Simi didi has been running away with titles as the young bunch of the fledgling pro circuit try to find their feet as serious challengers. Smriti Mehra’s domination on the Indian tour every time she plays notwithstanding, the 36-year-old will be a relative newcomer on her new assignment this season.

Mehra fought through the Qualifying School tussle earlier this month to grab herself a Ladies European Tour card for the coming season. She played in Europe in 2002 for a full season, but having spent the best part of her last few years in America, and struggling through health problems, it’s just the restart that Mehra needed.

“I haven’t had a full card in almost three years now. I was also bogged down after I had surgeries and now back healthy, I’m just looking forward to playing a full season again,” Mehra says on Friday, speaking to Sportline.

Despite a stutter in the final stage last round at La Manga in the Spanish region of Murcia, Mehra finished 19th with a two-over 294 aggregate, comfortably among the lucky 30 to get full cards.

Her latest win on the Indian tour on Friday was followed by a treat to herself, a Chandni Chowk to China outing. But she’s planning a fair bit of travelling of her own in 2009.

“I leave for Australia the week after, where I’ve been given an invite for the Australian Masters. Two events there will be followed by one in Malaysia before I return to Delhi for the Indian Open. A break of ten days, and I’ll be off to Europe,” Mehra says.

She also has a conditional card on the LPGA Tour, having had a medical exemption, so there will be shuttling between diverse conditions.

A travel itinerary that might sounds harsh, but is a choice Mehra made. “The last three years I was sort of stuck to one place. It has been a difficult time, but I think I’ve played my dues, I’ve fixed whatever I could,” she says.

Another title
Simi Mehra shot a two-under 70 third round and claimed the title in the 8th leg of the DLF Women’s Professional Golf Tour at the DLF Golf & Country Club in Gurgaon on Friday. Mehra’s three-day total was 224. Finishing in second place at 243 was Shalini Malik.