of pulling off his greatest win and finished second at Abu Dhabi Championship, is drawn in one of the early groups from the 10th tee alongside 2011 Masters champion Charl Schwartzel and Sam Horsfield, who won the Hero Open in 2020. They will tee off at 7.40 am local time.
"I am feeling good and confident. I have taken a lot of positives from the week (in Abu Dhabi). Naturally one is disappointed at having come so close and not closing it, but I am proud of the showing. I played well and had some really long putts on the final day," said Sharma.
He also had a few misses, which proved costly, but is hoping to work on them.
Sharma, now 25, has won twice on the European Tour at the Joburg Open and the Maybank Open in Malaysia.
Meanwhile, four-time Major champion Rory McIlroy is looking for his maiden Rolex Series title at his happy hunting ground -- Dubai.
McIlroy made just his fourth DP World Tour start at Emirates Golf Club as a 16-year-old amateur in 2006 - also following Tiger Woods round inside the ropes - and three years later he lifted the trophy for his first professional victory.
He won the Dallah Trophy again in 2015 and having also tasted glory twice at the DP World Tour Championship and lived in the Emirates, the Northern Irishman is delighted to be back.
Paul Casey is seeking to add another achievement to his already glittering CV when he defends the title in Dubai this week.
The 44-year-old has 15 DP World Tour wins in addition to three victories on the PGA TOUR and has been on the winning side in three of his five Ryder Cup appearances.
Viktor Hovland arrives in Dubai in excellent form having finished fourth at last week's Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship and with two wins in his last four events.
Also Read: Lahiri set for star-studded Farmers Insurance Open.
News Sources : PTI
Lahiri set for star-studded Farmers Insurance Open
San Diego (US), Jan 26 (Golf News) India's Anirban Lahiri begins another campaign this week at the Farmers Insurance Open, the second tournament of the West Coast swing at the picturesque Torrey Pines here.
The tournament, like last week at American Express, will be played on multiple courses -- the South and North Courses. The golfers play each course once on the first two days before action over the weekend shifts to South Course for last 36 holes.
Lahiri, who had a decent start over the first two days at American Express, faded away over the week. This week he will look to better that as he plays the North Course first in the company of Maverick McNealy and Brandon Hagy.
Lahiri has another reason for wanting to do well as the Farmers has not been one of his favourite hunting grounds, having missed the cut in 2016, 2020 and 2021. His only cut here was in 2018 when he was tied 54.
Indian American Sahith Theegala, who also faded away in the final round after shooting a 10-under in one of the earlier rounds, is also in the field at Torrey Pines. He plays the South Course first with Seth Reeves and Kamalu Johnson.
It will be a star-studded contest with the marquee group featuring World No. 1 Rahm alongside Dustin Johnson and Justin Thomas. The field comprises 156 golfers and will host six of the top 10 golfers in OWGR.
Others in the field include Hideki Matsuyama, Patrick Reed, Xander Schauffele and Bryson DeChambeau among those headlining the field. Also in the field are Brooks Koepka, Justin Rose, Jordan Spieth, Tony Finau, Rickie Fowler and Francesco Molinari besides last week's winner Hudson Swafford.
Rahm, a winner here in 2017, has an excellent record at Torrey Pines and will be looking for another good week.
Also Read : Lahiri finishes T-66 at Amex; Swafford takes title.
News Sources : PTI
Let your performance do the talking says Pankaj Advani - Indian billiards and snooker player
It would require an entire book to list the number of achievements Pankaj Advani has accomplished in billiards and snooker. The 36 year old is a 24 time World Champion, 15 times winner of the IBSF World Billiards Championship, three times winner of the IBSF World Snooker Championship and is the only cueist to have won the Asian and World Championships in all formats of billiards and snooker. He has also been bestowed the Arjuna Award in 2004, Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna in 2006, Padma Shri in 2009 and Padma Bhushan in 2018 by the Government of India.
In this exclusive interview with SPOGO, The Prince of India - Pankaj Advani reflects upon his formative years and his journey, the role of Arvind Savur in his development, his most memorable achievements, facing and overcoming challenges in his career, advice to aspiring players, future goals and more!
