Malaga (Spain), Nov 28 (IANS) It was a mixed opening day for India, as Aditi Ashok, multiple-time winner on the Ladies European Tour (LET), shot 3-under 69 to be Tied-10th after the first day at the Andalucía Costa del Sol Open de España. She was three shots behind Denmark’s Smilla Tarning Soenderby and Thailand’s Trichat Cheenglab, who shared the lead at six-under-par.

Rookie Avani Prashanth (71) was the next best Indian at T-27th, while Hitaashee Bakshi, who made the season-ending event on the strength of her third-place finish at Hero Women’s Indian Open last month, carded 73 and was T-45.

Pranavi Urs, who recently won a title playing in a field that included men in a home event on the new IGPL Tour, shot 2-over 74, as did Diksha Dagar. Both were T-49.

Aditi began on the first and bogeyed the third but made up on the fourth. She turned in even par. She began the back nine with an eagle on Par-5 10th but gave away a shot on Par-5 12th. She landed two birdies on the 16th and the 17th for a 69.

Avani teed off from the tenth and birdied her first hole, but gave away shots on the 11th and the 14th. She made amends on the second nine with birdies on the second, fourth, and sixth. However, a bogey on the ninth, her closing hole, saw her total 71.

Pranavi playing alongside Avani was 2-under through 11 holes, but bogeys on the 12th and the 18th and a double bogey on the 17th spelt disaster, and she shot 74. Hitaashee had four birdies against five bogeys, while Diksha had two birdies against four bogeys in her 74.

The co-leaders Soenderby and Cheenglab are both bogey-free at Real Guadalhorce Club de Golf.

It was a good start for Soenderby, who began on the 10th tee, as she rolled in back-to-back birdies on her first two holes before adding another on 15. The LET winner kept the momentum going throughout her round with further birdies on the fourth, seventh, and ninth holes to seal a round of 66 (-6).

The 2023 LET Order of Merit winner Cheenglab also produced a flawless round on day one in sunny Spain. The Thai star started on the 10th tee and rolled in six birdies across her round on the third, fourth, 11th, 15th, 16th, and 18th holes to also be tied at the top of the leaderboard.

France’s Celine Herbin and Spain’s Luna Sobron Galmes are in a share of third place after they both fired rounds of 67 (-5) on day one. Two-time LET winner Herbin made an eagle on the fourth along with birdies on holes 11, 12, and 16 to be one shot behind the leaders. Spain’s Sobron Galmes had a bogey-free day, rolling in birdies on the third, fourth, seventh, ninth, and 12th holes to also be T3.

–IANS

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