Alicante [Spain], September 19 : Tvesa Malik opened with a steady 2-under 70 in the opening round of the million-dollar La Sella Open on the Ladies European Tour.
Tvesa teed off from the tenth. Had a very steady back nine with eight pars and a birdie in between on par-4 15th. On her second nine, she started with a birdie on the first and added one more on the third to go to a healthy 3-under. She then dropped her only shot of the day on the Par-3 fourth and parred the remaining holes for a 2-under card. She was lying T-15, though the position will change as the round is yet to be completed.
Tvesa, who lost in a play-off at the VP Bank Swiss Ladies Open, is looking for her first win on the Ladies European Tour, and also preparing for her home open, the Hero Women's Indian Open next month, a release said.
Among the other Indians, Pranavi Urs was even par after eighth holes, while Seher Atwal had finished 1-over 73 and was T-75.
Italian Virginia Elena Carta shot a bogey free 5-under 67 and shared the lead with Germany's Helen Briem, whose 67 included eighth birdies against three bogeys.
Four players, Ursula Wikstrom of Finland, Samantha Bruce of the Philippines, Nastasia Nadaud of France and Ayaka Uehara of Japan were tied for third place at 4-under 68 each.
A field of 132 players, including defending champion, Nuria Iturrioz, are playing the event. Other top stars are former LET Order of Merit winners Trichat Cheenglab of Thailand and Lee-Anne Pace of South Africa.