Avani overcomes rough start to shoot 73, lies 35th at Singapore Ladies Masters

Khel Today Bureau 

Singapore: Amateur Avani Prashanth shot 1-over 73 after overcoming a disappointing start in the first round of the US $ 100,000 Trust Singapore Ladies Masters, which is part of the China LPGA Tour. Avani was the best among the three Indians and was tied Tied-35^th.

Avani was invited for the event following her past record on the US Kids Golf Tour. The newly started US Kids Golf Tour Singapore is also held at the same facility, the Laguna National Resort,

India’s two other players in the field are Pranavi Urs (75) at Tied-60^th and Seher Atwal (77) at T-90. The top 60 and tied will make the cut after the second round.

Avani ranked 78^th among world amateurs was a 10^th tee starter and she bogeyed 10^th, 12^th and 14^th but had a birdie on the 11^th. She recovered well and dropped no more shots, but did not birdie any more till the ninth, which was her last hole.

Pranavi Urs had a birdie on the third and was 1-under through six when she hit a stretch with four bogeys in five holes. She parred the last seven holes to card 75 and was Tied-60^th. She will need to be steady to make the final round.

Seher Atwal had a tough time around the turn with two double bogeys on ninth and 11^th. She had three other bogeys against just two birdies in her round of 5-over 77 and was T-90 and the current cut line is 3-over.

China’s Sui Xiang, winner of the Zhuhai Challenge in December 2022 and again a winner in first CLPGA event of 2023 in Tianjin, began her quest for a third win with a bogey-6-under 66. She had six birdies, four of them on the back nine.

She had a two-shot lead over five players, who tied for second at 4-under 68. The five included Singapore amateur Shannon Tan (68), Thailand’s Sherman Santiwiwatthanaphong, the current leader on the CLPGA, Japan’s Ayaka Suzuki, China’s Cai Danlin and Thailand’s Kultida Pramphun.

Sherman, a former LPGA player, won the Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Championship in Shanghai last month.