Golf: Hyderabad’s Sneha Singh lies at tied-14

Hyderabad golfer Sneha Singh emerged as the top Indian at tied-14th after the first round of the Final Qualifier

Hyderabad: Hyderabad golfer Sneha Singh emerged as the top Indian at tied-14th after the first round of the Final Qualifier at LET Q-School Cartagena, Spain on Sunday.

Of the eight Indians in the field of 146, Sneha, playing at the Par-73 South Course, shot 2-under 71. Sneha is five shots behind the leader, 18-year-old Danish amateur, Amalie Leth-Nissen, who fired a bogey-free opening round of 64 (-7).

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Of the other Indians, Seher Atwal 70 was tied 30th, , while Sharmila Nicollet (73 (Even) and Neha Tripathi 71 (Even) were tied 42nd as players aspire to earn a full card into the Ladies European Tour.

Hitaashee Bakshi 72 ( 1) and Ridhima Dilawari 74 ( 1) were tied 65th and Tvesa Malik 78 ( 5) and Asmitha Sathish 76 ( 5) were tied 126th.

Sneha had four birdies against two bogeys, while Seher had four birdies against three bogeys.

Tvesa, who had a rough 2022, once again had a disappointing start with five bogeys and a double against two birdies for 5-over 78 on the Par-73 South Course.

The qualifier is a 90-hole stroke-play competition with a cut after 72 holes for top 60 and ties. For the first four rounds, competitors will alternate between the North (Par 71) and South (Par 73) courses. The fifth round will be played on the South Course.

The top 20 and tied will get a Category 12 card and players between 21-50 and ties will get a Category 16 status. Rest will be eligible for Category 19 status.

Leth-Nissen was exempt to the final stage as she was in the top 25 on the World Amateur Golf Rankings. She got off to a good start on the North Course rolling in a birdie on 11 before making three consecutively on holes 14 through 16.

The teenager rolled in three further birdies on her back nine, which was the front nine, to put herself at the top of the leaderboard on seven-under-par at La Manga Club.

Two players sit in second place two shots behind the leader with Norway’s Dorthea Forbrigd 68 (-5) at South Course and Germany’s Sophie Hausmann 66 (-5) at the North Course.

One shot further back are Australia’s Gabriela Ruffels and England’s Lauren Horsford as they sit in a tie for fourth place on four-under-par.