Q 1) Tell us about your formative years and your journey towards becoming the poster boy of Indian snooker.
As a youngster, I was exposed to sports like badminton, cricket, table tennis and basketball. Our family was based in Kuwait but because of the Gulf War, we shifted to India! My older brother Shree used to play snooker in a small club near our home in Bangalore. I was fascinated with the coloured balls, the technique and rules of the sport just by watching him and his friends play.
After 3 weeks of observing them, I finally tried my hand at it and in the first go, I pocketed the ball to my surprise and delight! I was very passionate right from the start. I attended summer coaching camps in the Karnataka State Billiards Association to hone my skills and compete with better players. I never knew how far I’d go but I knew I wanted to do something with the talent I had. My school, college and family supported me and that really helped in taking cue sports as a career. At age 18, I won my first World Title in China against a Pakistani player Md. Saleh in the final, a moment I’ll never forget. There was no looking back after that.
Q 2) How important of a role did former national Snooker champion Arvind Savur play in your early snooker development? What are some of the valuable lessons you learnt from him?
He refused me initially because I was too short. When we eventually started working together, my game and level improved rapidly. I started winning titles at an early age and I guess the reason for winning consistently is because of Mr Savur’s contribution to my career. He never ever charged me a single penny because he wanted to create a World Champion and realize his dream through me. He was a semifinalist himself years ago. He’s a father figure, philosopher and guide to me. One of the most generous kind hearted people I’ve ever known.
Q 3) You have a number of achievements in your illustrious career so far, which one do you consider the most special and why?
There are many highs, especially my World Championship Gold Medals. It is difficult to pick one out of them. I’ve always felt I wanted to do something different in cue sport. I managed to win both the Billiards and Snooker IBSF World Championships in Doha in 2017. 99.9 % of cueists specialize in either billiards or snooker. I believed I could do it in both and excel and win titles. The dual fear in 2017 was a record! One of my biggest achievements in my cue sports career.
Also read: My aim is to win gold for India at the 2022 Asian Games - Golfer Avani Prashanth
Q 4) You are also the first player to hold the world title and the continental title at the same time, how proud are you of that achievement?
The nature of snooker is unpredictable compared to billiards. To win both Asian and World Titles in Snooker and that too in the shortest format - 6 reds, is truly a special and wonderful feeling. Very difficult to repeat for me.
Q 5) Despite the immense success that you have accomplished, what are some of the challenges you have faced in your career and how did you overcome them?
As an athlete in India, you get support once you start performing and doing well. Initially I remember my mother had to break an FD to send me to the UK for my first ever international competition. My father passed away when I was 6 years old. Those were tough times. I was also not taken seriously because of my height when I began my journey in cue sport. I only believed in one thing - let your performance do the talking.
Q6) What would you want to say to young aspiring players, who look up to you and want to make it big on the world stage? Do you have any tips for them?
Be patient, nothing comes on a platter! Work towards your goals and be disciplined but always be open minded to learning something new everyday. I believe I still have so much to learn even after 20 years of competitive billiards and snooker!
Q 7) Having achieved nearly everything there is to accomplish, what are the next steps in your career?
I love playing. I love competing and I love representing my country at the international stage. Currently, I am preparing for the IBSF World Snooker Championships to be held in Doha in March. I would love to see our great sport on television and for fans to understand it and appreciate what we do on the table.
Lahiri finishes T-66 at Amex; Swafford takes title
La Quinta (US), Jan 24 (Golf News) Indian golfer Anirban Lahiri carded a bogey-filled 3-over 75 in the final round to finish a disappointing T-66 at the American Express Championship here.
Lahiri totalled 5-under 283 for four days, while Indian American Sahith Theegala, who rose to T-11 on day 3 finished T-33 after a final round of 75.
Hudson Swafford, 34, came from behind to claim his third career PGA TOUR victory and second at The American Express. This title came five years and one day after his 2017 success.
Swafford carded 8-under 64 as rookies Lee Hodges and Paul Barjon, who were 1-2 after 54 holes fell off. Yet at T-3, it was a career-best finish for Hodges. Tom Hoge finished runner-up for the second time.
