Pune, Jan 11 (IANS): Shagun Narain, who is looking for her maiden professional title on the Hero Women's Pro Golf Tour, took the opening day's honours in the first leg of the WPG Tour 2023 at the Poona Club Golf Course.

The course, which is hosting an event for the first time since 2021, did not yield low scores with Shagun's even par 71 being the best card of the day.

Another promising player, Nayanika Sanga, also looking for a breakthrough win, was in close touch with a round of 2-over 73, the same as the experienced Neha Tripathi.

Favourite Seher Atwal and talented amateur Vidhatri Urs carded 3-over 74 each and four players including Sneha Singh and Ridhima Dilawari shot 75 each. Others shooting 75 were amateur Ananya Garg and Khushi Khanijau.

Shagun, who had an early bogey-birdie start on second and third, closed her front nine with bogeys on eighth and ninth. On the return journey she birdied three times on 10th, 12th and 16th and dropped a shot on 14th for 71.

Nayanika had a rough bogey-bogey start, but she recovered well with birdies on eighth and ninth. On the second nine she had bogeys on 10th and 16th in her 73. Neha had two birdies and three bogeys.

Seher Atwal had four birdies, but that was undone by four bogeys and a disastrous triple bogey on Par-4 15th.

Vidhatri suffered two late double bogeys on 15th and 17th in her round of 74 that also had three birdies and two bogeys.