Kolkata, Feb 4 (IANS): Helped by a late flurry of birdies, Bengaluru's Sharmila Nicollet grabbed an early lead with a first round score of par 70 in the fourth leg of the Hero Women’s Professional Golf Tour here Wednesday.

Trailing Sharmila by one stroke is Pune’s Shweta Galande. The Rs.6 lakh event is being played at the Tollygunge Club and will culminate Friday.

Sharmila had an indifferent start as she played a birdie-less front nine with four bogies on the first, fourth, seventh and eighth holes. However, she made a scintillating comeback with five consecutive birdies on the 11th, 12th, 13th, 14th and 15th. Her lone blemish in the back nine came on the 17th where she dropped a shot.

Shweta on the other hand made a cautious start with two birdies on the second and fifth and a lone bogey on the ninth in her front nine. However, she struggled in the latter half and carded four bogies on the 11th, 12th, 14th and 15th. She also carded two birdies on the 10th and 16th to finish the day with a score of 1 over 71.

Kiran Matharu’s day was a mixed bag and she is placed third with 2 over 72. She carded three birdies on the fourth, seventh and 13th along with five bogies on the third, ninth, 12th, 14th and 15th.

Local girl Neha Tripathi and Delhi’s Gauri Monga are tied fourth with identical scores of 3 over 73. Neha carded four bogies on the third, fourth, 13th and 17th with a lone birdie on the second.

Gauri’s card included two bogies on the first and third with a birdie on the seventh. She also holed a double bogey on the 12th to finish ahead of Order of Merit leader Vani Kapoor.

Delhi’s Vani had an off day and is placed sixth with a score of 4 over 74. She played a birdie-less round which included four bogies on the fourth, fifth, seventh and 11th. Veteran Smriti Mehra and Panchkula's Amandeep Drall are tied seventh with identical scores of 5 over 75.