Lahir, who opened the week with 69-67, shot an even par 72 in the third round. In the final round, starting on 10th, he double bogeyed 10th, bogeyed 11th, bogeyed 15th and double bogeyed 17th to be six-over after eight holes.
A birdie on 18th stopped the collapse and he had three birdies on his second nine against one bogey on first for 75.
Lahiri will now play the Farmer’s Insurance Open next week.
Reigning FedExCup Champion Patrick Cantlay finished ninth and defending champion Si Woo Kim finished T-11, his fifth top-25 finish in the 2021-22 season. World no. 1 and 2018 American Express champion Jon Rahm closed with a 1-under 71 to finish T-14.
Korea’s Sungjae Im closed with a 66 to finish T-11, his third successive top-12 finish at the tournament.
Swafford entered the final round trailing by three strokes and closed with an 8-under 64 in the final round for a two-stroke victory at 23-under 265. He made two putts over 45 feet this week, both on the Stadium Course.
Patton Kizzire (T22) aced the par-3 4th (175 yards, 7-iron) for his third career ace on TOUR. He had two in 2019 at the Sentry Tournament of Champions and The RSM Classic.
Also Read : Sharma comes agonisingly close to winning Abu Dhabi Champs, finishes second
News Source : PTI
My aim is to win gold for India at the 2022 Asian Games - Golfer Avani Prashanth
Despite being only 15 years old, Indian golfer Avani Prashanth has a number of accomplishments to her name. She was the youngest to win both the stroke and match play tournaments at the Indian Golf Union (IGU) All-India Ladies Amateur Golf Championship and is the number one amateur player in India. She also received a special invite to participate at the third edition of the Augusta National Women’s Amateur, having been invited personally by Brett Sterba, Director, Masters Tournament, Augusta National Golf Club.
In this exclusive interview with SPOGO, Avani Prashanth speaks about her journey as an amateur golfer, being selected for Global Child Prodigy Award 2022, memorable achievements, overcoming challenges, future goals and more!
Q 1) When were you first introduced to golf and what motivated you to pursue it professionally?
I started my journey into the world of Golf when I was 3 years, 10 months old. My grandparents were visiting my dad in Gurgaon, where he was working. I remember I was jumping all around them insisting that I wanted to go along too, however my father wasn’t paying attention. Lt Col Murthy, my grandfather, coaxed my father to take me along. We went to Manesar Golf Club, near Gurgaon and put me in the junior club. My father just taught me how to hold a club and swing, I swung and made solid contact with the ball. I continued hitting balls for a while and they realized my eye hand coordination was commendable.
My Father then requested Mr. Nathan Sundaram, his friend and IGU certified Coach, to teach me. He was reluctant saying she was too young at 3 years and 10 months. After some persuasion, Coach Nathan did teach me one little thing and told me to practice under the watch of a Caddy. My father and Nathan then walked off to play a round, they returned 4 hrs later after playing 18 holes, to find me still hitting the balls. This convinced my father and Nathan that I was committed and enjoyed playing Golf.
I started learning under coach Nathan initially and then with Mr. Jacob the head coach of Ikoyi Golf Club in Lagos. In 2012 I played my first US kids golf international in Abuja and then qualified for the US kid’s European championships in May 2013. It was then that Kenny Thompson, a Nigerian Golf professional, organizer of the tournament, living in the United Kingdom, called my dad to confirm my participation. When my dad showed tentativeness to take me to the tournament, Mr. Kenny persuaded my dad and said he would under write all their costs of participation in the competition, if we did not enjoy playing in the tournament.
Needless to say, it was a fantastic experience, even though I was only 5.5 years old at the tournament, I felt like I played well and I ended up finishing T15 and convinced my father that I was made for achieving greater peaks in Golf. We went back again next year and this time I finished T7 and qualified to play at the U.S Kids Golf World Championship at Pinehurst, North Carolina State.
Q 2) At just 15 years old, you were selected for Global Child Prodigy Award 2022 as India’s finest amateur female golfer. How proud are you of that accomplishment?
It feels really great to be recognized as a child prodigy, I am very thrilled. I also believe as a prodigy, it is now my responsibility to help grow this wonderful game and continue to significantly improve my performance.
Q 3) How was the feeling of being the only Indian female golfer to have been invited to the Augusta National women’s amateur championships?
