By Rahul Banerji
Tvesa Malik rediscovered form and touch at just the right time to end a two-year title wait in the 11th leg of the Hero Women’s Pro Golf Tour on Friday.
With the Bangalore Golf Club finally yielding ground to the players, Tvesa had a closing stretch that included six birdies in 10 holes to win by three shots with a 1 over aggregate on the par-67 course.
“That was a big relief. I had been searching for this for a long time,” Tvesa said later.
“I knew the game was good, but I needed the scores and today I did not put myself under pressure and it helped.”
The Gurgaon golfer overcame a bogey-bogey start that saw her lose the overnight lead as well before rallying with elan when it counted most to hold runner-up Durga Nittur back comfortably in the end.
Tvesa’s back nine of 5 under 29 set up a 54-hole total of 202 against the promising Durga’s 4 over 205, and her 3 under 64 was the week’s best on a track that tested the field fully. Her last win on the Hero WPG Tour came in March 2021.
Sneha Singh, a two-time winner in 2023, shot a 66 to finish third at 6 over 207, while Gaurika Bishnoi shot the day’s equal best of 64 and jumped to tied fourth place alongside Khushi Khanijau (65).
Rocky start
Tvesa started with a one-shot lead but soon gave that up, bogeying thrice in four holes against one birdie. Durga Nittur, looking for a maiden pro win, birdied the fourth to go two shots up on Tvesa which she extended to three when Tvesa dropped yet another shot.
Tvesa then went into overdrive with three birdies in a row from holes nine to 11 and then from 15 to 17 and closed with a par on 18 which Durga bogeyed.
The top amateur of the week was Mannat Brar (71), who finished tied sixth with Kriti Chowhan (68) at 211.
Another amateur, Saanvi Somu (69), was eighth at 213 and Saaniya Sharma (70) was ninth at 214.
Seher Atwal (72), winner of the opening leg this season, was tied 10th alongside Ananya Datar (71) and Oviya Reddi (73) at 215.
Last week’s winner Neha Tripathi (74) finished T17.
Sneha Singh may have finished third, but she stays atop of the Hero Order of Merit, while Seher Atwal and Khushi Khanijau are second and third.
Neha Tripathi is fourth, Jasmine Shekar fifth and Gaurika Bishnoi sixth.
Also read: Tvesa takes the lead in WPGT leg 11 at Bangalore Golf Club
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