Rookie Gauri Karhade, playing only her sixth event as a pro on the Hero Women’s Pro Golf Tour, surprised the fancied amateur Shreya Pal and the seasoned Gaurika Bishnoi, to pick her first title on the circuit.
The 17-year-old Gauri has never finished above sixth but stayed calm and held her nerve to shoot a final round of 73 for a total of two-under 214 and won the 12th leg by one shot over Gaurika (75) and Afshan Fatima (70).
Gauri’s previous best result came last week at the Hyderabad Golf Club, where she was sixth.
Before that, her only top-10 finish was a tied-10th in the 10th leg in Bengaluru.
Afshan Fatima, who made a great charge on the front nine with a two-under 34, held the lead midway through the back nine but dropped crucial back-to-back bogeys on 15th and 16th to fall into a tie for second with Gaurika at one-under 215.
Ananya Datar (72), with one birdie on front nine to go against the sole bogey on back nine, ended fourth at even-par 216.
Overnight leader Shreya was unable to emulate her Hyderabad colleague Sneha Singh. She had birdies on first and 18th, but in between she dropped four bogeys and two double bogeys for a card of 78 and ended in a tie for fifth place with Amandeep Drall (71) at one-over 217.
The next event will be the 13th leg at the DLF Golf and Country Club from August 28 to 30.
