Golfer Gaurika bags season's maiden title in Hero WPG Tour

Golfer Gaurika Bishnoi completed a massive six-shot win despite two double bogeys in the final round of the 14th leg of the Hero womens Pro Tour at the DLF Golf and Country Club here on Friday.

The 20-year-old Rohtak golfer, who was searching for her first win this season, shot 3-over 75 which included three birdies, two bogeys and two doubles.

Gaurika totalled 226 and finished six shots clear of Tvesa Malik, who finally found her rhythm on the final day with a card of 1-under 71, only the second sub-par round this week. While this served her well to get to sole second, she was too far behind to challenge Gaurika.

Amandeep Drall, whose 80-80 in the first two rounds put her way down on the leaderboard, could have challenged Gaurika but a bogey start, a bogey on the Par-5 15th and a triple bogey on the closing 18th saw her finish the final day at 73.

Amandeep's total of 233 saw her finish third while Millie Saroha (75) and Afshan Fatima (80) ended tied-4th.

Neha Tripathi, Khushi Khanijau and amateur Sifat Sagoo were sixth to eighth respectively, while Gursimar Badwal and Anisha Padukone completed the top-10.

Gaurika, who opened the day with a two-shot lead over Khushi Khanijau, surrendered her lead as she double bogeyed the second and fourth, while Khushi had a bogey on first and a birdie on third.

Thereafter the pendulum swung Gaurika's way as she stabilised with three birdies and two bogeys, while Khushi dropped three bogeys and four doubles and fell to seventh.

Tvesa had the best day with birdies on ninth, 12th and 18th and dropped shots on seventh and 15th.

Amandeep's triple robbed her of the chance of getting to second place and closing the gap with Tvesa on the order of merit.

At the end of the 14th leg, Tvesa continued to lead the money ranking with Rs 12,82,400 while Amandeep was second at Rs 10,38,200 and became the second player to cross the Rs 10 lakh mark this season.

Neha (Rs 8,97,000), Gursimar (Rs 8,27,000) and Gaurika (Rs 6,13,300) were third to fifth. Gaurika made the biggest jump from eighth to fifth.

In the first week of October, the DLF Golf and Country Club will again play host to the 15th leg, This will give the girls an opportunity to get some more practice at the Gary Player layout, leading up to the women's Indian Open, 2018.

--IANS

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