Jasmine Shekar faced some nervous moments at the end of the third and final round, but finally crossed the line to win her maiden pro title in the 13th Leg of the Hero Women’s Pro Golf Tour at the Golden Greens Golf Club.
Related: Jasmine, Ridhima in tussle for supremacy at Golden Greens
The 19-year-old who has had many runner-up finishes, including being solo runner-up twice, was four shots clear with two holes to go.
She bogeyed the Par-4 17th and the par-5 18th, but with none of her close rivals including Hitaashee Bakshi and Ridhima Dilawari coming up with anything better than pars on the last three holes, Jasmine won by two shots.
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It was a big relief for the young golfer, who turned pro last year and was sixth on the Hero Order of Merit last year.
Apart from two solo seconds, one of which was last year, Jasmine had also tied for second twice last season. This would do her confidence a lot of good ahead of the Hero Women’s Indian Open next month on the Ladies European Tour.
Hitaashee, who is leading the Order of Merit, finished second and extended her lead at the top with Sneha Singh second. Amandeep Drall and Khushi Khanijau are third and fourth and Jasmine moved up one place to fifth.
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Jasmine, who shared the 36-hole lead with Ridhima, began well with birdies on the third and the sixth hole. At that stage Hitaashee had two birdies and two bogeys, while Ridhima faltered with two birdies and four bogeys in the first six holes.
As the front nine ended, Jasmine had extended her lead, despite a double bogey on the Par-4 seventh, and birdied the ninth to play the front half in 1-under. On the back nine Jasmine birdied the 11th to forge further ahead and then after five pars, she bogeyed the 17th and the 18th.
Hitaashee after an even par 36 on front nine had one birdie and one bogey on the back nine for a card of 72 and was two adrift of the winner. Hitaashee, who has won two times, finished runner-up for the fourth time this season.
Ridhima had five bogeys against two birdies for a card of 75 and ended third at 1-over 217 and three behind Jasmine.
Gaurika Bishnoi (73) was tied for fourth with Sneha (75), and Amandeep (76) slipped to Tied-sixth alongside Snigdha Goswami, who had the day’s best card of 69.
Amateur Anvvi Dahhiya (76) was eighth and Gauri Karhade (73) was ninth. Vidhatri Urs (75) and Kriti Chowhan (75), who had an eagle, were tied for 10th.
