Bengaluru: The spotlight was on amateurs on the opening day as Keerthana Rajeev Nair and Vidhatri Urs grabbed the lead alongside pro golfer Khushi Khanijau at one-under 71 in the 10th leg of the Hero Women’s Pro Golf Tour, here on Wednesday.
Khanijau’s birdie on the 18th hole, while playing alongside the talented Keerthana, ensured both had a share of the lead before the duo was joined at the top by Vidhatri, who had won the ninth leg by a massive 13 shots.
Three others led by the experienced Tvesa Malik alongside a yet another amateur, Mannat Brar, who leads the Order of Merit on the IGU circuit, and rookie pro, Kriti Chowhan shot even par 72 each.
Four players, including two more amateurs, Saanvi Somu, who was second behind Vidhatri in the ninth leg, and Prakruthi Sastry, were tied for seventh place alongside Ananya Datar and Neha Tripathi. They all carded 1-over 73 each.
With five players in the Top-10, the amateurs grabbed the limelight as they have been in recent WPGT events.
Amateur Keerthana, who was the runner-up in the eighth leg, had an action-packed round with six birdies, three on either side of the golf course. But she also had two bogeys and a double on the ninth on the front nine, but she was bogey free for the second stretch over which she birdied three times, on the 14th, 16th, and 18th holes.
Vidhatri had three birdies against one bogey on the front nine and just one bogey on the back nine.
Khushi, the best pro on the day, had two birdies on the front nine and two bogeys on 10th and 12th, but ensured a under par card and a share of the lead with a fine birdie on 18th.
Tvesa, searching for her form, birdied fifth and the eighth and dropped shots on the ninth and the par-5 16th for an even par 72.
