WGAI Release, 15 March 2019: Ridhima Dilawari became the first multiple winner of 2019 as she completed a start-to-finish win in the sixth leg of the Hero Women’s Pro Golf Tour at the Jaypee Greens in Greater Noida on Friday. The 20-year-old Ridhima, who has been in great form, shot a third successive under par round of three-under 69 to get to 10-under 206.
That gave Ridhima a win by a whopping 10 shots, which was the second biggest winning margin after Tvesa Malik’s 15-shot win in the third leg earlier in the season. It was also the first time this year that any player had shot three straight rounds in under-par scores.
Last week’s winner Gaurika Bishnoi added a second successive 73 to reach 216 and finish second to keep up the momentum.
This was the second time in the season that Ridhima had won ahead of Gaurika. This was Ridhima’s second win in three starts.
Amandeep Drall after two average rounds of 73-75 shot three-under 69, which equalled the best card of the final day, to finish a close third at 217. Amateur Anika Varma showed the strength in Indian women’s amateur section and finished fourth despite a disappointing 77 on the final day.
Ridhima, who led by four after two rounds, opened in style with three birdies in the first four holes as she gained shots on the first, third and fourth. She dropped a shot on Par-3 fifth but turned in two-under 34. On the back nine she birdied 11th and then landed an eagle on Par-5 13th, the second time she did it this week – she had an eagle on the same hole on the first day – and despite bogeying 15th and 16th she was a big winner.
Gaurika also started with a birdie but her hopes of challenging Ridhima sank when she dropped shots on second and third. A birdie on sixth saw her turn in level and the gap between her and Ridhima was now six shots.
On the back nine, Gaurika picked one birdie on Par-4 14th but dropped shots on 10th and 15th.
Amandeep had four birdies against one bogey in her 69, while Anika had two bogeys and two doubles against just one birdie in her 77.
Neha’s front nine was an eventful card with two birdies, two bogeys and two double bogeys against one eagle, which came on par-4 seventh. Her back nine had two birdies and seven pars. She finished seventh, but is still on top of the Hero Order of Merit.
Siddhi Kapoor (74) was fifth at 220, while another amateur Asmitha Sathish (73) was sixth at 223. Anisha Padukone (78) fumbled on the final day and ended seventh at 225.
Neha Tripathi (72), who had an eagle-two on Par-4 seventh hole, was tied eighth with Ananya Datar (76), while Afshan Fatima (76) and yet another amateur Nayanika Sanga (77) were tied for 10th place.
Neha Tripathi leads on the Hero Order of Merit with earnings of Rs.5,03,800, and is followed by Gaurika Bishnoi with Rs.4,72,800. Lying third is Gursimar Badwal, who on Friday ended Tied-12th. Gursimar has Rs.4,32,400 and Amandeep Drall with Rs.4,24,000 is fourth. Ridhima Dilawari moves up to fifth with Rs.3,36,400 which includes two winners’ cheques.
