Kolkata, Dec 12 (PTI) Neha Tripathi carded two-under 70 to take a three-shot lead after the opening day of the 18th Leg of the Hero Women's Pro Golf Tour here on Wednesday.

Neha, who skipped the Ladies European Tour Qualifying School to work on her game and go for the Chinese LPGA in January, shot five birdies against three bogeys at the Royal Calcutta Golf Club here.

She was three shots better than second-placed Afshan Fatima (73).

Smriti Mehra who was three-over in the first eight holes had pars on her last 10, as she scored 75, while three players Amandeep Drall, Khushi Khanijau and Siddhi Kapoor shot 77 each to be Tied-fourth.

Millie Saroha (79), Hita Prakash (80), Preetinder Kaur (81) and Gursimar Badwal occupied the seventh to 10th spots.

Leader Neha birdied the second and fourth to get off to a flying start. She, however, gave away those gains with bogeys on the sixth and eighth holes. On the back nine, she birdied 12th, 15th and 18th but bogeyed the Par-4 14th to finish at 2-under.

Afshan had three birdies against four bogeys, while Smriti had just one birdie and four bogeys.

Neha has time and again looked solid in the first couple of rounds, only to lose her way on the final day.

This is the 18th and final leg of the 2018 season and Hero Order of Merit leader Tvesa Malik has skipped the event as she is playing the final Stage of Ladies European Tour Qualifying School.

On Thursday, in the second round, Mehar Atwal and Suchitra Ramesh will play in the first 2-ball, while Tavleen Batra and Gursimar Badwal are paired together in the next.

The third group has Preetinder Kaur, Hita Prakash and Millie Saroha, while Siddhi Kapoor, Amandeep Drall and Khushi Khanijau will tee off in the penultimate group.

The threesome in the lead group to go out last will be Smriti Mehra, Afshan Fatima and Neha Tripathi.

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