Vani Kapoor battles to year’s first win at Bombay Presidency

DLF golfer Vani Kapoor with her winner’s cheque and trophy at Bombay Presidency Golf Club on Thursday. Image courtesy WGAI.

By Rahul Banerji 

Vani Kapoor needed all her experience to emerge winner at the Bombay Presidency Golf Club leg of the Hero Women’s Pro Golf Tour on Thursday.

Chased all the way home by amateurs Saanvi Somu and Anuradha Chaudhuri playing together in the final group before sealing her first title of 2025 by a single shot, the WGAI said.

Vanis’ closing 1 under par 69 saw her total 1 over 211 ahead of Anuradha (72-70-70, 212) and overnight leader Saanvi (73-68-72, 213) for a first win since the DLF Golf and Country Club in leg 12of the 2024 season.

Order of merit leader Sneha Singh (73-74-66) overcame two indifferent rounds to take shared third alongside Saanvi as did fellow-professional Ridhima Dilawari (74-72-67).

The DLF-based Vani and Anuradha started the day a shot behind Saanvi and the 31-year-old birdied her opening two holes but gave the gains back with two dropped shots midway into the round.

However, a birdie on hole 15 where both Anuradha and Saanvi would drop a shot helped the turnaround for Vani who then closed out with three straight pars as did Anuradha.

Crucial errors

Saanvi, who has finished runner-up four times in the past, dropped shots on the final two holes to drop back into tied third alongside Sneha and Ridhima who had earlier taken the clubhouse lead at 3-over.

Vani opened the day with two birdies and reeled off eight pars after that. She bogeyed 11 and 13 to fall back but the birdie on 15 proved to be the winning difference.

Anuradha played consistent golf with one birdie and one bogey, but the latter proved costly, while Sneha and Ridhima produced the two best cards of the day.

Sneha had five birdies against one bogey while Ridhima had four birdies and one dropped shot. Saanvi’s five bogeys – three in the last four holes – cost her the chance of a maiden win on the pro tour while an amateur.

Lavanya Jadon (71), Shweta Mansingh (70), amateur Mannat Brar (72) and Jasmine Shekar (75) occupied the sixth to the ninth places while 2024 Hero Order of Merit winner Hitaashee Bakshi (75), amateur Keerthana Rajeev (73) and Khushi Khanijau (71) tied for tenth.

Gaurika Bishnoi (77) was T-13, Seher Atwal (80) was T-16, Amandeep Drall (75) was T-18 and Neha Tripathi (77) was T-21.

Sneha Singh continues to lead the Hero Order of Merit with winnings of Rs.5,76,900 while Vani Kapoor moves into second place with Rs.4,54,000 and Jasmine Shekar with Rs.3,26,500 is third.

It was a great week for amateurs, who had four finishers in the Top-10. Two of them, Saanvi and Mannat, will play the Women’s Amateur Asia Pacific Championships in Vietnam next week.

Also read: Saanvi Somu takes day two lead at BPGC leg of Hero WPG Tour