Pranavi makes winning return to Hero WPGT season in Mumbai

By Rahul Banerji

After missing the opening leg of the Hero Women’s Pro Golf Tour, Pranavi Urs made her presence with a comfortable five-shot win in the second leg at Mumbai on Friday.

The Mysore golfer has made a habit of making telling starts, either winning or taking second place consecutively for the past five seasons, the WGAI said.

At the Bombay Presidency Golf Club on Friday, Pranavi had a level-par 70 in the final round that was good enough for her first title of 2023 with a par 210 total (69-71-70).

Despite a double bogey enroute, it was good enough to see off Vani Kapoor (73-73-69) who had a five-over 215 total.

Sneha Singh (75-73-70), a multiple winner as an amateur, continued her search for a first pro success, sharing third place alongside Amandeep Drall (69-74-75), amateur Nishna Patel (71-75-72) and Afshan Fatima (73-69-76) on eight-over 218.

Shweta Mansingh (220) was seventh while first-leg winner Seher Atwal and Asmitha Sathish were eighth on 221.

Ridhima Dilawari and amateur Vidhatri Urs rounded off the top 10.

Pranavi, starting the day two shots clear of Afshan Fatima, extended her lead with an early birdie while the latter seemed to drop out of the race with three bogeys on the front nine.

Pranavi also dropped a shot but made up with a birdie, only to take a double as she turned in one-over 36.

Well placed

Vani eagled her first hole as she and Sneha finished the front nine in two-over each by which time Pranavi was comfortably placed.

The Mysuru golfer, who is hoping to play on the Epson Tour in the US this year had a steady back nine with a birdie and eight pars to finish on level par 210 for three days.

Vani was unable to keep up the momentum on the back nine as she gave away two bogeys after picking two birdies.

While still an amateur in 2019, Pranavi was runner-up in the opening leg.

In 2020, she was runner-up in the first leg and won the second and immediately turned pro and then won her first professional start on the third leg of the tour.

Continuing her habit of notching up early success, she was runner-up in the first leg and won the second in 2021. Last year, she won the first and dominated the season with five wins to top the Hero Order of Merit.

Seher continues to lead the 2023 Order of Merit, while Pranavi is second. Sneha Singh is third, Ridhima Dilawari fourth and Afshan Fatima fifth.

The next two legs of the Hero WPG Tour will be played in Kolkata next month.

Also read: Pranavi takes two-shot lead into final day of BPGC event