Tvesa sizzles on back nine in 11th Leg of Hero WPGT, clinches first title in 2 years  

Tvesa Malik receiving winner’s cheque & trophy from Mr. D N Vasanth Kumar, Captain-BGC.

Khel Today Bureau 

Bengaluru: Tvesa Malik found the touch she was missing for so long on the last 10 holes of the final round of the 11^th Leg of the Hero Women’s Pro Golf Tour at the Bangalore Golf Club. She started bogey-bogey and was 2-over after four holes, but rallied superbly on the back nine, carding 5-under 29 on the return. She totalled 1-over 202.

Tvesa, whose last win on the Hero WPG Tour came in March 2021, birdied six times between the ninth and 17^th holes. Twice she had birdie hat-tricks. Her final round of 3-under 64, which was the best of the week at the Par-67 Bangalore Golf Club, resulted in her first win of the season.

Tvesa Malik starting her final round.

Tvesa’s 64 gave her a three-round score of 1-over 202 with rounds of 70-68-64 in three days. She finished three shots clear of Durga Nittur, another emerging professional from Bengaluru. Durga shot 1-under 66 to total 4-over 205 and was second.

Sneha Singh, two-time winner in 2023, shot 66 to finish third at 6-over 207, while Gaurika Bishnoi shot the day’s equal best of 64 and jumped to tied fourth place alongside Khushi Khanijau (65). Both recorded totals of 210.

Tvesa started with a one-shot lead but soon gave that up. She bogeyed three times in the first four holes with one birdie in between. Her closest rival, Durga Nittur, looking for a maiden pro win, birdied the fourth and it put her two ahead of Tvesa. Durga extended her lead to three shots as Tvesa bogeyed the seventh.

Durga failed to make any more birdies till the 18^th and in between bogeyed the 12^th.

Tvesa went into an overdrive with three birdies in a row from ninth to 11^th and then three more from 15^th to 17^th and closed with a par on the par-3 18^th. She finished two ahead and a deserving winner.

“That was a big relief. I had been searching for this for a long time. I knew the game was good, but I needed the scores and today I did not put myself under pressure and it helped,” said Tvesa, who is now hoping for a few starts in Europe.

The top amateur of the week was Mannat Brar (71), who finished tied sixth with Kriti Chowhan (68) at 211.

Another amateur Saanvi Somu (69) was eighth at 213 and Saaniya Sharma (70) was ninth at 214.

Seher Atwal (72), winner of the opening leg this season, was tied 10^th alongside Ananya Datar (71) and Oviya Reddi (73) at 215.

Last week’s winner Neha Tripathi (74) finished T-17.

Sneha Singh may have finished only third, but she was on top of the Hero Order of Merit, while Seher Atwal and Khushi Khanijau are second and third. Neha Tripathi is fourth, Jasmine Shekar is fifth and Gaurika Bishnoi sixth.