Australian Ladies Classic Golf Tournament: India's Sharmila Nicollet off to strong start, finishes joint-fourth after first round

Sharmila Nicollet got off to a strong start in the Australian Ladies Classic, carding a solid two-under 70 to grab a share of the fourth place after the first round at the highly-acclaimed Bonville Golf Resort on Thursday. [caption id=“attachment_4362771” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] File image of Sharmila Nicollet. AFP[/caption] Apart from Sharmila, another player with a fair start was Amandeep Drall, whose one-over 73 placed her T-37th and she was in a good position to make the 36-hole cut in the 54-hole tournament. The other two Indians, Vani Kapoor and Gaurika Bishnoi struggled to 7-over 79 each and at T-113th, were likely to miss the cut. Englands Holly Clyburn took the first round lead with an impressive bogey-free 5-under 67, while Spaniard Marta Sanz Barrio was two shots behind at 3-under 69 with five birdies against two bogeys and she shared the second place with Icelands Valdis Thora Jonsdottir. Sharmila was tied fourth alongside French golfer, Celine Boutier, Chinas Lin Xiu Yu, Australias Stephanie Na, Dane Nanna Madsen, Mexican Ana Menedez, German Olivia Cowan and Australian Hannah Green. They all shot 70. Sharmila, who recently became the first Indian to earn a card on the China LPGA, started from the ninth, which is where the back stretch starts at the Bonville course. She bogeyed the Par-4 13th, but made up quickly with birdies on par-4 16th and Par-5 18th. She added a third birdie on Par-5 fourth and finished at 70. Amandeep Drall, also starting on the back stretch had four birdies but she also dropped three bogeys and a double on Par-4 16th. Gaurika had no birdies and had seven bogeys, while Vani had one birdie, but she had eight bogeys.