Vani Kapoor ends three-year title wait with victory at DLF

By Rahul Banerji

A little over three years after her last win on the Hero Women’s Pro Golf Tour, Vani Kapoor sank a crucial birdie on the closing hole to seal victory.

Vani produced a three-under 69 card, one better than Gaurika Bishnoi who led for a good part of the day but could not find a birdie over the last seven holes.

In the end, it was that one birdie that gave Vani a two-under par 214 and the title in the seventh leg of the ongoing season, the WGAI said.

Gaurika. 72 for eth day, ended at one-under 215 while Ridhima Dilawari, who played alongside Gaurika, too, just missed out.

Ridhima had a chance as she birdied 16 and 17 and needed a third to force a playoff with Vani, but instead double-bogeyed the last hole and fell to third on a three-day total of 217.

Overnight leader Tvesa Malik (77) ran into rough weather in the final round and was fourth, while amateur Vidhatri Urs (76) and Asmitha Sathish (73) were tied for fifth.

Playing in the final group, Gaurika had a chance to force a play-off as she stood over a birdie putt, which, however, was not a straightforward one.

Missing out

The ball rolled past the hole leaving Gaurika as a runner-up for a second time in three starts with a win in between.

Vani, who started the day three behind 36-hole leader Tvesa Malik, had one birdie and one bogey on the front nine.

As the lead group of Tvesa, Gaurika and Vidhatri made the turn, Gaurika held pole position.

Vani birdied twice early in in the back nine before sealing the win with a third on her closing hole.

“It is great to get back to winning, more so on my home course with my family and friends present,” Vani said.

“I also want to thank everyone here including my coach, Anitya Chand, and my parents,” added Vani, who has been playing mostly on the Ladies European Tour and elsewhere in the past three years.

Gaurika, who started the final day one behind the leader, was unlucky with many of her putts, including the one on 18, which was a tricky eight-footer after bouncing back from an early double-bogey.

Overnight leader Tvesa had an early birdie on the third to stretch her lead but after that nothing went right for her, with four bogeys and a double.

Seher Atwal (73) and Amandeep Drall (73) were sixth and seventh, while Lakhmehar Pardesi, who had seven birdies in her 71, was tied eighth alongside Rhea Jha (75) and amateur Anvvi Dahhiya (77).

On the hunt

Vani, who won her first title on the Hero WPG Tour as an amateur more than 10 years ago, has since won more than 35 titles, most of which have come between 2014 and 2018.

Since then, she has played in Australia, South Africa and the Ladies European Tour, and is still in search for her first pro win on the international circuit.

Sneha Singh, who had a disappointing week in tied 21^st place, continues to lead the Hero Order of Merit.

Vani, who won Rs.2,84,000 from the season’s highest purse of Rs. 23 lakh, moved into third place, while Seher Atwal stays second.

Also read: Resurgent Tvesa Malik leads at DLF leg of Hero WPGT