By Rahul Banerji
Former national women’s amateur champion and rookie professional Sneha Singh topped the four-day Ladies European Tour Pre-Qualifying Asia Series at the Classic Golf and Country Club on Friday.
Hyderabad-based Sneha had rounds of 74, 71, 66, and 70 to total seven-under 281 and beat Singapore’s Sock Hwee Koh by one shot with a birdied final hole.
The top nine finishers at the Asia Pre-Qualifier all go through to the LET Final Qualifier at La Manga Club in Spain from December 17 to 21.
Sneha trailed Sock by a shot heading into the 18th before a bogey for the leader and a birdie for the Indian teenager saw the lead change hands with the final shot of the week.
The 18-year-old Sneha came into the picture with a six-under 66 on Thursday to close in on the leader and a 70 in the final round saw her top the standings just months after she turned professional.
Four birdies in the final seven holes saw Sneha haul in Koh including three in a row on holes 12, 13 and 14.
Three others for Spain
Hitaashee Bakshi, Seher Atwal, and Neha Tripathi were the other Indians in the top nine while Asmitha Satish, Jahanvi Bakshi, Jyotsana Singh and Gauri Karhade finished just outside the cut-off.
While Hitaashee was third four shots behind Sneha with rounds of 68, 74, 71 and 71, Neha tallied 72, 73, 74 and 70 for a share of sixth place. Seher (72-77-73-68) was eighth.
“Since I’ve turned pro I’ve finished second, third, fourth but never at the top of the leaderboard, so I’m really happy to win today,” Sneha said on the LET website.
“I had to be patient out there and had to wait for the putts to drop, they were going beside the hole and not in the hole, but then those three came at once which was great to bring me back into contention.
“I knew the last was a short par-five on the last so I knew I had to go for a birdie and then whatever happens will happen, everything else is out of my control.
“The past two days this course has been playing really nice and smooth, the course has dried up and the greens have been getting faster and faster every day.
“I didn’t start well and was two-over after three holes, but even though I bogeyed those opening holes I was feeling good and feeling good with my putter, and then I made a long birdie on the seventh.
“Then I made some really good putts on 12, 13 and 14 before getting that last birdie on 18, it feels really good to get the win.”
Sneha bogeyed two of her opening three holes on Friday to fall four shots behind Koh, who had an early birdie.
Key spark
A long birdie conversion on seven got Sneha’s round rolling and she then picked up three shots in a row after the turn.
It still looked as if 32-year-old Koh would top the event after 15 holes where she was nine-under and Sneha two shots behind. But three bogeys in a row for the Singapore golfer against one by the Indian saw the balance shift decisively.
The top nine finishers in New Delhi go through to the Final Qualifier at La Manga Club from December 17 to 21 December as the hunt to earn playing rights for the 2023 season continues.
Hitaashee was third with a four-under 284 after a 71 on the day, while Thailand’s Onkanok Soisuwan shot 70 to finish fourth on three-under overall.
Australian Jordan O’Brien took fifth place on level-par 288, while Neha and Wenyung Keh of New Zealand finished in a tie for sixth on one-over after final day scores of 70 and 72 respectively.
Seher – niece of PGA Tour player Arjun Atwal – shot the round of the day to finish eighth on two-over to book herself a spot in Spain while South Africa’s Cara Gorlei is the last of those to qualify on five-over 293.
Also read: Sneha, Janneya top Queen Sirikit Cup trials at Noida Golf Course
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