Women's Indian Open: Pranavi Urs, Avani Prasanth Share Fifth Place After Opening Round

Indian golfers Pranavi Urs and Avani Prasanth made encouraging starts at the Women's Indian Open, finishing the opening round tied for fifth at the DLF Golf and Country Club in Gurugram on Thursday. Switzerland's Chiara Tamburlini took the early lead with an impressive five-under-par 67 after a late surge.

Pranavi and Avani carded identical rounds of two-under-par 70, placing them three shots behind Tamburlini, who produced a strong finish to move to the top of the leaderboard.

Singapore's Shannon Tan and Argentina's Magdalena Simmermacher shared second place at four-under-par 68. Sweden's Andrea Lignell was still on the 18th fairway when darkness forced play to be suspended at 5:57 pm, leaving her opening round unfinished.

Tamburlini credited her accuracy and putting for the impressive start, saying she found several fairways, felt comfortable with her iron shots and converted crucial putts to post a low score.

Pranavi, meanwhile, had to contend with a stomach bug that threatened to disrupt her round. Despite the discomfort, the Indian golfer stayed composed on a course known for its demanding layout and managed to finish two under par.

She acknowledged that the illness made the challenge more difficult but was pleased with how she held her game together under the circumstances.

India's other contenders experienced mixed fortunes. Tvesa Malik finished tied for ninth after returning a one-under-par 71, keeping herself within striking distance of the leaders. Diksha Dagar, however, endured a difficult day, carding a five-over-par 77 to sit tied for 62nd.

With two Indians inside the top five after the opening round, the home challenge remains firmly in contention as the tournament progresses. Pranavi and Avani will look to build on their promising starts, while Tvesa will aim to close the gap on the leaders.

The second round is scheduled to begin at 6:40 am on Friday, with players seeking to strengthen their positions as the competition unfolds.