Gurugram: Over the previous two days, golfers have been talking of the tempo of the DLF Golf and Nation Membership course with a good diploma of trepidation and the opening day of the $400,000 Hero Ladies’s Indian Open (HWIO) confirmed why. The lightening-fast greens meant putts have been routinely missed, the strategy pictures have been repeatedly examined, and fairly a couple of gamers walked off with pursed lips, rolling eyes, and drooping shoulders.
With an excellent three-under, Czech Republic’s Sara Kouskova is in solo lead in Ladies’s Indian Open on Thursday. (LET)
By the point the play was suspended because of inadequate mild, solely seven within the 114-strong subject had gone beneath par and solely 5 might make par. With an excellent three-under, given the circumstances, Czech Republic’s Sara Kouskova led to solo clubhouse lead.
Spain’s Mireia Prat, who led for a lot of the day, was tied second at two-under together with Frenchwoman Perrine Delacour and England’s Florentyna Parker. Maria Hernandez of Spain, Singapore’s Shannon Tan, and Moroccan Maha Haddioui have been subsequent at one-under.
Ridhima Dilawari and Pranavi Urs have been the most effective amongst 27 Indians, each tied seventeenth at two-over alongside present LET OOM’s high two occupants Chiara Tamburlini and Manon De Roey.
“I didn’t strike that well. I hit a lot of greens to be honest but whenever I missed the green, I made bogey and I couldn’t control the ball. I am quite upset with the course but it is same for everyone. If you play good golf and hit good shots, you can still do well here,” mentioned Tamburlini.
The native trio of Tvesa Malik, Diksha Dagar and Hitaashee Bakshi had a horror day with Malik carding five-over (T-56), Dagar capturing six-over (T-63), and Bakshi eight-over (T-78).
“I didn’t get the chemistry going with the course,” mentioned Dagar, wanting visibly shocked. “It was a tough day, lots of missed putts. I landed on the wrong side of the greens quite a few times.”
“They rolled the course a little too much which made the greens very fast. I was playing here after a long time, so I couldn’t get used to the speed. I am coming off a tournament in Taiwan where the course was quite slow. Here, the ball was running off the greens. I was never sure whether to hit long or short, not certain which way the ball will break. Some of the good shots I hit also missed the pin,” Dagar, who was third right here in 2023, mentioned.
Kouskova, who had completed fifth final yr, made a robust push on Day 1 however remained conservative about her probabilities. “A lot of golf is yet to be played. I have to be patient and confident over the next few days,” mentioned the 25-year-old.
Kouskova’s three birdies within the bogey-free entrance 9 have been adopted by birdies on the eleventh and twelfth holes earlier than she floundered with a triple bogey on the thirteenth. She recovered with an eagle on the fifteenth and regardless of a bogey on the sixteenth, the lead was sufficient to place her in pole place.
“The front nine was wild. I made a triple bogey but we were like, ‘okay, this is DLF, this is what can happen.’ We stayed very positive and almost laughed about how ridiculous it can be here. I hit a really good shot on 15. I thought it was a really good distance and it ended up pitching just short and going in the hole,” she mentioned.
“I think I’ll do the same tomorrow and play as confident as possible. I love it here in India. Last year was my first time and we have lots of good memories. I was able to secure my LET card here last year. So that was a happy memory.”