Golf: Vani starts favourite in 8th leg of WPG Tour
Bangalore, June 16
Last week's winner, Anvitha Narender, will skip the eighth leg of the Women's Pro Golf Tour at the Bangalore Golf Club, but the field of 57 players, including 12 amateurs, is still very strong.
The event, carrying a prize purse of Rs. 17 lakh, will feature the 2025 Order of Merit winner Vani Kapoor, who lost the play-off in Mysuru last week, the experienced Tvesa Mali, Ridhima Dilawari, Amandeep Drall, Neha Tripathi, Vidhatri Urs, and Seher Atwal. They will be among the front-runners this week. All of them have won in the past and are capable of taking the honours.
Vani Kapoor, who won five times in 2025, will start as a strong favourite, but a whole bunch of younger players are always a big threat.
The Next Gen of players like Mannat Brar, Heena Kang, and Jahanvi Bakshi are ready to spoil the party, and then there are a host of new professionals. Two of India's most promising amateurs, Zara Anand and Mahreen Bhatia, are also among the dozen playing this week.
Last week saw Anvitha edge aside the star Vani Kapoor in the second play-off hole, while young amateur Ananyaa Sood performed very well in the early stages, as did Riya Jadon, who finished third.
With a big bunch of Indian women professionals also featuring on the Ladies European Tour and the LET Access Tour, the bench strength in women's golf has improved manifold.
A perfect blend of youth and experience has led to a strong field and good scores on the Women's Pro Golf Tour, which is now about two decades old and growing in strength each year.
Last week, Anvitha stayed composed under pressure at the finish and then prevailed in a tense playoff to capture her second title in the seventh leg of the Women's Pro Golf Tour at the Jayachamaraja Wadiyar Golf Club. The young Bengaluru golfer, Anvitha, showed great resilience to stage a back-nine recovery and then beat the seasoned Vani Kapoor in the second hole of the dramatic play-off.
— IANS
Reader Comments
Vani Kapoor is definitely the favourite but I worry about her mental game after that playoff loss last week. She's been winning so consistently though, 5 titles in 2025 is no joke. Hope she bounces back strong. The Bangalore course should suit her game.
Great to see young amateurs like Zara Anand and Mahreen Bhatia getting exposure. The WPG Tour is doing wonders for developing talent. The prize money of Rs 17 lakh is decent but hope it keeps increasing to match international standards.
Vani vs the Next Gen is always a treat to watch. Mannat Brar and Jahanvi Bakshi have been improving steadily. But I feel the tour needs more events outside Bangalore and Mysuru. Kohima, Shillong, or even Ahmedabad could host a leg to truly make it a national tour. Just a thought.
The growth of women's golf in India is truly inspiring. With players now featuring on LET and LET Access Tour, the future looks bright. Anvitha's composure under pressure last week was remarkable for such a young player. Let's hope Vani finds her winning form again this week. Go girls! 🏆
I enjoy following the WPG Tour but honestly, marketing needs to improve. Most people don't even know these tournaments happen. Big media coverage for cricket but golf gets zero attention. These women deserve more recognition, especially with performances like Anvitha's playoff win. 🙏
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