London, Aug 7 (IANS) Pranavi Urs and Aditi Ashok made encouraging starts at the London Championship, carding identical rounds of 2-under 71 to stay within striking distance of the leaders after the opening round at the par-73 Centurion Club.
The Indian duo was tied four shots behind Canada’s Anna Huang, who fired a superb 6-under 67 to take the first-round lead.
Pranavi, backed by Hero, enjoyed a brisk start after teeing off from the 10th, reaching 2-under through her opening four holes before giving those shots back. After five successive pars, she finished strongly with three birdies and one bogey over her last six holes to sign for a 71.
Aditi also started on the back nine and produced a tidy round featuring three birdies against just one bogey. She closed with two birdies over her final four holes to join Pranavi at 2-under and remain firmly in contention heading into the second round.
The other two Indians endured a tougher day. Diksha Dagar opened with a birdie but slipped back with bogeys on the next two holes and another before the turn. She recovered with two birdies and two bogeys on the inward nine to finish with a 2-over 75, leaving her tied for 54th.
Avani Prashanth struggled to a 6-over 79 and was tied for 101st, needing a low second-round score to have a chance of making the cut.
Huang, a three-time Ladies European Tour winner, began her round on the 10th tee and collected birdies on the 13th and 16th before eagling the 18th. Her only blemish came with a bogey on the third, but she responded with back-to-back birdies on the fifth and sixth before adding another at the ninth to finish at six-under.
Australia’s Kelsey Bennett and Austria’s Emma Spitz shared second place on 5-under 68.
Spitz’s round was among the most dramatic of the day, featuring nine birdies alongside two double bogeys.
Bennett opened with a birdie and added further gains on the seventh, ninth, 12th and 13th. A bogey on the 16th briefly halted her momentum before she birdied the last to finish one stroke behind Huang.
England’s Charlotte Heath was alone in fourth on 4-under 69 after a round that included an eagle, five birdies and three bogeys.
A group of seven players shared fifth place on 3-under, comprising Sweden’s Louise Rydqvist, Singapore’s Shannon Tan, Germany’s Olivia Cowan and Aline Krauter, Italy’s Alessia Nobilio and Anna Zanusso, and Ireland’s Aine Donegan.
There was also a memorable moment for England’s Gemma Clews, who recorded the first hole-in-one of her professional career on the par-3 17th.
–IANS
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