It is a fantastic feeling. We had no idea this was coming. The Augusta National Tournament Director reached out to the Indian Golf Union seeking my contact details, wrote to my father and requested to speak to me. When they reached out to my father, I was playing on the golf Course, but the Augusta National Tournament director insisted on speaking to me. My father called me and then we did a conference call and then the tournament director broke the news to me. I was delighted as this is the highest powered Amateur Golf tournament in the world and I, as a 15 year old, was invited to play. I am the first female Golfer from India to play in the tournament.
Q 4) You have achieved a number of things despite being very young, what is your most memorable achievement to date and why?
I won the All India Stroke play and All India Ladies & Girls amateur match-play tournament at the Noida Golf Club in Nov 2021. We played 8 rounds of tournament Golf before I emerged victorious. I am also the youngest ever female golfer to win the above 2 tournaments plus the All India Junior Girls, in one year. That is why it is memorable.
Q 5) What are some of the challenges you have faced in your career so far and how did you overcome them?
2017/2018 were not 2 of my best years. We changed our coach to Laurence Brotheridge, went back to basics, fixed the key issues that were there with my game. We consistently kept measuring progress on the key areas and in 2019, I won 6 out of the 7 IGU tournaments I played in and finished as the Order of Merit leader and I have not looked back since.
Q 6) What are your future goals and ambitions? How do you plan to achieve them?
My goals for 2022 include finishing T-75 in the World Amateur Golf rankings (WAGR), Winning a Gold for India in the 2022 Asian Games in China. I also aspire to represent India at the 2024 Olympics and win a Gold Medal. 2024 onwards I plan to play in the LET and LPGA and become the first Indian to become World No.1 in 2026. My father keeps track of all my key playing statistics and compares it with the World No.1 and I get inspired to play better and better in every aspect of the game.
Sharma comes agonisingly close to winning Abu Dhabi Champs, finishes second
Abu Dhabi, Jan 23 (Golf News) Indian golfer Shubhankar Sharma put up an amazing performance against a star-studded field but came up one stroke short of what would have been the biggest victory of his career, ending tied second at the Abu Dhabi Championship here on Sunday.
Sharma, starting the day at T-4, finished Tied-second for his career-best result on the European Tour, now called the DP World Tour. he was day at 1-under 71 for the day and totalled 9-under for the tournament.
Sharma, who was hit by a double bogey on two of the first three days, endured another one on the final day at a crucial juncture.
After having shown his intentions of making a charge with a fine birdie on second, Sharma was hit by a double bogey on Par-4 third.
But he fought back and stayed in the frame. He birdied the fifth, 10th and missed a par putt on the 17th. He did manage a birdie on 18th but the bogey on 17th was costly.
Belgian Thomas Pieters, the overnight co-leader at 10-under, birdied eighth but dropped a shot at 11th to be back at 10-under.
He went through tense moments on the back as he parred his last seven holes.
Sharma was thrilled with his performance, yet he did feel disappointed at having come so close and missing the big title.
"I am very happy with the way I played today and I am delighted with my finish," said Sharma.
"I putted really well throughout the tournament and it was a shame I missed the one on the 17th. But to finish with a birdie on the last was a good feeling.
"This just gives me a lot of confidence going forward into the season. Some of the top players in the world were here this week, and gives me a lot confidence that I can finish high up on the leaderboard and compete with them," he added.
Pieters became the first Belgian to win a Rolex Series event. The former Ryder Cup player was calmness personified while the others fell away in the challenging breezy conditions at Yas Links.
A birdie at the eighth hole moved him three shots clear but Viktor Hovland, Rory McIlroy, Ian Poulter, Rafa Cabrera Bello and Sharma were among the many stars to move in and back out of contention at various points during a thrilling final day.
Pieters dropped just a single shot thereafter, at the par-5 11th, and signed for a level-par 72 and a 10-under total.
That elevated him to the top of the 2022 DP World Tour Rankings and moved him firmly back into the top 50 of the Official World Golf Ranking for the first time since April 2018.
