Rookie golfer Siddhi cliches 14th Leg of Hero women Tour

Rookie Siddhi Kapoor overcame strong challenge from her compatriots to win the 14th leg of the Hero womens Professional golf Tour at the Delhi Golf Club (DGC) here on Thursday.

The Kolkata golfer carded one over 73 in the final round to clinch her maiden professional title. Amandeep Drall and Vani Kapoor finished second and third respectively in the Rs 7,00,000 event.

Siddhi had an indifferent start, carding three quick bogeys on the first, third and fourth holes. She dropped three more shots on the ninth, 11th and 16th holes, but birdies on the sixth, eighth and 13th kept her in the hunt.

Under pressure on the final two holes, the 19-year-old carded birdies on the 17th and 18th holes to grab her first professional win.

Overnight leader Amandeep could not replicate her second round performance, carding three over 75 on the day to take the second spot.

She carded two birdies on the first and sixth holes with an equal number of bogeys on the third and seventh in her front nine. The Panchkula girl played a birdie less back nine, carding a double bogey on the 15th hole, followed by another dropped shot on the 16th, which ultimately proved to be costly. She finished with a total score of 221.

Delhi's Vani, who finished third with a total score of 222 after 54 holes, started impressively playing a bogey free front nine with a birdie on the second hole.

She carded two more birdies in the latter half on the 14th and 17th holes while dropping shots on the 10th, 13th and 16th to finish the round with a score of even par 72.

Another local golfer Gaurika Bishnoi impressed in her first professional event, taking the fourth position with a total score of 224. Her round of one over 73 on the day included four birdies on the first, third, sixth and eighth holes along with bogeys on the second, fourth, 13th, 15th and 16th.

Pune's Shweta Galande and Delhi's Mehar Atwal finished tied fifth with identical totals of 225 while Kolkata's Neha Tripathi finished seventh with a total score of 227, followed by Kapurthala's Gursimar Badwal and amateur Shreya Ghei in tied eighth position at 231.

--IANS

tri/vt