Rising stars Gaurika Bishnoi and Tvesa Malik were the top Indian players at tied 13th even as Becky Morgan of Wales ended an 18-year-old barren run to secure her first-ever professional title at the women’s Indian Open at Gurugram on Sunday.
The two players, who are only in their second year of professional golf, shot 73 and 72 respectively to finish at one-over 289, eight shots behind Becky Morgan (68, and 7-under 281). Vani Kapoor (70), who played with tendinitis this week, and Astha Madan (70) were Tied-37th.
“I was very happy to have fought back from back-to-back double bogeys on seventh and eighth, when I suffered a lapse of concentration. Then there was a bogey on 12th, too. But four birdies in last seven holes gave me a lot of confidence in my ability to score on a tough track,” Gaurika said. “This is my last event of the year and I will now focus on my final year examinations in college and then get back to full-time golf next year.
Tvesa Malik had as many as six birdies, but double bogeys on eighth and 10th ruined her card. “I played the HWIO last year, but this year’s performance gives me the belief that I can do way better and I am looking forward to doing well at the LET Q-School,” she said.
In her 18th year on tour, and after rounds of 72, 72, 68 and 69, for a total of 281, Becky could finally enjoy her moment in the sun. “It’s taken me 18 years and it’s a mixture of excitement and relief that finally I have done it. I didn’t look at the scoreboard until the 18th green because I knew anything could happen. I knew I was doing fairly well, because I was playing well, but I kept to myself and let it happen, she said.
Starting in the day in shared lead alongside Nicole Broch Larsen of Denmark and Eleanor Givens, Becky held at bay a four-player pack to emerge a winner by two shots. Morgan finished at 7-under 281. Tied at second were Caroline Hedwall (68), Christine Wolf (70), Felicity Johnson (70) and Nicole Broch Larsen (71) at 5-under 283.
Two Thais, Pannarat Thanapolboonyaras (69), Supamas Sangchan (70) and a Finn Noora Komulainen (73) were 1-under 287 and Tied-6th, as only eight players finished the week under par.