Also Read : Veer finishes career-best 5th in Singapore but misses Open berth
News Source : PTI
Veer finishes career-best 5th in Singapore but misses Open berth
Sentosa (Singapore), Jan 23 (Golf News) India's Veer Ahlawat ended the SMBC Singapore Open with a career-best tied fifth finish despite dropping three shots on the last two holes in the final round here on Sunday, but missed out on the 150th Open Championship at St. Andrews.
It saw him fall from a tie for second to tied fifth and also robbed him of a chance to grab one of the four spots for the 150th Open Championship at St. Andrews.
India had another Top-10 finisher in Shiv Kapur (69) at 5-under, while the other Indians were way down. Viraj Madappa (73) was T-48, Rashid Khan (73) was T-53rd and S Chikkarangappa (76) was T-65.
Thailand's Sadom Kaewkanjana kept his nerve on the back nine after starting the day at 11-under. He parred the first seven and then birdied the eighth and ninth, then parred all the way back on back nine.
Overnight co-leader Sihwan Kim dropped three bogeys in a row on back nine. Sadom won at 13-under, while Japan's Yuto Katsuragawa (68) and last week's winner, Joohyung Kim (69) were tied for third. The consolation for Sihwan (73) was that he ended sole fourth and took the last Open berth.
Ahlawat, American Jarin Todd (66) and Korean Doyeob Kim (66) were tied for fifth.
Sadom picked up a cheque of USD 225,000 and finished the year in second place on the Merit list, with US$D 78,972. Kim Joohyung, who finished tied second, however, won the Asian Tour of Merit.
After earning USD 108,125 at Sentosa Golf Club Kim topped the list with earnings of USD 507,553 having played in all eight events on the schedule.
Ahlawat began his final round in a whirlwind manner with an incredible streak of four birdies in the first four holes followed by a fifth on the sixth.
The 25-year-old Indian, whose sole professional win came on his domestic Tour in India, raised visions of ending India's title drought on the Asian Tour since 2018. Starting at 5-under he rose to 10-under, but then the birdies dried up.
Not only did the birdies dry up, but worse he double bogeyed the Par-3 17th and bogeyed the 18th. The only consolation was that it bettered his previous best on Asian Tour, which was T-8 at Panasonic Open 2019 and Blue Canyon Phuket Championship in December 2021.
Also Read : Anirban Lahiri makes cut at American Express golf tournament
News Source : PTI
Anirban Lahiri makes cut at American Express golf tournament
La Quinta (US), Jan 23 (Golf News) Anirban Lahiri had a birdie and a bogey on either side of the Stadium Course as the Indian carded an even par 72 in windy conditions to make the cut at the American Express golf tournament.
At 8-under, Lahiri is currently T-45 after 54 holes.
The Indian will be back on the Stadium Course for the final round as the Top-70 made the cut from 156 professionals.
While Lahiri slipped from T-32 to T-45, Indian-American Sahith Theegala built on his second round of 10-under 62 with a 4-under 68 in third round to move to 14-under and T-11.
Two rookies, Lee Hodges (64) and Paul Barjon (65) shared the lead as the reigning FedExCup champion Patrick Cantlay (72) dropped to T-11.
Lahiri opened with a neat birdie on first but gave that gain away with a bogey on Par-3 sixth and turned in even.
On the back nine he bogeyed the 15th but made up for that at 16th. In the third round, when there was wind going up to 28 miles per hour, Lahiri did not give himself too many opportunities inside 10 feet.
Hodges and Barjon had the advantage of a late tee time as they missed a bit of the wind and had decent conditions at least on the back nine.
Tom Hoge, seeking his first career PGA TOUR title in his 201st start, is third at 17-under after 68.
After opening with a 10-under 62 at La Quinta and 4-under 68 at Nicklaus, Cantlay dropped with an even-par 72 on the Stadium Course. It ended his streak of 21 consecutive rounds in the 60s.
World no. 1 and 2018 American Express champion Jon Rahm shot a 5-under 67 to be 13-under. He is T-15.
Defending champion Si Woo Kim is T-24 at 11-under 205, while Phil Mickelson once again missed the cut at the event.
