Hero Women’s Professional Golf: Gursimar Badwal bags first pro title

Gursimar Badwal returned a two-under 68 in the final round to win the fifth leg of the Hero Women’s Professional Golf Tour at the Bombay Presidency Golf Club on Thursday.

Gursimar played consistent golf through the week to claim her maiden professional title by a comfortable six-shot margin. She ended the Rs 6 lakh tournament with a total of 209.

Kolkata’s Neha Tripathi finished runner-up with 215.

Overnight leader Gursimar, who has been within striking distance of victory on several occasions in the past, was a picture of composure on the day, opening with a blemish-free front nine with two birdies.

She added another on her back nine while dropping just one shot on the 11th to finish.

Neha collected one birdie on her front nine while dropping two shots. She played with much more purpose on her return journey, firing four birdies along with a bogey on the 13th.

She too finished the round on two-under 68 to take second place.

Delhi’s Mehar Atwal hit a 72 in the final round to take third place. She had three birdies along with as many bogeys and a double bogey to finish on 216.

Kolkata’s Smriti Mehta and Pune-based Shweta Galande finished tied fourth on 219.

Shweta’s round of three-over 73 on the day included four bogeys against one birdie on the 13th hole.

Smriti, on the other hand, played a birdie-less front nine with two bogeys. On her way in, she carded two birdies against three bogeys.

She also had a double bogey on the 18th hole to finish the round on five-over 75.

The Delhi duo of Mehak Sharma and Gauri Maunga finished tied sixth with 220, followed by Hero Motocorp sponsored Sharmila Nicollet and Delhi’s Ankita Tiwana on 221.

The Tour now moves to Pune for the sixth leg to be played at the Oxford Golf Resort next week.