Women's Golf Association of India

(Professional Golf)

Neha Tripathi-Tipsport

Neha Tripathi top Indian finisher at Czech Ladies Open

Prague, June 26:Neha Tripathi (73) was the best Indian at the end of the Tipsport Czech Ladies Open. Neha, who has been working hard to get on to the bandwagon on the Ladies European Tour endured a grinding day with four birdies, two of them in the last three holes, against three bogeys for 73 and a total of 3-under for 54 holes. She was Tied-36th.

The other two Indians, Diksha Dagar (71) and Vani Kapoor were Tied-43rd. Amandeep Drall and Ridhima Dilawari missed the cut.

Czech amateur Jana Melichova (69) and pro Klara Spilkova (70) finished 1-2 in a fine result for the host country. Melichova, who zoomed up the leaderboard with a second round 65, started the final round one shot behind the overnight leader, Nicole Broch of Denmark.

Melchova played the front nine in 4-under and a birdie on 10th took her to 16-under and way ahead of the field. Broch and Spilkova were now three behind, but tension got Melchova, and she gave away three bogeys in a row from 12th to 14th but a late birdie on Par-3 17th gave her some cushion. Spilkova fought back with closing birdies on 17 and 18 but fell one short. Broch birdied 16 and 18 and was also one shy of Melchova.

Next week at the German Masters Diksha, Vani, Amandeep Drall and Ridhima Dilawari will join amateur Avani Prashanth, who has an invite for the event, and Tvesa Malik, who will be back after a week’s break. Neha Tripathi is a reserve and if she makes it to the main draw, that will make it a massive seven Indians in the field.

Sweden's Johanna Gustavsson with her father on the bag continued her excellent form this season with a fourth-place finish after a final round of 6-under 66. Spain's Laura Gomez Ruiz produced a final round of 65 (-7) with an eagle on the last to finish in fifth place on 11-under-par.

Austrian amateur Emma Spitz and Spain's Luna Sobron Galmes were tied for sixth place one shot further back on 10-under. The round of the day went to Wales' Chloe Williams, who signed for a 64 (-8), to end the tournament with a total of nine-under-par.

Four players rounded out the top 10 with Spain's Elena Hualde, Finland's Ursula Wikstrom, Switzerland's Kim Metraux and Wales' Lydia Hall all T9 on eight-under-par.

In the 2022 Race to Costa del Sol, Swedes Linn Grant and Maja Stark are still first and second in the rankings with 1,969.39 and 1,752.50 points, respectively.

By V Krishnaswamy (@Swinging_Swamy)

our sponsor

Ms. Hitaashee Bakshi receiving winner's cheque and trophy from Mr. Tusch Daroga, AVP Ops-DLF G&CC