The home fans had plenty to cheer about on Thursday morning at the Hero Women’s Indian Open with domestic amateurs Vidhatri Urs and Avani Prashanth getting off to solid starts as they both fired under par rounds in Delhi.
Teeing off in the first group at DLF Golf & Country Club, Urs – one of 35 Women’s Golf Association of India (WGAI) members in the field this week – set the pace as she posted a round of 70 (-2) to sit inside the top 10.
The 17-year-old amateur recovered well after making a bogey on her opening hole, the par-4 1st, going on to card five birdies including one on the signature par-4 17th.
“I knew the course was going to be a little tight today and on the front nine the pin positions were a bit tight,” Urs said, whose cousin Pravani plays on the Ladies European Tour (LET). “So I just wanted to finish it in pars. And then in the back nine a few holes were pretty easy so I just went for it.
“It’s a good experience playing with the professionals. I’ve played here a few times here in WGAI professional events. The course setup is really good and the greens and everything else. The course is very pretty.”
Playing in her second LET event this week (the amateur missed the cut at last year’s Hero Women’s Indian Open), Urs was also boosted by having her parents in attendance who have travelled to watch her from her hometown of Mysuru.
“My mum and my dad are here today and it’s great to have them,” she said. “It feels nice to know you have someone out there just to support.”
Playing one group behind Urs and starting on the 10th hole, Prashanth, also 17-years-old, got off to a hot start when she birdied four of her first 10 holes to storm into an early lead.
Admitting the putter then got cold, the Indian amateur dropped shots on the par-4 2nd and par-3 3rd before giving another back on the par-4 8th to post a round of 71 (-1).
“The way I started, I would have expected to finish at least five-under-par, because [after 10 holes] the course only gets easier from there,” Prashanth said. “But I did the opposite.”
Prashanth, from Bangalore in the south of India, made history back in August when she became her country’s first winner on the LET Access Series (LETAS) claiming the Ashsell Final in Sweden.
Teeing up in her fourth event of the LET season this week, and with plans to attend LET Q-School in December, the 17-year-old remains confident she can produce a good result in Delhi despite the shaky back-nine on day one.
She continued. “If i stick to just how I played in the first couple of holes, then I’ll definitely go low and that’s the plan for the week.
“I feel very comfortable now playing on the LET. I think the environment is just great. Everyone’s so welcoming to the younger ones. You can really ask some questions on the golf you know where you stand against the best in the world. It’s a good test.”
Urs and Prahanth currently sit T6 and T11 respectively on the leaderboard with Norway’s Madelene Stavnar holding the number to reach after firing a flawless 66 (-6).
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