Pranavi keeps up habit of early success on Hero WPGT with a win in second leg

 Khel Today Bureau

Mumbai: Pranavi Urs loves getting off to a great start right at the commencement of the season. For the fifth season in succession, Pranavi has either won or finished runner-up in the first event she has played on the Hero Women’s Pro Golf Tour. Pranavi, playing her first Hero WPGT event in 2023, carded an even par 70 despite a double bogey on the ninth and won by five shots over the seasoned Vani Kapoor (69) at the Bombay Presidency Golf Club.

Sneha Singh (69), a multiple winner as an amateur, continued her search for her first pro success. She was third alongside Amandeep Drall (75), amateur Nishna Patel (72) and Afshan Fatima (76), who seemed inconsistent after her second round 69. The four players in tied third place were all at 8-over 218.

Shweta Mansingh (74) was seventh while Seher Atwal (72), winner of the opening leg, was tied eighth with Asmitha Sathish (71).

Ridhima Dilawari (73) and amateur Vidhatri Urs (78) rounded off the Top-10.

Pranavi, starting the day two shots clear of Afshan Fatima, extended her lead with a birdie on first and the latter seemed to drop out of the race with three bogeys on front nine.

Pranavi also dropped a bogey on third but made up with a birdie on fifth only to take a six on Par-5 ninth as she turned in one-over 36. Despite Vani, who eagled the Par-5 first, and Sneha finishing their front nine in 2-over each, Pranavi was comfortably placed.

The Mysuru golfer, who is hoping to play in the United States this year on the Epson Tour, had a very steady back nine with a birdie on Par-5 16^th and pars on the other eight holes, as she finished with even par 70 and was also even par 210 for three days.

Vani was unable to keep up the momentum on the back nine as she gave away two bogeys after picking two birdies.

While still an amateur in 2019, Pranavi was runner-up in the opening leg and in 2020, still an amateur, she was runner-up in the first leg and won the second and immediately turned pro and won her first start which was the third leg of the Hero WPGT 2020 Tour. Continuing her habit of notching up early success, she was runner-up in the first leg and won the second in 2021. Last year in 2022, she won the first and dominated the season with five wins and took the Hero Order of Merit honours.

Pranavi has kept that run going in 2023. She skipped the opening leg but won the second.

Seher, who finished tied eighth, leads the 2023 Hero Order of Merit, while Pranavi is second. Sneha Singh is third, Ridhima Dilawari is fourth and Afshan Fatima fifth.

The next two legs of the Hero WPG Tour will be held in Kolkata next month.