Kolkata, 23 February: Amandeep Drall carded 1-under 69 to lead the field while Vani Kapoor returned even par opening round to be at the second slot in the fourth leg of the Hero Women’s Pro Golf Tour the Tollygunge Club here on Tuesday. 

Another contender Shweta Mansingh also had a good start as she returned 1-over 71 to be tied third alongside Astha Madan and Khushi Khanijau.

Last week’s runner-up Jasmine Shekar was tied sixth in a big bunch that included Neha Tripathi, Seher Atwal and amateur Janneya Dasanniee. They all shot 2-over 72 each.

Amandeep was off to a terrible start as she bogeyed the first two holes. She made up with birdies on fourth and seventh, but a dropped shot on eighth meant she still turned in 1-over. On the back nine back-to-back birdies on 11th and 12th gave her some space, but another dropped shot on par-5 13th saw her at level par again. A closing birdie meant a 1-under 69.

Vani had a roller-coaster start with a bogey on the first, birdie on the second and bogey on the third followed by a birdie on fifth. A bogey on eighth was followed by a string of pars with one birdie on the Par-4 12th as she finished with even par 70.

Shweta had four birdies against five bogeys and was lying fifth. Astha Madan also had four birdies against five bogeys, while Khushi had four bogeys and three birdies in a row from 13th to 15th.

Jasmine Shekar, who had a great week at RCGC before losing in a play-off, was four-over through five holes, but recovered very well with three birdies and one bogey in the remaining 13 holes for a 71.