Gurugram, Mar 8 (PTI) Amandeep Drall endured a roller-coaster fourth and final round but managed to hold on to her four-shot lead to coast to a pleasing win in the fifth leg of the Hero Women’s Pro Golf Tour here on Friday.
Amandeep, who last won 13 months ago, overcame two early bogeys and a double bogey to post 1-under 71 for a total of 10-under 278.
Gaurika Bishnoi, who shot 66 on the second day but could not replicate the same magic in the fourth round on Thursday, also shot 71 and finished second at 6-under 282.
Khushi Khanijau (73) was third at 3-under 285, while Hitaashee Bakshi (72) and Ridhima Dilawari closed with an eagle for a 74 and completed the Top-5.
Amandeep, who began the final day with a four-shot lead, bogeyed the second and third holes, but with Gaurika also dropping a shot on the second, the former kept a sizeable lead.
Both players birdied the fifth, but Gaurika dropped a shot on the sixth. A birdie on the seventh did give her an outside chance, but Amandeep ensured there were no further hiccups with an eagle on the ninth. It was her fourth eagle of the week.
On the back nine, Amandeep birdied the 11th but dropped a double bogey on Par-4 17th. She shrugged that off with a closing birdie, as Gaurika managed only one birdie in her last 11 holes.
The win also brought a lot of relief for Amandeep, who had dropped her form and lost her full Tour card on the Ladies European Tour.
This win would pep her up as she tries to find her form to get back to the higher Tours.
For Gaurika, making her first start of 2024, it was a good beginning. She will be back for the sixth leg next week, as will Amandeep.
Seher Atwal and Neha Tripathi, with 76 each, were tied for sixth, Ananya Garg (73) was eighth, and Lavanya Jadon (74) was the top amateur at ninth. Jasmine Shekar (70) and Astha Madan (72) rounded off the Top-10. Sneha Singh, who did not have a great week, produced her best round of the week on the fourth day with a 71 that included an eagle. She finished T-12, but it was not enough to keep her on the top of the Order of Merit.
Hitaashee Bakshi, who finished fourth this week, now has top honours with Sneha right behind her.
Amandeep, having a lacklustre season, rose to third place with this win. Khushi and Jasmine Shekar are fourth and fifth in the money rankings.
Source: PTI News
