Pranavi Urs Tied-23rd after first round at South Africa Women's Open

CAPETOWN: Indian golfer Pranavi Urs carded a creditable 2-under 70 to lie Tied-23rd after the first round of Investec South African Women’s Open here.

Pranavi, who was dominant on the Hero Women’s Pro Golf Tour last year, has opened her season in South Africa.

Ridhima Dilawari, who had also been playing in South Africa the last few weeks, shot 1-under 71 to be Tied-40th. Vani Kapoor and Amandeep Drall were Tied-54th with rounds of even par 72 and Diksha Dagar was way down in Tied-109 with a 75.

Germany’s hugely talented Chiara Noja fired an excellent course record of 62 (-10) to lead by two shots at the end of the first day at Steenberg Golf Club.

South Africa’s Ashleigh Buhai sits in second place on eight-under-par having produced a round of 64 on the first day of competition.

Pranavi, who is also going to play the Epson Tour in the US, was three-under through 14 holes with birdies on seventh, 11th and 12th holes. A dropped shot on 15th pulled her back but she closed with three pars.

Ridhima had three birdies against two bogeys.

Noja had four birdies in her opening five holes before dropping her only shot of the day on the sixth. Noja soon found her rhythm once again with an eagle on the eighth and rolled in a further five birdies to secure her spot on 10-under-par at the top of the leaderboard.

The 2022 AIG Women’s Open champion, Buhai made her only error of the day on the third hole but soon bounced back with back-to-back birdies on five and six for a round of eight-under.

Three players sit in a share of third place with Sweden’s Johanna Gustavsson, France’s Nastasia Nadaud and Dutch golfer Romy Meekers on six-under-par.