Pune: Buoyed by her maiden professional title last week, Gursimar Badwal will start as firm favourite in the sixth leg of the Hero Women’s Professional Golf Tour at the scenic Oxford Golf Resort. The INR 6,00,000 event featuring 18 professionals and lone amateur Suchitra Ramesh will be played from 2nd – 4th March.

Gursimar currently leads the Hero Order of Merit with total earnings of INR 3,64,200 in five appearances and she will be eager to consolidate her position atop the money list. However, the professional from Kapurthala will have to face a strong field including the likes of Vani Kapoor, Neha Tripathi and Kiran Matharu.

Vani will be rejoining the Tour after a gap of one month and will be a force to reckon with. The Delhi youngster was in stellar form and claimed the first two titles of the year in Gujarat. She is currently placed fifth in the Hero Order of Merit with total earnings of INR 2,94,000 in two appearances this season and will be eager to get back to winning ways.

Neha Tripathi is currently placed second in the Hero Order of Merit with total earning of INR 3,62,500 in five appearances, with two wins and a runner-up finish to her name. She has been on a purple patch in the last three events and will be eyeing the top position on the money list. Overseas player Kiran Matharu, currently placed third in the Hero Order of Merit with total earnings of INR 3,41,200 in five appearances this season, has struggled in the last few events. She will be keen to set the ball rolling and annex her first title of the year.

Kolkata’s Smriti Mehra and Hero Motocorp sponsored Bengaluru golfer Sharmila Nicollet have not been at their best and will be eyeing a turnaround at Oxford. This event will also see the return of Panchkula’s Amandeep Drall who missed the last three legs due to her overseas commitments. Other golfers to watch out for are Chandigarh’s Saaniya Sharma, Pune’s Shweta Galande and the Delhi duo of Ankita Tiwana and Mehar Atwal.

Oxford Golf & Country Club is one of the best golf courses in western India. The picturesque par 72 golf course, set in a hilly terrain, is all set to test the mental and physical strength of the players.