Bengaluru, June 6 (IANS) Vani Kapoor overcame a slow start to produce a four-birdie spurt on the back nine and race away to a comfortable fourth win this season in the 8th leg on the Women’s Pro Golf Tour at the Bangalore Golf Club.

Winner of three titles in a row and more than 30 in her career on the domestic circuit, Vani was 2-over through eight holes. She then turned it around with a birdie on the ninth and four in a row from the 12th to the 15th to card 3-under 67 for the second time.

Vani with 67-71-67 totalled 5-under 210 and finished three shots clear of amateur Zara Anand (67), who registered her best finish on the pro circuit on the HPWGT. Zara, who has been showing great promise this season while getting ready to join college golf in the US later this year, shot rounds of 69-72-67 for a card of 2-under 208.

Neha Tripathi shot the week’s best card of 5-under 65 and finished third after being way down with 76 on the first day. She scored 68 on the second day and was 1-under 209 as the top three registered under-par totals for the three rounds.

Vani, who shared the lead with amateur Saanvi after two rounds, opened the final day with a bogey. She parred the next six holes and had another bogey on the seventh to drop down to even par for the tournament. A birdie on the ninth was a breather and brought her back to under par.

Saanvi, meanwhile, had three bogeys and one birdie on the front nine and was par for the tournament.

At that stage, Gaurika Bishnoi was also in the running. With one birdie and one bogey, Gaurika was even par for the front nine and was 1-under for the tournament and in a shared lead with Vani. Gaurika faltered on the back nine as she had two birdies on the 15th and 16th but dropped shots on the 11th, 14th, and 18th for a 71. Her total of even par 210 gave her the sole fourth place.

At the same time, Vani hit a purple patch with four birdies and no bogeys on the back nine to race ahead of the field.

Despite Zara’s four birdies in the last 10 holes and Neha Tripathi’s five birdies in the last seven holes, Vani stayed comfortably ahead to register another fine win.

Overnight co-leader amateur Saanvi Somu, bidding to win for the first time on the pro tour after four second places in the past, failed once again. With two birdies against five bogeys in a card of 73, she dropped to fifth place.

Ridhima Dilawari, who opened the day with a double bogey, also had the rare distinction of landing two eagles, both on Par-4s on the sixth and the 15th. She carded 67, which included two eagles, three birdies, two bogeys, and a double bogey. She finished sixth. Ananya Garg closed with a bogey-double bogey for 71 and was seventh.

Amandeep Drall, the winner of the seventh leg, had a bogey-bogey finish in her round of 70 and was in a six-way tie for eighth place with Karishma Govind, Rhea Purvi Saravanan, Anvitha Narender, Vidhatri Urs and Jasmine Shekar.

Vani has extended her lead at the top of the Hero Order of Merit with four wins in seven starts. She has now earned Rs. 11,88,000 and is way ahead of second-placed Sneha Singh, who this week is playing on the Ladies European Tour in Tenerife. Amandeep Drall, Ridhima Dilawari and Neha Tripathi occupy the third to fifth places on the Order of Merit.

–IANS

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