Maiden pro win for Vidhatri at Hero WPGT Clover Greens leg

Vidhatri Urs receives her winner’s cheque from Clover Greens general manager Nooralla Patel at Hosur near Bangalore on Friday. Image courtesy WGAI.

By Rahul Banerji

Vidhatri Urs holed a hat trick of birdies early on Friday for a two-shot win in the ninth leg of the Hero Women’s Pro Golf Tour at Clover Greens.

Vidhatri shot a closing 1 under par 70 to go with earlier cards of 68 and 69 to total 6 under 207 for a fine wire-to-wire win, the WGAI said.

It was the Mysore golfer’s first title as a professional, though she has won on the Tour as an amateur in the past.

Amateur Saanvi Somu (71) who bogeyed two of the last three holes finished second, two shots behind Vidhatri on 209.

Gaurika Bishnoi shot a level par 71 and was a further two shots behind on 2 under 211 for sole third.

Vidhatri, who was third in her previous two starts as a professional, opened with two pars before finding three birdies on the trot to open a healthy margin on her chasers.

Comfortable cushion

Bogeys on holes 10 and 11 were blips but she made amends for them with a birdie on 15. She could then afford a bogey on the last hole as her playing partner Saanvi went on to drop two shots.

Vidhatri’s 70 was among the only two sub-par rounds on the final day.

Saanvi had two birdies on either side of the course but she also gave away a shot on the front nine and three more on the back nine for a 71 for sole second place.

Gaurika started with a bogey but two birdies saw her turn in 1-under. On the back nine she dropped a shot on 12th and parred the rest.

Khushi Khanijau (70), Shweta Mansingh (71) and Sneha Singh (73) were tied for fourth at 1-over 214.

Amateur Mannat Brar (76) slipped in the final round and was seventh while Jahaanvie Walia (71) and Gourabi Bhowmick (74) were tied ninth. Karishma Govind (74) was tenth. 

Hitaashee Bakshi (72-76-71), who finished T-12 stays on top of the Hero Order of Merit, while Sneha is second with Amandeep Drall (72-72-76), who was 14^th this week, in third place.

The 10^th leg of the Hero WPGT will be held from July 23 to 26 at the Prestige Golfshire near Bangalore.

Also read: Amateurs Saanvi, Mannat in chase of Vidhatri at Clover Greens