Also Read : Shubhankar shoots 67 in tough conditions, rises to 4th in Abu Dhabi
News Source : PTI
Shubhankar shoots 67 in tough conditions, rises to 4th in Abu Dhabi
Abu Dhabi, Jan 22 (Golf News) India's Shubhankar Sharma on Saturday bounced back from an early double bogey to card 5-under 67, which brought him inside Top-5 of the Abu Dhabi Championship, the first in the Rolex Series on the DP World Tour.
After rounds of 70-71 on the first two days, Sharma rose from 3-under for two days to 8-under for three days and 54 holes.
Sharma, who won the second of his two European Tour titles in 2018, was tied fourth alongside Norwegian Viktor Hovland, who bogeyed the 18th hole.
Scott Jamieson (68) will aim to become a wire-to-wire winner as he clung on to his lead carding a superb birdie on the final hole to move one clear of Shane Lowry (67) and Thomas Pieters (67).
Jamieson was 11-under, while Lowry and Pieters were at 10-under with Sharma and Hovland at 8-under.
Sharma opened with a birdie on first but dropped a double on Par-4 sixth. He hit back immediately with an eagle with a superb 33-foot putt. He birdied ninth, 11th, 14th and 15th and parred the final three for his 67.
Sharma has now had two doubles – one on the first day on Par-3 fourth and one on Par-4 sixth on third day.
Sharma, who began the day with a fine birdie, had a double and fought back superbly for a 67, that was the score of the day.
"I am quite happy with the way the day went, especially after that double bogey. It was important that I fight back after that and to get an eagle was very satisfying," said Sharma.
On what is working for him, Sharma added, "I feel like it's just a game of patience out here. With the high winds anything is possible and you know. So when that double (bogey) happened I just had to stay patient.
"So you just have to give yourself perspective every time you make those errors and try to give yourself as many opportunities as possible and that's been working for me this week." As for any changes he may have made in his game or attitude, Sharma said, "No, I have not made any changes. I went back home in October last year. I was on tour for six months and I was really tired.
"So I had to go back home and just chill with my friends. I had to get recharged and that's all I've done. I've not really changed anything in my swing. And I just feel more energetic and more healthy now." On his plan for the final day, he said. "Patience. It's all it's all to do with patience. Tomorrow will be long day and I'm pretty sure it'll be windy as well. So I just have to keep the energies up and give myself chances."
Also Read : Lahiri T-32 after second round at American Express
News Source : PTI
Lahiri T-32 after second round at American Express
La Quinta (US), Jan 22 (Golf News) Indian golfer Anirban Lahiri shot a bogey free 5-under 67 in the second round to move up to T-32 in the American Express Championships here.
Put alongside his first round 3-under 69, Lahiri is now 8-under for 36 holes and is T-32 on the leaderboard.
Playing at the Nicklaus Tournament Course, the second of the three courses which the players negotiate on the first three days, Lahiri birdied fifth, seventh and ninth to turn in three-under and then added birdies on 11th and 13th for his 67 on a windy day.
He moved 20 places up from his overnight position.
Sahitya Theegala, an American of Indian origin, shot an error free 10-under 62 in second round to be 10-under for two rounds. He had carded an even par on the first day.
The cut is applied after three rounds in this event.
The current FedExCup champion Patrick Cantlay followed an opening round of 10-under 62 at La Quinta Course with 4-under 68 at Nicklaus Tournament course to extend his streak of consecutive rounds in the 60s to 21. He is now 14-under and one ahead of second placed Tom Hoge (64-67), who was bogey-free for 36 holes.
The 2020-21 PGA TOUR Rookie of the Year Will Zalatoris closed with seven consecutive birdies from third to ninth after starting from 10th on the Nicklaus Tournament Course.
His round of 61 got him to 12-under and Tied-third place with four others including Lanto Griffin and Emiliano Grillo who posted the lowest scores of the day at Stadium Course with 7-under 65.
World no. 1 and 2018 winner of the tournament Jon Rahm (66-70) was 8-under after a 70 at the Nicklaus layout.
Defending champion Si Woo Kim was 8-under for the tournament after a 68 at Nicklaus. He shot 68 on the first day.
Tournament host Phil Mickelson (78-73) was 155th in the 156-man field.
Also Read : Veer Ahlawat rises to Tied-5 in Singapore while Kapur, Madappa are T-16
News Source : PTI