By Rahul Banerji
Gaurika Bishnoi edged past Tvesa Malik in a tight title clash on the final day of the sixth leg of the Hero Women’s Pro Golf Tour at the Classic Golf and Country Club on Friday.
The duo turned in brilliant bogey-free rounds, Gaurika playing a four-under 68 and Tvesa a three-under 69.
After 54 holes they were locked at six-under 210 leading to a play-off that needed three more holes to resolve, the WGAI said.
Seven players in all had sub-par rounds on Friday with three more returning par scores. The top seven all finished under par.
Gaurika won the playoff on the third extra hole with a birdie while Tvesa managed only a par.
Earlier both birdied the first playoff hole, the tenth and parred the next one on 17.
On the third tiebreak hole, the 18th, Gaurika birdied once again and made amends for missing out in the previous leg when she finished second to Sneha Singh.
Gaurika became the fifth different winner in the six legs held so far.
Friday opened with Amandeep Drall leading on seven-under and in the lead group with Tvesa and Vani Kapoor, who were four shots behind on three-under 141.
Gaurika Bishnoi at two-under for 36 holes was in the second group.
Setting the pace
The Gurgaon girl played a steady final round with two birdies on the front nine, added a third midway through the back nine and finished with one more to set the clubhouse target of six-under 210.
Vani Kapoor birdied early but a double bogey spoilt her chances.
She did fight back with three birdies in four holes on her back nine but with pars on the last three holes she was one shot behind the target set by Gaurika,
Tvesa, playing in the lead group, parred her first 12 holes and missed a few birdie chances.
She then landed back-to-back birdies to get back into contention. Three more pars meant Tvesa was still one behind when she came to the 18th green, where Gaurika had holed a birdie a short while earlier.
Tvesa hit her second shot into thick grass but produced a superb third under pressure to land four feet from the pin which she holed to force a playoff.
Amandeep (75) bogeyed twice against one birdie on the front nine but was still ahead at the turn.
Dashed hopes
However, a rough patch on the back nine with five dropped shots in all meant that not even her closing eagle could save her as she finished on four-under 212.
She was tied with Neha Tripathi (66) for fourth place as Vani Kapoor was sole third on five-under 211.
The day’s best round came from Neha Tripathi, who had three birdies on either side of the course for a bogey-free 66.
Hitaashee Bakshi (72) was sixth on two-under 214, Asmitha Sathish (68) seventh on 215, and Seher Atwal (72) eighth at level par 216.
Amateurs Nishna Patel (70) and Anvvi Dahhiya (72) were ninth and tenth.
Sneha Singh who shot a 71 and finished 12th, continues to lead the Hero Order of Merit, while Seher Atwal is second.
The seventh leg of the Hero WPG Tour will be held next week at the DLF Golf and Country Club.
Also read: Amandeep fires 67 for four-shot lead in sixth leg of Hero WPGT
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