Vani Kapoor eyes back-to-back titles as strong field assembles for WPGT’s 10th leg

Kolar (Karnataka), July 15 (IANS) Fresh off her maiden victory of the 2026 season, Vani Kapoor will look to build on her winning momentum when she headlines a competitive field at the 10th leg of the Women’s Pro Golf Tour (WPGT), which gets underway at Zion Hills Golf County in Kolar.

Vani produced a superb final-round comeback to clinch the ninth leg last week and now returns in search of consecutive titles. She will begin her campaign alongside promising youngster Mannat Brar and amateur Tanishka Prithvi in the opening round.

The experienced campaigner is expected to face a stern challenge from an in-form field led by three-time 2026 winner Ridhima Dilawari, Amandeep Drall, who mounted a strong title bid last week, seasoned professional Tvesa Malik and Saanvi Somu, who has been sharpening her game with regular appearances on the Ladies Access Tour in Europe.

Former Order of Merit champion Sneha Singh will be hoping to rediscover her best after an inconsistent run of results, while Vidhatri Urs, Anvitha Narender, Seher Atwal and veteran Neha Tripathi will also be targeting a return to the winner’s circle.

Another player to watch is former Order of Merit winner Hitaashee Bakshi. After enduring a challenging stint on the Ladies European Tour, Bakshi will be eager to regain her rhythm as she prepares for the remainder of the season, including another shot at the Women’s Indian Open, where she narrowly missed the title last year.

The tournament will also feature two sets of sisters in the field: Heena Kang and amateur Ceerat Kang, along with Lavanya Jadon and Riya Jadon, both pairs continuing to impress on the domestic circuit.

A total of 57 players, including nine amateurs, will compete this week, prompting organisers to adopt a two-tee start once again. In recent seasons, several amateurs have used the WPGT as a platform to test themselves against professionals before transitioning to the paid ranks, and this week’s event offers another opportunity for the next generation to make its mark.

Tee times for Round 1 of the 10th Leg of the Women’s Pro Golf Tour 2026 at Zion Hills, Kolar, Karnataka:

Tee 1

1. 7:30 am: Prarthana Khanna, Amandeep Drall, Keerthana Rajeev (A);

2. 7:40 am: Snigdha Goswami, Khushi Khanijau, Prakruthi Sastry;

3. 7:50 am: Ridhima Dilawari, Esther Lobo; Shreshtha Shukla

4. 8:00 am: Shinjini Mukherjee, Ketaki Sood, Anvvi Dahhiya;

5. 8:15 am: Eti Chaudhary, Ravjot Dosanjh, Saanvi Somu;

6. 8:25 am: Ananya Garg, Jasmine Shekar, Tvesa Malik;

7. 8:35 am: Jiah Kang, Jahaanvie Walia, Ananyaa Sood (A);

8. 8:50 am: Tanishka Prithvi (A), Mannat Brar, Vani Kapoor;

9. 9:00 am: Smriti Bhargav, Karishma Govind, Shweta Mansingh;

10. 9:10 am: Ananya Datar, Heena Kang, Anisha Agarwalla.

Tee 10

1. 7:30 am: Shagun Narain, Durga Nittur, Riya Jadon;

2. 7:40 am: Yaalisai Verma, Priya Kumari (A), Jahnavi Prakhya;

3. 7:50 am: Lavanya Jadon, Anuradha Chaudhuri (A), Jasmandeep Kaur;

4. 8:05 am: Anvitha Narender, Vidhatri Urs, Anaggha Venkatesh;

5. 8:15 am: Ayushi Dutta, Ceerat Kang (A), Neha Tripathi;

6. 8:25 am: Oviya Reddi, Ragini Navet (A), Gourabi Bhowmick;

7. 8:40 am: Sneha Singh, Ananthi Vivek (A), Jia Kochhar;

8. 8:50 am: Hitaashee Bakshi, Rhea Jha, Alysha Dutt (A);

9. 9:00 am: Seher Atwal, Kashika Misra, Rhea Purvi.

–IANS

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