Gursimar wins third leg, leads Order of Merit

Gurismar Badwal... in a class of her own. Image: WGAI Media

Pune, February 9: Gursimar Badwal shot one-over 72 to clinch Hero Women's Pro Golf Tour at the Poona Club Golf Course.

The 24-year-old played a steady final round even as others faltered on the last day of the third leg of the Tour.

She had a total of 5-over 218 and emerged a winner by three strokes ahead of Neha Tripathi (75).

@26simar26 played a steady final round even as others faltered on the last day of the 3rd leg of Hero Women’s Pro Golf Tour at the Poona Club Golf Course on Friday. She shot one-over 72 to get to a total of 5-over 218 and emerged a winner by three strokes over @TrippyNeha (75). pic.twitter.com/PVoln4nqMY
— Golf In India (@golfingindian) February 9, 2018

had shared the lead had shared the lead

The win also took Gursimar into sole lead in the Hero Order of Merit with a total of Rs. 2,76,000 in three events so far. Neha Tripathi is now second with Rs. 2,46,000 and Tvesa Malik is third with earnings of Rs. 2,32,000.

Tvesa Malik (77), who was third behind Gursimar and Neha, was nine shots behind the winner, Gursimar.

Ayesha Kapur (77) was fourth at 229 with Saaniya Sharma (81) finishing fifth at 230.

Gurimsar, who won two titles and finished fourth on the Hero WPGT Order of Merit last season, opened with three pars and had a bogey on fourth and another on seventh, which was followed by a birdie on ninth. As Gursimar turned in one-over 37, she was still in the lead as Neha had dropped behind by carding two-over 38 in the opening nine.

Gursimar built on that slender lead of one shot with two birdies on 10th and 14th, while during the same period, Neha had only parred the five holes. That meant Gursimar was three ahead with four holes left.

Gursimar did stumble with bogeys on 15th and 16thbut so did her playing partner and overnight co-leader, Neha, who also dropped shots on the same holes. Overall Neha had five bogeys against one birdie in her 75.

With the rest of the field more or less out of reckoning soon after the turn, Tvesa, Ayesha and Saaniya finished third to fifth.

Smriti Mehra (75) and Afshan Fatima (81) were Tied-6th at 231, while Siddhi Kapoor (76) and Trisha Sunil (80) were tied-8thand Sonam Chugh (80) rounded off the top-10.

(Source: WGAI Media)