Ridhima pulls off great escape at Tolly despite closing triple bogey

By Rahul Banerji

Ridhima Dilawari flirted with danger but in the end managed to escape to victory despite a triple bogey on the final hole of the 14^th Leg of the Hero Women’s Golf Tour at Tollygunge Club on Friday.

Time and again she fell back only to fight back before holding on for a second title in 2021.

Ridhima, tied for second overnight, birdied the 16^th and 17^th holes and led by four when she came to the finishing par-3 18^th which she triple bogeyed to go from 1-over to 4-over.

She had a 4-over 74 for a total of 4-over 220 and won by one shot over Saaniya Sharma (75) and by two over Lakhmehar Pardesi (77).

Ridhima was helped by the cushion of that four-shot lead at 18. Her closest rival, Saaniya, who had an up-and-down round of 75, managed only a par.

Lakhmehar Pardesi was unable to find the form of first two days when she led and could not find a single birdie.

Her seven bogeys meant a 7-over 77 and that dashed her hopes of a second career title, and also the second one of the year.

Nervy start

Ridhima, who had won the opening leg in 2021 in January, began on a nervous note with bogeys on first and third and fell behind Lakhmehar and Saaniya.

Both then the fourth and fifth holes to allow Ridhima, who parred the two holes, back into the fray.

Ridhima grabbed her chance by landing birdies on seven and 10.  Three dropped shots followed but she again clawed her way back with a birdie brace.

The drama did not end there as Ridhima put herself in danger again with the triple but her pursuers ran out of holes.

Ridhima had four birdies against five bogeys and a triple, while Saaniya totalled 11-over 22. Lakhmehar had seven bogeys and no birdies and a three-day total of 12-over 222.

Jyotsana Singh (74) was a distant fourth on 227 and amateur Nishna Patel (73) fifth on 228 as yet another amateur Zara Anand (76) tied for sixth with Shweta Mansingh (80) at 230.

Anisha Agarwalla (72), who shot the best round of the day, was tied eighth with amateur Smriti Bhargava (78) at 232 and amateur Jahnavi Prakhya (79) was 10^th on 233.

Despite the win Ridhima is seventh on the Hero Order of Merit, which has been combined for 2020 and 2021. Amandeep Drall continues in the lead followed by Vani Kapoor and Jahanvi Bakshi.

The 15^th and final leg of the Hero WPGT 2021 will be held next week at the Royal Calcutta Golf Club.

Also read: Lakhmehar hangs on to one-shot lead at Tolly WPGT event