Smriti lies 42nd at Thailand Ladies Open golf

Herald Globe (IANS) Wednesday 8th February, 2012

Smriti Mehra had a difficult time on the second nine as she finished with a two-over 74 in the opening round of the Thailand Ladies Open golf here Wednesday.

She was lying tied 42nd, and teammate Neha Tripathi, the other Indian in the field, shot eight-over 80 and is lying tied 98th in a field of 122 players at the Lakewood Country Club.

Four players shared the lead in the opening round. Thailand's Thidapa Suwannapura, Koreans Lee Eun-kyoung and Bae In-ji and newcomer Chihiro Ikeda of the Philippines shot identical 4-under 68 to take a one-stroke lead from four other players - Kongkapan Patcharachuta and defending champion Tanaporn Kongkiatkrai of Thailand, Hsieh Yu-Ling of Chinese Taipei and USA's Jessy Tang - who signed out with 3-under 69 scores.

Smriti started on the tenth and with one birdie and no bogeys on the back nine she was looking good and it became better with a birdie on first. But after that she faltered with three bogeys in a row from second to fourth. After a birdie on sixth, she double bogeyed the par-3 seventh and ended with a 74.

Neha, playing her first big event abroad, also started from tenth. She had two birdies, two bogeys and four double bogeys.