JOIN US Gursimar Badwal alternated from the ordinary to the brilliant to seize the lead in the ninth leg of the Hero Women’s Professional Golf Tour 2017 here on Tuesday.
The Kapurthala pro, who posted her lone victory in February 2016, shot the only sub-par round of the day -- a one-under 71 for a two-shot lead at the Prestige Golfshire.
Amateur Ridhima Dilwari was placed second while the quartet of Pranavi Urs, Gaurika Bishnoi, Neha Tripathi and Mehar Atwal shared the third spot at 74.
Title favourite Vani Kapoor made a shocking start, carding 77, while Order of Merit leader Amandeep Drall too endured a disastrous opening, shooting a bogey-filled 78.
The 24-year-old Gursimar actually took off on a erroneous note, dropping shots on the second and third holes. She then dropped a third bogey on the sixth hole as things looked very bleak for her.
She, however, rallied in impressive fashion. She sunk a birdie on the eighth and then picked up shots on the 10th and 14th holes to negate all the early damage. Even before she could heave a sigh of relief, she ended up collecting her fourth bogey on the 15th.
But she fired back-to-back birdies on the 16th and 17th holes to take the clubhouse lead on what was a difficult day for the majority of the pack.
Leading scores (after 18 holes, ‘A’ denotes amateur): 71: Gursimar Badwal; 73: Ridhima Dilwari (A); 74: Pranavi Urs (A), Gaurika Bishnoi, Neha Tripathi, Mehar Atwal; 75: Siddhi Kapoor.