Date:30/01/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/01/30/stories/2008013056242200.htm

Sport - Golf

Mehar beats Sharmila

Bangalore: Mehar Atwal upstaged pre-tournament favourite Sharmila Nicollet in the first qualifying round in the Gold Division (0-12 handicap) of the Marwana Sugars & Usha International Ladies All India Open Amateur Golf tournament here on Tuesday.

Mehar, who is the niece of top Indian professional golfer Arjun Atwal, returned a card of two over 74 while Sharmila Nicollet came back with a card of six over 78 for the day.

Mehar Atwal read the greens better to score three birdies (3rd, 8th and 16th) but she also dropped shots on the sixth, seventh, ninth, fifteenth and seventeenth for her score of 74. Laverry Kumar was in the second spot with a card of 76 and Gauri Monga third with a card of 77.

Sharmila Nicollet, found her short game going wrong as she failed to putt properly on the 6th, 9th, 10th, 12th, 14th, 16th, 17th and 18th holes ending up with a bogey on these holes. The Bangalore girl who heads the merit list currently with six wins from six appearances termed her showing as a “bad day at the office with her putting needing to click.”

Sharmila had birdies on the first and fifth holes only.

In the silver division (13-24 handicap), Megha Verma and Dhanalakshmi Rice topped the field with a score of 83 each. Prakash Padukone’s second daughter Anisha Padukone,was one stroke behind along with Raksha Phadke (84 each). The scores (After first round): Gold Division (0-12 handicap): 1. Mehar Atwal (74); 2. Laverry Kumar (76); 3. Gauri Monga (77); 4. Sharmila Nicollet (78); 5. Sonavi Chopra (79); 6. Akrati Singh (80); 7. Gaubani Singh (81).

Silver Division (12-24): 1. Megha Varma and Dhanlakshmi Rice (83); 3. Anisha Padukone and Raksha Phadke (84).

Bronze Division (25-36): 1. Asha Doshi (96); 2. Rama Khanna and Neelu (106 each).