Aditi and Tvesa. File: Courtesy LET
Evian-les-Bains, France. May 19: Tvesa Malik played steady with two birdies and two bogeys for an even par 71 and was T-16 at the end of the first round of the Jabra Ladies Open. Aditi Ashok, who came in from the LPGA Tour, also carded 71 but had an eventful round with five birdies and five bogeys. The Indian duo was T-16 and five shots behind Carmen Alonso of Spain who held a one-stroke lead after a round of 5-under 66.
While Tvesa was yet to start her second round till late afternoon, Aditi Ashok was an early starter on the second day and she had a hole in one on the Par-3 eighth hole. It was her first hole-in-one as a professional. However, she carded a modest 3-over 74 that had an ace, a birdie and six bogeys. At 4-over for 36 holes she was T-44th and should make the cut comfortably.
Things did not go too well for the other three Indians as Amandeep Drall (72-82) was T-94th and Vani Kapoor (79-85) was T-123. Suchitra Ramesh (80 and 2-over through 11 in second round). They were sure to miss the cut, which was likely to fall at 5-over.
Tvesa is looking to get back to the form that saw her finish 19th on the Order of Merit on the Ladies European Tour.
The winner of this week’s tournament will earn a place in the US$6.5 million Amundi Evian Championship, the only Major in continental Europe, to be played in July at the same venue, and so there is fierce competition for the first prize.
Australian Whitney Hillier, who won the Team competition in last week’s Aramco Team Series – Bangkok, started her round with three straight birdies from the 15th to the 17th and signed for a four-under-par 67 to lie in second place alongside LET Rookie Gabrielle Macdonald from Scotland.
Also in a tie for second, Macdonald won twice on the LET Access Series last year, including at the Lavaux Ladies Open, played across the lake in Switzerland.
Johanna Gustavsson, Karolin Lampert, Carolin Kauffmann, Billie-Jo Smith and Leonie Harm are a stroke further back in a tie for fourth on three-under-par 68.
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