Beroun (Czech Republic), June 21 (IANS) Amandeep Drall, who came close to winning her maiden Ladies European League (LET) title at her home event in 2022, shot a brilliant 8-under 64 and led after the first round of the Tipsport Czech Ladies Open. With nine birdies against one bogey, Amandeep had her best-ever round on the Ladies European Tour.

Amandeep, playing in only her second LET event of the season and reading the low-scoring script at Royal Beroun Golf Club, said, “I’m very happy. Especially after last week (missing the cut in Belgium). Line reading was definitely the difference. I hit the ball well last week, but I couldn’t read the lines at all. I was so confused about the green. But coming into this week, I focused a lot on my putting. I concentrated on my stroke and my line.”

As for the other Indians, rookie Hitaashee Bakshi got off to a fine start with a 4-under 68 and was tied 12th, while Diksha Dagar, who started from the tenth, fought back from 2-over to 2-under 70 for the first round to be T-43 on a low-scoring day.

Avani Prashanth, who at one stage was 3-under through six holes, finished 1-under 71 and was T-63 at the end of the day as Tvesa Malik (72) and Neha Tripathi (72) were T-81, Sneha Singh (73) was T-94, and Vani Kapoor (74) was T-106.

Amandeep, who was runner-up in the 2022 Women’s Indian Open for her best result ever, had four birdies in a row at the 13th, 14th, 15th and 16th to give the 32-year-old a one-shot lead.

Amandeep’s career-best round was made all the more impressive given her absence from the LET in 2025, with the Indian only teeing up for the first time at the Hulencourt Women’s Open because of visa issues. “I was probably making up for lost time,” added Amandeep, who won a title on her local Hero Women’s Professional Golf Tour (WPGT) in India.

Hot on Deep’s heels after a birdie bonanza on Friday are a trio of English players, led by veteran Florentyna Parker. The three-time Ladies European Tour (LET) winner was celebrating her 36th birthday and carded a bogey-free 65 (-7) to sit one off the lead.

Matching her score and sharing second place after 18 holes is compatriot Lianna Bailey, the Englishwoman, who also plays on the LET Access Series (LETAS).

One back from the pair is rookie Esme Hamilton, who carded a bogey-free 66 (-6), which was also her best-ever round on the LET. She is joined in the fourth position by Alexandra Swayne.

–IANS

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