Golfer Kiran set to defend her title

KIRAN MATHARU will look to defending her title in the third leg of the Hero Women's Professional Golf Tour at the historic Royal Calcutta Golf Club (RCGC) in Kolkata.

She would like to draw inspiration from the fact that she registered her maiden win on the tour at the same venue last year. The Rs.6 lakh event featuring 16 professionals and lone amateur Tvesa Malik will be played from February 3 to 5.

English golfer Kiran has been in good form and is currently placed second in the 2016 Order of Merit with total earnings of Rs.2.38 lakh in two appearances. She finished runner-up behind Delhi youngster Vani Kapoor in both the events at Ahmedabad and will be the firm favourite at RCGC in Vani's absence. Vani and Amandeep Drall are both currently playing in Australia.

Kiran will be up against a strong field and will face a stiff challenge from the likes of Smriti Mehra, Saaniya Sharma and Gursimar Badwal.

Kapurthala's Gursimar Badwal is currently fourth in the money list with Rs.1.61 lakh followed by Chandigarh's Saaniya Sharma in fifth place (Rs.1.47 lakh). Both are expected to push hard for a victory.

Kolkata's Smriti Mehra is currently eighth on the list with Rs.1.08 lakh and would like to see her name move up in the Order of Merit.

Bengaluru's Sharmila Nicollet will be making a comeback and will be playing in her first event this year. She did not participate in the first two events and will look to make an instant impact. Other players to look out for are Kolkata's Neha Tripathi, Pune's Shweta Galande and the Delhi duo of Mehar Atwal and Ankita Tiwana.

The historic RCGC is the second oldest course in the world and the par 72 course is all set to host some of the best women players in the country.