IGU Pune Ladies and Junior Girls Golf Championship: Apeksha hits front, opens up two-shot lead on opening day
Pune, May 14
Unheralded Apeksha David shot a gritty two-under 70 to hit the front on the opening day of the IGU Pune Ladies and Junior Girls Golf Championship at the Oxford Golf Resort.
The 17-year-old from Manipur, still searching for her maiden win on the IGU circuit, took a two-shot lead over her illustrious rivals. Karnataka's Priya Kumari and Yogya Bhalla were tied for second after carding even-par 72s. Ojaswini Saraswat, Janneya A Dasanniee and Rehnoor Malik were a shot further back in fourth spot.
Apeksha, a 10th-tee starter, drained a 25-foot putt for birdie on the 12th, but the youngster struggled to come to grips with the speed of the greens. She three-putted for a bogey on the 13th hole and dropped another shot on the 18th to turn at one-over.
However, Apeksha made amends on her back nine. She hit her 9-iron third shot to four feet and made the putt for a birdie on the fourth. She holed a seven-foot putt on the fifth for another birdie. The promising teenager then sank a 10-footer on the closing hole for a 70.
In Category 'C' (11-12 years), Aaliyah Kalra and Ridhima Kapoor were tied for the lead with an identical 79s.
Leading scores (after 18 holes): Combined Ladies, Category 'A' and Category 'B': 70: Apeksha David (Manipur); 72: Priya Kumari (Kar), Yogya Bhalla; 73: Ojaswini Saraswat (Rajasthan), Janneya A Dasanniee (Gujarat), Rehnoor Malik (Delhi); 74: Anushkha Gupta (Delhi), Ayesha Gupta (Delhi), Alysha Dutt (Haryana), Keerthana Rajeev Kumar (Karnataka).
Category 'C' (11-12 years): 79: Aaliyah Kalra (Haryana), Ridhima Kapoor (Karnataka); 80: Vidushi Singh (UP); 82: Ahana Shah (Maharashtra); 84: Amaira Gulati (Delhi).
— ANI
Reader Comments
Good to see young talent emerging from the Northeast. But the greens at Oxford must be tricky if a 25-footer is easier than short putts. Hope the organisers are maintaining them well.
Priya Kumari and Yogya Bhalla tied for second at even par - it's going to be a tight race! Ladies golf in India is really picking up. And those 11-12 year olds scoring 79? Future stars in the making! ⛳️
Apeksha needs to work on her putting consistency though. Three-putt bogey and then a 10-footer for birdie shows she has the talent but needs more composure. Still, a great round considering she's yet to win on the circuit. Wishing her luck!
Lovely to see so many young girls from different states - Manipur, Karnataka, Delhi, Rajasthan, Gujarat. This is exactly the kind of representation we need in Indian sports. Keep swinging girls!
Impressive resilience from Apeksha - turning one-over after nine holes to finish two-under is no joke. That 9-iron to four feet shows great course management. The IGU circuit is producing some real talent.
A Aman W Just We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.