Pune: Amateur Golfer Nishna Patel Clinches Victory with Nerve-Wracking Birdie in Hero WPGT Opener

Pune, 12th January 2024: In a thrilling finish at the Poona Club Golf Course, amateur golfer Nishna Patel showcased remarkable composure to secure victory in the first leg of the 2024 Hero Women’s Pro Golf Tour. Patel’s stellar performance on the final hole, sinking a birdie, secured her one-shot triumph over competitors Sneha Singh and Hitaashee Bakshi.

Nishna sealed her memorable win on the Hero Pro Tour with an impressive round of 1-under 70, accumulating a total score of 6-under 207. Sneha Singh (67) and Hitaashee Bakshi (69) closely followed at 5-under 208 on the Par-71 course.

Starting the day with a two-shot lead over Hitaashee and four over Sneha, Nishna faced fierce competition, especially from the 2023 Hero Order of Merit winner, Sneha Singh. Sneha made a strong charge with three consecutive birdies at the beginning of the round, adding two more on the fifth and ninth holes to make the turn at an outstanding 5-under 30.

While Nishna managed one birdie and one bogey on the front nine, Sneha’s brilliant performance momentarily put Nishna one shot behind. Despite Sneha extending the lead to two shots with a sixth birdie on the 11th hole, Nishna showcased courage and determination, narrowing the gap with a birdie on the 12th.

The competition remained intense until the 16th hole, where all three players in the lead group bogeyed. With two holes to go, Sneha faltered with a bogey on the 17th, allowing Nishna to level the scores with a par. The decisive moment arrived on the 18th, where Nishna secured a crucial birdie, while Sneha managed only a par. Hitaashee had an opportunity to force a play-off, but she couldn’t find a birdie on the final two holes, resulting in a tie for second with Sneha.

Nishna Patel’s well-deserved victory marked her maiden title on the pro circuit, all while maintaining her amateur status. This win continued the tradition of at least one amateur claiming victory every year since 2017.

In other standings, amateur Mannat Brar (70) finished in a tie for fourth with Seher Atwal (71) at even par 213. Amandeep Drall’s under par round of 2-under 69 propelled her to a respectable sixth place at 3-over 216. Ananya Datar (75) secured the seventh spot.

The second leg of the tournament is scheduled to take place at the Bombay Presidency Golf Club (BPGC) from January 16 to 18.