PANCHKULA : Pranavi Urs, who has tasted success twice as an amateur and then two more times as a professional on the Hero Women's Pro Golf Tour, showed that she is fast recovering from the injury that set her back earlier on. She took the first-round lead in the 11th leg of the Hero WPGT at the Panchkula Golf Club with a card of 3-under 69 that gave her a one-shot lead over Amandeep Drall.
Pranavi, who won once earlier this year, had four birdies against one bogey, while Amandeep, winner last week, had a bogey each in the first and 10th holes against four birdies, three of which came on the back nine.
Seher Atwal had two birdies in the last three holes in her card of 1-under 71. She had one bogey on par-5 15th and then birdies on 16th and 17th.
Lakhmehar Pardesi (73) was fourth, while amateur Kriti Chowhan and Jahanvi Bakshi shot 74 each. Vani Kapoor (75) was sixth. Amateur Avani Prashanth and Rhea Jha carded 76 each, while five players shot 77 each in tied 10th place and they were Hitaashee Bakshi, amateur Puneet K Bajwa, Rhea Saravanan, Gauri Karhade and Ishvari Prasanna.
Pranavi, who also went to Europe for a couple of starts to test her game, seemed to have found her rhythm early. She birdied the second and fifth holes but dropped a shot on seventh. Birdies on 11th and 15th added to her performance as she closed with 69, the only sub-70 round of the day. (IANS)