Mysuru, May 29 (IANS) Vani Kapoor, seeking a fourth title in as many starts, grabbed a share of the lead in the first round of the seventh leg of the Women’s Pro Golf Tour at the Jayachamaraja Wadiyar Golf Club. Vani, who has not finished below the second place on the domestic WPGT in the last five starts, has also won the fourth, fifth, and sixth legs of the Tour.

Playing at the JWGC in Mysuru, Vani shot 71, as did her friend and former Hero Women’s Indian Open runner-up, Amandeep Drall, and local star, Vidhatri Urs.

The trio shot 1-over 71 each as none of the players broke par on the course, which had seen a lot of rain over the last few days. In fact, with more rain expected, the players will go out in a shotgun start in the second round on Friday morning.

The course continued to be wet as it had rained over the last couple of days. That also meant preferred lies were being used. The wet fairways and the mild drizzle, plus the winds added made it challenging. The forecast for Friday is more rain.

Rhea Purvi Saravanan, who won the opening leg this season, was tied for fourth with a round of 2-over 72.

Vani Kapoor had two birdies against three bogeys, as did Vidhatri Urs. Amandeep Drall had pars through the front nine and then had two birdies against three bogeys on the back nine.

Rhea had back-to-back bogeys on the front nine and then a double bogey on the par-4 11th, but she recovered some ground with back-to-back birdies on the 16th and the 17th.

Jasmine Shekar was the only player to play one of the stretches in under par. She shot 1-under 35 with two birdies against one bogey on the front nine. However, she had four bogeys on the return journey. Jasmine, among the winners last year, was fifth with 3-over 73, while Durga Nittur shot 74 to be sixth.

Khushi Khanijau was the sole seventh with 75, and four players, Karishma Govind, Ridhima Dilawari, Neha Tripathi, and Lavanya Jadon, were tied eighth at 6-over 76 each.

–IANS

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