Anvitha holds her nerve to win a tense play-off for her 2nd title on Women’s Pro Golf Tour

Mysuru, June 13 (IANS) Anvitha Narender stayed composed under pressure at the finish and then prevailed in a tense playoff to capture her second title in the seventh leg of the Women’s Pro Golf Tour at the Jayachamaraja Wadiyar Golf Club in Mysuru on Saturday.

The young Bengaluru golfer, Anvitha, showed great resilience to stage a back-nine recovery and then beat the seasoned Vani Kapoor in the second hole of the dramatic play-off. Anvitha carded 1-under 69 as Vani charged up with a 6-under 64, and both were tied at one-under 209. Anvitha birdied the second play-off hole to take the title.

With a strong back nine, Anvitha found herself in the lead at the Par-5 18th tee in regulation play. A little earlier, Vani had finished with a superb 6-under 64 round to set the target at 209.

Anvitha needed just a par on the final hole, but instead she dropped a shot and fell in a tie with Vani. Riya, playing in the final group, had bogeyed the 17th and needed a birdie to get into a play-off. She parred and finished at even par. In the first play-off hole on the Par-4 first, both Anvitha and Vani parred, leading to a second play-off hole, this time on the Par-4 fifth.

The momentum appeared to be with Vani after her stunning comeback, but Anvitha showed remarkable calm for a player still in the early stages of her professional career. After the first playoff hole failed to separate the two contenders, the battle moved to a second extra hole.

Anvitha, who had parred the fifth hole in regulation, picked a decisive birdie to deny Vani a remarkable comeback win. Vani, who had a birdie in regulation play, managed only a par.

That gave the 20-year-old New Jersey-born Anvitha her second win on the Hero Women’s Pro Golf Tour. Her only previous success came in 2024.

Riya ended sole third at even par, while Khushi Khanijau turned in the second-best round of 68, to tie for fourth with Amandeep Drall (70) and Vidhatri Urs (70).

Earlier, starting the day in a three-way lead with Riya Jadon and amateur Ananyaa Sood, Anvitha was unable to find any birdies on the front nine and gave away a bogey. In contrast, rookie Riya Jadon, with two birdies and one bogey, was 1-under for the front nine and took the lead.

However, the star was Vani Kapoor, who, with five birdies and one bogey, played the stretch in 4-under and caught up with Anvitha.

Riya, though she was in the lead at the turn, was unable to find momentum on the back nine, and she bogeyed once without any birdies to finish at even par.

Anvitha birdied the 10th, 12th, and 13th and roared into contention, taking the lead. Vani, too, birdied the 11th and the 16th, but Anvitha was still one ahead. However, Anvitha bogeyed the 18th and dropped into a tie and was forced into a play-off, which she eventually won.

Overnight co-leader Ananyaa Sood, with two bogeys on the front nine, fell back and was unable to make up on the back nine, where she had two more bogeys, a double bogey, and just one birdie. She carded 75 and ended in a tie for seventh with Mannat Brar (70). Durga Nittur (74) was ninth.

A large group finished tied for 10th on 217, including Neha Tripathi, amateur Ceerat Kang, Ananya Garg, and Anvvi Dahhiya. Kashika Misra and Tvesa Malik shared 14th place on 218.

The result was a significant milestone in Anvitha’s development and underlines her growing stature on the domestic circuit. For Vani, the tournament ended in disappointment despite producing the best round of the week.

–IANS

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