Veteran Smriti strikes back on final day, wins 2nd leg of Hero-WGAI Tour

Bangalore, August 30: Smriti Mehra produced a remarkable rally on the final day to win the second leg of the Hero-WGAI Women’s Pro Tour at Clover Greens in Bangalore. Smriti shot the week’s best four-under 66 to total 207, while Sharmila (70) finished at 209. Nalini Singh Siwach (71) totaled 211 and was third.

Smriti, who turned 40 in May, started the day two behind and that deficit became four by the end of the first two holes as overnight leader Sharmila Nicollet started the day with two birdies. Then Smriti using all her experience and grit fought back and turned in a fine all round display as she played the last 16 holes in four-under despite two bogeys to emerge a convincing winner.

Neha Tripathi (71) was fourth at 214. Vani Kapoor played her best round of the week at two-under 68 and moved to tied fifth with Shraddhanjali Singh (72) at 220. Amateur Ankita Kedalya (69) totaled 216 and was the top amateur and overall she was fifth.

Smriti, a former LPGA Tour player who has also won on Futures Tour in the US, said, “I played steady and the only two times I three-putted I had bogeys. Actually I did not look at the scores till the 18^th green. I was just focusing on my play.”

Sharmila rued her poor short game as she said, “I chipped and putted badly. After the fine start with three birdies in a row nothing worked. I messed up a chip on fourth and ended with a double and then nothing worked. Still the overall scores were alright, though I would have wanted to be under-par. And, Simi played great, so she deserved to win.”

Smriti, starting the day two behind Sharmila, lost two more shots as Sharmila had a birdie-birdie start on the third and final day. At that stage, Sharmila was four shots ahead of Smriti, who was also playing in the final group.

Both players birdied the third and then came the first swing, as Sharmila double bogeyed the fourth and Smriti parred it. The drama did not stop there, as Smriti bogeyed the fifth and Sharmila parred to push the gap to three shots.

Sharmila became cautious and parred the next four, while Smriti played aggressively and birdied sixth and seventh. When the duo turned Smriti was only one behind Sharmila for the tournament.

The decisive and final swing came on the par-5 12^th, where Smriti reached the green in two and then birdied, while Sharmila bogeyed the hole to fall behind. Smriti did not let thereafter. She birdied the 16^th and 17^th and opened a three shot lead as birdies continued to elude Sharmila. On the 18^th and final, Smriti could even afford the luxury of a bogey to romp home a two-shot winner.

Sharmila stays on top of the Money List as the opening event last week carried a purse of Rs, 10 lakhs and this week it was Rs. Five lakhs.

The final day produced three sub-par rounds and another one at par, while two others had one-over on a good scoring day.

Leading scores after third and final round:

207: Smriti Mehra (69-72-66)

209: Sharmila Nicollet (71-68-70)

211: Nalini Singh Siwach (72-68-71)

214: Neha Tripathi (71-72-71)

216: Ankita Kedalya – A – (75-72-68)

220: Vani Kapoor (76-76-68) and Shraddhanjali Singh (74-74-72)

221: Saaniya Sharma (71-77-73)

225: Meghna Bal (71-80-74)

226: Ankita Tiwana (78-73-75)