Amandeep Drall came roaring back with one of the best rounds of the season as she drilled eight birdies against just one bogey for a superb 7-under 65 which won her the 10th leg of the Hero Women’s Pro Golf Tour by three shots at the Chandigarh Golf Club.
Amateur Avani Prashanth, who shared the overnight lead with Amandeep after two rounds, was left three shots behind despite a fine 4-under 68. She finished in second place. Vani Kapoor tripped to one-over 73 and was fourth, while Jahanvi Bakshi (68) was third.
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Amandeep, for whom this was her first title in 2021, finished with a superb 9-under 207, while Avani was 6-under 210 and Jahanvi was 4-under 212. Vani also had an under-par total of 1-under 215.
Amandeep, who gained tremendously by competing in Europe over the last few months, had started the week with 4-under 68 before slipping on the second day with 74.
In the final round, she fell back by two shots after the first hole as she bogeyed the first and playing partner and overnight co-leader, Avani had a birdie on the same hole.
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Soon after Amandeep found her form as she birdied second, fourth, sixth and seventh to turn in 3-under 33. Avani dropped a shot on fourth where Amandeep had a birdie for a two-shot swing. That helped Amandeep go ahead by one. Like Amandeep, Avani also birdied the sixth and seventh but was still one behind at the turn.
On the back nine Amandeep drove off on her own with three birdies in a row from 11th to 13th, while Avani had gains only on 13th. Both birdied the 16th but with two holes left and three shots clear Amandeep made no mistake and Avani was unable to find any more birdies.
Jahanvi could have given Avani a run for second place but suffered a double bogey on the Par-3 14th, and even three birdies in the last three holes for a 68 gave her only the third place.
Vani could not get her putts to fall and finished with two birdies against three bogeys in her 73.
Gaurika Bishnoi shot her best card of the week at 2-under 70 and was tied fifth with Hitaashee Bakshi (71), while the winner of the ninth leg, Lakhmehar Pardesi (72) was tied seventh with Pranavi Urs (73). Amateur Puneet K Bajwa (77) and Seher Atwal (76) completed the Top-10.
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It was a good low-scoring event with no less than 10 under par rounds and the top four players finishing with under par totals in the Rs 10 lakh event.
The win also cemented Amandeep’s place on top of the Hero Order of Merit, which she was already leading.
WGAI
