Vani uses experience to carve out a win in 4th leg of Hero WPGT  

Khel Today Bureau

Mumbai: Vani Kapoor used all her experience to land a crucial birdie on the back nine to win the fourth Leg of the Hero Women’s Pro Golf Tour at the Bombay Presidency Golf Club Ltd. It was Vani’s first win in 2025 and the first since the success at the DLF Golf and Country Club in the 12^th leg of the 2024 season.

Vani, 31, bogeyed the 11^th and the 13^th and at that stage trailed two amateurs, Saanvi Somu, the overnight leader, and Anuradha Chaudhuri. The three were playing together in the final group.

Then came the turnaround as Vani birdied the Par-4 15^th. On the same hole Anuradha dropped a bogey for a two-shot swing. From being one ahead Anuradha fell one back.

Saanvi, who with five holes left was even par for the tournament and in the lead, also bogeyed the 15^th to fall to 1-over. She was then tied with Vani.

Saanvi, who has finished runner-up four times in the past, parred the 16^th but dropped shots on the 17^th and the 18^th, which were parred by Vani and Anuradha.

The pars helped Vani stay ahead of the field at 1-under 69 for the day and 1-over 211 total. Anuradha was stranded at 2-over and was sole second. Saanvi meanwhile fell to 3-over and finished in a tie for third alongside Sneha Singh (66) and Ridhima Dilawari (67), who had earlier taken the clubhouse lead at 3-over.

Vani opened the day with two birdies on the first two holes, but then endured eight pars after that. She bogeyed the 11^th and the 13^th to fall back but produced a winning birdie on the 15^th.

Anuradha played consistent with one birdie and one bogey, but the latter proved costly, while Sneha and Ridhima produced the two best cards of the day. Sneha was bogey free with 66 and Ridhima shot 67 with four birdies against one bogey.

Saanvi had three birdies and five bogeys, three of which came in the last four holes and cost her a maiden win the on the pro tour, while still being an amateur.

Lavanya Jadon (71), Shweta Mansingh (70), amateur Mannat Brar (72) and Jasmine Shekar (75) occupied the sixth to the ninth place while three players including the 2024 Hero Order of Merit winner, Hitaashee Bakshi (75), amateur Keerthana Rajeev (73) and Khushi Khanijau (71) tied for the tenth place.

Among other prominent players Gaurika Bishnoi (77) was T-13, Seher Atwal (80) was T-16, Amandeep Drall (75) was T-18^th and Neha Tripathi (77) was T-21.

Sneha Singh, who was tied fifth in the first leg and won the next two, finished tied-third this week. She continues to lead the Hero Order of Merit with winnings of Rs.5,76,900 while Vani Kapoor moved into second place with Rs.4,54,000 and Jasmine Shekar with Rs.3,26,500 was third.

It was a great week for amateurs, who had four finishers in the Top-10. Two of those amateurs, Saanvi and Mannat are headed to the Women’s Amateur Asia Pacific Championships in Vietnam next week.