Gurgaon’s Lavanya Jadon earned her maiden Hero WPGT title with a playoff win over amateur Zara Anand at the DLF course on Thursday. Image courtesy WGAI.
By Rahul Banerji
Lavanya Jadon of Gurgaon became the latest first-time champion on the Hero Women’s Pro Golf Tour, winning the DLF GCC leg in a playoff on Thursday.
Lavanya (74) won on the second play-off hole after she was tied on 3 over par 219 with amateur and overnight leader Zara Anand (75), the WGAI said.
The result also guaratees Lavanya, 19, a start at next month’s $500,000 Hero Women’s Indian Open also to be played at the DLF course.
Needing to birdie hole 18 to force the playoff, Lavanya did just that before sealing her maiden win to become the eighth different winner in 13 Hero WPG Tour events this season.
Vani Kapoor (69) and Amandeep Drall (73) were tied for third, having missed out on the play-off by one shot after finishing on 4 over 220s.
Lavanya, who led after the first round before dropping to second on day two, overcame a rough front nine including three bogeys in a row.
With two birdies and a fourth bogey she completed the front nine in 2 over 38.
Comfortable cushion
Playing alongside Lavanya, Zara swapped birdie for bogey to finish the front nine on level par and in the lead by three strokes.
On the tenth, Lavanya bogeyed again to trail by four shots.
It was then Zara’s turn to hit trouble with bogeys on holes 11, 12 and 14, which Lavanya bogeyed as well.
At this stage, Zara still led by two shots. Lavanya cut the deficit by one on 15 while Zara exchanged a birdie on 16 for bogey on 17. With just one hole left, Lavanya still trailed by a stroke.
Lavanya, who turns 19 next month, holed a clutch putt for birdie on 18 as Zara managed only par, taking the contest into the play-off.
They parred hole 18 the first time before Lavanya won on the second with a par against Zara’s bogey.
Clubhouse target
Earlier Vani played a bogey-free 3 under 69 to set the clubhouse target of 4 over 220 with Amandeep (73), who had bogey on the first and parred the remaining 17 holes.
Astha Madan (73) was sole fifth, while amateurs Lavanya Gupta (71) and Ananyaa Sood (73) shared sixth place on 223.
Fellow-amateur Mahreen Bhatia (70) was eighth at 224 and Kriti Chowhan (77) ninth at 227.
Sneha Singh (71), Ananya Garg (75) and Gaurika Bishnoi (76) shared 10th place on 228.
Vani with four wins in 10 starts, stays on top of the Hero Order of Merit, while two-time champion Amandeep is second. Lavanya Jadon moved up to sixth with one win in her 11 starts.
Also read: Zara Anand leads experienced field at DLF leg of Hero WPGT
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