Women's Golf Association of India

Pranavi Urs in tied second place, Aditi is 20th in Andalucia

Malaga, Spain, Nov 29: Pranavi Urs fired a bogey-free round of six-under 66 to take a share of the lead in the opening round of the Andalucía Costa del Sol Open de España presented by Oysho. She was one shot behind the leader, Noora Komulainen of Finland, who got off to a flying start with a round of 65 (-7) at the Real Club Guadalhorce Golf.

Pranavi, playing her rookie season on the LET, birdied holes two, three, seven, eight, 12 and 18 for her round of six-under. The three players sharing the second place with Pranavi included the German duo Helen Briem and Patricia Isabel Schmidt, and Spain’s Ana Peláez Trivino all fired rounds of 66 (-6).

The other Indians, including defending champion Aditi Ashok, had decent rounds. Aditi, who won here last year, 2-under 70 to be tied-20th, while. Diksha Dagar (71) was T-32 and Tvesa Malik (72) was T-41.

Aditi had five birdies against three bogeys in her round. Three of those birdies came on the front side of the course as she turned in 3-under. A fourth birdie saw her get to 4-under, but bogeys on 11th, 15th and the 18th saw her fall back despite another birdie on the 17th.

Diksha had three birdies against two bogeys and Tvesa had two each of birdies and bogeys in her 72.

Pranavi Urs, former Order of Merit winner on her home tour, Hero Women’s Pro Golf Tour, said: “I think I started off pretty good, I gave myself a lot of opportunities. It’s been three weeks since our last event, so I didn’t know what to expect heading into this week, but I’m glad to have shot a bogey-free six-under. I know the game is still there.

“I like this course. I really enjoy playing with Ana and Annabel, I think all of us played really good, and I think that kept me going and it was just about giving myself opportunities which I did.”

Noora Komulainen began her round from the 10th tee at Real Club Guadalhorce Golf and rolled in three birdies in a row on 11, 12 and 13. Komulainen dropped her only shot of the day on the 16th and then had a phenomenal nine holes on the front nine.

She made back-to-back birdies on the first and second before making further birdies on holes four, six and nine to sit at the top of the leaderboard on seven-under-par.

Slovenia’s Pia Babnik and Spain’s Carlota Ciganda are in a tie for sixth place on five-under-par with six players one shot further back in T8.