Kolkata, Jan 31: Khushi Khanijau, playing in the day's opening group, birdied her final hole to grab sole lead after the first round of the third leg of the 2024 Hero Women's Pro Golf Tour at the Tollygunge Club.

Playing in the first group with Riya Yadav (76), Khushi had three birdies on the eighth, 10th and a final one on the 18th. She dropped shots on the fifth and 12th for a round of 69, the only under par card of the day.

The seasoned Amandeep Drall, playing in one of the later groups, was 4-under with two holes left when she had a disastrous triple bogey on Par-4 17th and added a bogey on 18th to fall to even par 70 and the second place.

Four players including Hitaashee Bakshi, the runner-up in the last two events, were tied for third at 1-over 71 each. The other three were Seher Atwal, Jasmine Shekhar and Gauri Karhade.

Amateur Anaahat Bindra (73), who was also under par after 15 finished bogey-bogey-double bogey for 73 and was seventh.

Karishma Govind and Ananya Garg shot 74 each while three players Jyotsana Singh, Ananya Datar and Ridhima Dilawari were tied for 10th place with rounds of 75 each.

While Khushi has won once previously on the Hero WPG Tour at the Royal Calcutta Golf Club in the same city, Amandeep is trying to work her way back into form before she gets to the international Tours.

Hitaashee had a birdie start but bogeyed the next three holes, before recovering with two birdies against one dropped shot in the remaining 14 holes.

Seher Atwal made a smart recovery after being 4-over through 12 holes. She birdied three times to get to 1-over 71.

/IANS