Thailand’s Pornanong Phatlum completed a rare feat by winning the US$500,000 Hero Women’s Indian Open a fourth time with a four-shot win over India’s Vani Kapoor on Sunday.
Related: Vani Kapoor aims at glory at the Hero Women’s Indian Open
The 36-year-old seasoned LPGA player is now the only one to win India’s national Open on the both the golf courses on offer at the DLF Golf and Country Club in Gurugram.
Her wins in 2008, 2009 and 2012 had come at the adjoining Arnold Palmer Course, and Pornanong completed the sequence by conquering the Gary Player Course with a four-day score of 11-under 277.
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After posting rounds of 72, 71, 69, Pornanong left the best for the last, and the bogey-free 7-under 65 under pressure spoke of pure class, and the difference from the rest of the field.
Barring the start to the final day, when Asian Games gold medallist Pranavi Urs seemed to mount a charge, it was mainly a two-player contest between Pornanong and Vani, who finished at 7-under 281 (73, 69, 69, 70).
In a bid to protect a sore wrist, defending champion Shannon Tan at 4-under 284 (68, 77, 67, 72) played far below her potential, and completed the top-five at sole third. She was followed by Czechia’s Sara Kouskova at 3-under 285 (69, 72, 73, 71) along with Pranavi (70, 70, 73, 72) at T-4.
Gallant content
While on stats, Vani notched a nugget for herself by registering her best result on the Ladies European Tour (LET) with the sole second.
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Going into the final day with a slender one-shot lead, it could well have been a breakthrough win on the LET for Vani. She got off to a whirlwind start with four birdies in five holes, but missing the short birdie putt on the 9th appeared to upset her rhythm.
Vani’s moment will surely come, and while the disappointment of not completing the task will linger, the solid result puts her in line for a full card on the LET for the upcoming season.
Glorious return
Pornanong ticked a few boxes herself after arriving in India as one of the invites this week. The demands of competing on the LPGA had prevented her from returning to India after 2012, but it is only appropriate that this week has come at a time when the 36-year-old is rediscovering herself on the LPGA Tour.
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The run on the Epson Tour, the feeder line to the LPGA, in 2024 helped Pornanong as a win that year got her back on the LPGA, and the past season was about ascendancy on the main tour.
“India is like home, and I feel I can settle down here. My fourth win here is the most special as I didn’t think I was going to win again. It seems like a dream,” Pornanong.
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It was the affinity for this land that got coupled with her quick understanding of this golf course, and its demands. The road back hasn’t been easy, and Pornanong even contemplated retirement at the start of the year, but that thought has been put to rest.
“I am still good to continue on Tour, and I want to win more,” she said.
Pornanong will need to make smart travel choices, and Sunday’s result will see her compete on the LET a lot more in the upcoming season.
Giving it her best
Vani fought through disappointment to accept the result handed out by her smiling vanquisher, Pornanong, who put to use her immense experience of competing on the LPGA.
“I gave it my 100 per cent, and everything went to plan. I don’t think I could have done anything more. I made a lot of birdies, especially considering the amount of pressure there was.
“I don’t think I would have made so many birdies in a single round before. I made a couple of mistakes too, but that’s part of the game. It’s better to accept it,” she said.
The reference was to the stark difference between her two nines — one dotted with birdies, and the other with dropped shots.
Vani attributed it to pressure. “It’s all about timing. There were some in-between shots where there was extra pressure. You don’t have exactly the yardage you want, and you have to think about where you can miss the ball. Those are stressful shots, so there was a little mistake there.”
Undone by result
Despite the stomach bug, Pranavi fancied her chances, and the end to Sunday with the back-to-back bogeys was an apt sum-up of her up-and-down game.
“It’s definitely not the result I wanted. I wanted to win. Especially, with the way I’ve been playing, I thought I would have a chance. The biggest obstacle was my stomach. I wasn’t feeling my best, but I’m proud with how I conducted myself throughout the week,” said Pranavi.
The result is enough encouragement to strive for more, and Pranavi will attempt to win on the LET in her upcoming starts.
Top final scores
277: Pornanong Phatlum (72, 71, 69, 65)
281: Vani Kapoor (73, 69, 69, 70)
284: Shannon Tan (68, 77, 67, 72)
285: Sara Kouskova (69, 72, 73, 71); Pranavi Urs (70, 70, 73, 72)
286: Magdalena Simmermacher (68, 72, 73, 73)
287: Tvesa Malik (71, 73, 71, 72)
