Home advantage

After missing the action for more than three months due to a troubling elbow,Sharma,23,missed the first two legs of the tour this season,but will now lead the home challenge in the fifth leg of the tour which begins today at Chandigarh Golf Club.

“It’s great to be back playing at the Chandigarh Golf Club. I am slowly getting back into rhythm and I am happy with the way things are shaping up for me. I finished tied fifth in the fourth leg and it boosted my confidence a lot. Making a comeback after a gap of three months was a big challenge for me but I am happy to make it. It will be definitely a home advantage for me and the conditions here will suit my game,” shared the golfer.

The golfer last won a title in the form of the fourth leg of the Professional Golf Tour in September 2011 but had to pull out of the tour due to an elbow injury after the victory. In the last four months,Sharma spent a lot of time at Chandigarh Golf Club with her coach Jesse Grewal and now regaining her confidence,the golfer aims to hit peak form soon. “It is always tough to make a comeback from injury but I had time to think and work on my game plan. Jesse sir worked on improving my swing and I only returned to the game when I felt I was ready. The competition is getting tougher day by day in the women’s professional tour and it helps in bringing out the best,” shared Sharma.

Meanwhile,Sharmila Nicollet,India’s youngest woman golfer to qualify for the Ladies European Tour,has pulled out of the fifth leg of the Women’s Pro Golf Tour due to an injury. Sharmila had won the third leg of the tournament.

The 2013 season has got off to a great start with tough competition between India’s top women professionals. The Chandigarh leg of the tournament will see veteran golfer Smriti Mehra take on Kolkata golfer Neha Tripathi for the top spot.

Currently,Smriti Mehra is leading the Order of Merit with a total prize money of Rs 360,000,followed by Neha Tripathi with a total purse of Rs 330,000. Smriti has won two legs at the WPGT 2013 whereas Neha won the first leg and has been consistently finishing in the top three. Another Chandigarh golfer Preetinder Kaur,along with Delhi’s Vani Kapoor,will look to put up a strong challenge to the inform Smriti and Neha.