Indian Open: Veteran Davies shoots 71 in first round
English Laura Davies shot a 71 in the opening round of Hero Women’s Indian Open, but the score was not enough to place her inside the top 10 on the leaderboard.
Davies is more visible in the roster than any other contender—thanks largely to her long list of victories on the Ladies European Tour (LET), and this is why she is being expected to grab
a title in India as well.
The tournament is being staged at the DLF Golf & Country Club, New Delhi, India, with a strong field featuring big names such as the defending champion Caroline Hedwall and Spanish Carlota
Ciganda.
Davies, who won the 2010 edition of the three-day tournament, started the first round on the back nine, but her confidence was running at an all-time high and she set foot on the course with
an ambition to win.
She parred all the holes on the back nine—something that did not help her much on the scorecard. However, she picked pace on the front nine and managed to shoot one birdie, on the par-5 6th.
She parred the rest of the holes, bringing her first-round score to a 71.
Commentators said that the veteran star could have done much better as she avoided bogeys, reflecting her control on the ball and driver was exceptionally well.
Commentators also pointed out that the next two rounds are likely to get more difficult as several lesser-known contenders have managed to gain strong positions in the round.
Davies may not have got off to a fiery start in India, but she appears equally concerned about the final showdown of the LET, set to be staged in Dubai next week.
Dubai will hold the Omega Dubai Ladies Masters—an event where the season-long battle culminates.
So far, Davies has not been able to rack up the title despite the fact that she has taken part in six editions. However, this time, she appears more interested in getting her hands on the
prestigious trophy.
“I love Dubai. I love the tournament. The (Majlis) course is one of my favourites, so playing there is really special for me,” said the 49-year-old who has notched up 45 LET titles since she
joined the Tour in 1985.
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