Amandeep Drall second in Australia, Ridhima, Vani are eighth

India's Amandeep Drall got off to a fine start with a 4-under and was placed tied second at the Australian Women's Classic – Bonville as the two-week Australian swing got underway. Amandeep's colleagues, Ridhima Dilawari, making her first international start of 2022, and Vani Kapoor were both tied eighth with rounds of 2-under 70. The fourth Indian in the field, Neha Tripathi (76) was tied 70th.

Amandeep, a prolific winner on the domestic Hero WPGT, had a sedate start with five pars and a bogey in first six holes. Then she birdied seventh and eighth but gave away a bogey on ninth to turn in even par. She then birdied 12th, 14th, 15th and 18th. Ridhima had four birdies and two bogeys, while Vani had five birdies against three bogeys.

England's Meghan MacLaren fired an opening round of 67 (-5) to be the leader after the first round. It was a strong start for the two-time LET winner, who produced a bogey-free day with birdies rolling in on the third, eighth, 10th, 14th, and 18th holes.

Australia is a destination where MacLaren thrives having won both her LET titles in the country and her first, back in 2018, was just down the road at Coffs Harbour Golf Club. Spain's Carmen Alonso is one of three players in a share of second place after the first day at Bonville Golf Resort. The 37-year-old carded a round of 68 (-4) which included five birdies and one bogey to be one shot behind leader MacLaren.

Apart from Amandeep, the third player in tied second 2 is Australia's Stephanie Bunque, who made two eagles on her way to her round of 68. A trio of players are tied for fifth place on three-under-par with Northern Ireland's Olivia Mehaffey, England's Alice Hewson and Germany's Franziska Friedrich all recording rounds of 69.

One shot further back in a share of eighth place on two-under-par sit six players with Argentina's Maggie Simmermacher, Swedish duo Maja Stark and Moa Folke, Indian pair Ridhima and Vani, as well as Australian amateur Justice Bosio.