Seher wins 16^th and final leg of Hero WPGT,  Sneha claims Order of Merit

Harpal Singh Bedi

Chennai, 24 November; Seher Atwal holed two birdies in the last three holes to win the 16^th and final leg of the Hero Women’s Pro Golf Tour at the Tamil Nadu Golf Federation’s Cosmo Golf Club  here on Friday.

Sehar, rounded off the season with a win just as she had done at the start of the year as she produced the round of the week with 2-under 68 as the players finished 18 holes in a day for the first time this week.

Sneha held on with one birdie and eight pars in a tense situation on the back nine and tied for second place with Shweta Mansingh. Meanwhile, Neha faltered on the back nine and that allowed Sneha to walk away with the Hero Order of Merit.

The first two rounds were reduced to nine holes each, so the tournament was decided on a total of 36 holes. Seher with 36-37 in the first two nine-hole rounds ended at 1-over 141 for 36 holes and was a winner by two over Sneha Singh (71) and Shweta Mansingh (71), who came close to her first ever win on the Tour.

As Sneha managed to hold on to her top position, Neha, who needed to finish ahead of Sneha and earn at least Rs. 27,792 more, ended the third round with 73. Neha was in the picture for the title and the Order of Merit till she arrived on the 16^th tee. A double bogey on 16^th followed by a bogey on 17^th saw her finish fourth.

Seher birdied the third and fifth but dropped a shot on the ninth to turn in 1-under. On the back she followed up a birdie with a bogey on 11^th and 12^th and then bogeyed the 15^th but made up with a birdie on 16^th. She closed the issue with a birdie on 18^th.

Sneha Singh had bogeys on fifth and ninth but that birdie on the 12^th was crucial for her and she hung in for vital pars on the rest.

Shweta had two birdies against three bogeys for a 71 but fell short of the title by two.

Neha had a disappointing final day as she began well with birdies on the second and the third. The back nine was a disaster as she bogeyed 10^th, 12^th and 14^th and there was further misery with a double bogey on the 16^th and a bogey on 17^th. She had just one more birdie in between on the Par-3 13^th.

The round of 73 also meant she stayed second on the Order of Merit as Sneha remained on top and took the honours.

Seher Atwal finished third on the Order of Merit, with Khushi Khanijau and Tvesa Malik finishing in fourth and fifth spots.

Khushi Khanijau (75) was fifth, while Ridhima Dilawari (73) and Ananya Datar (76) were tied sixth. Snigdha Goswami (76) was eighth while Jasmine Shekar (73) and Durga Nittur (76) rounded off the Top ten.