Bengaluru: A birdie each at start and finish and two in-between saw 19-year-old local Sharmila Nicollet finish 14 shots in front of the field at the first event of this seasons’ Hero Honda Women’s Professional Golf Tour of India here on Friday.
Sharmila, last year’s double winner, thus won the first event of the season and set herself up to retain the Order of Merit she bagged last year.
She opened with Nalini Singh Siwach, who had an eagle on second hole and pipped Pallavi Jain by one shot to take the second place.
Nalini, despite a disappointing 77, managed to stay ahead by one of Pallavi (77).
Nikita Arjun, with the day’s second best round after Sharmila’s 72, was the top amateur at 19-over 235. Anisha Padukone was second and Kasvi Malik third, a release said.
This was the first stage of the 10-leg Hero Honda Women’s Professional Golf Tour that has entered its fifth year.
PTI
First Published: Friday, August 06, 2010, 22:12