Fubine Monferrato, , Italy, June 3: Vani Kapoor was the top Indian after the first round of Ladies Italian Open presented by Regione Piemonte. Vani shot 1-over 73 and was placed T-37 as Amandeep Drall shot 2-over 74 to be T-45th.
The other Indians had a rough time as Ridhima Dilawari returned 5-over 77 to be T-87th as Tvesa Malik and Neha Tripathi struggled to 8-over 80 each and will need very good second rounds to make the cut.
Swiss sisters Kim and Morgane Metraux share the lead with Sofie Bringner of Sweden after shooting a trio of five-under-par 67s on a gorgeous opening day.
Morgane Metraux, who is two years younger than Kim, closed with four birdies in a row to set the early target at Golf Club Margara in Fubine Monferrato, before she was tied by her sister two groups later.
Bringner joined them late in the afternoon after a career-low round on the LET, which included an eagle on the par-5 fifth hole, which she played as her 14th.
All three players are looking for their first win on the LET this week. The Metraux sisters’ goal is to get into a play-off together.
The sisters started playing golf together, went to the same US College and turned professional at the same time. Although they are carving their own paths, their careers are inextricably linked. When Morgane chose to forego last year’s Olympic Games in order to earn her LPGA card via the Epson Tour, Kim went to represent Switzerland in Tokyo.
However, there are three multiple LET champions lurking just two strokes behind with two rounds to play. They include Investec SA Women’s Open champion Lee-Anne Pace from South Africa, the recent Australian Women’s Classic – Bonville winner Meghan MacLaren from England and Nuria Iturrioz of Spain. Alongside them are Italian amateur Carolina Melgrati, 19, from Monza, Lombardia and Tereza Melecka from the Czech Republic.
