The 11th leg of the Hero Women’s Pro Golf Tour (WPGT) got off to an exciting start at Prestige Golfshire in Bengaluru on Wednesday, with amateur golfer Mannat Brar and rookie professional Heena Kang sharing the first-round lead. Both players carded steady rounds of even-par 72 to take charge of the leaderboard.
Just two shots behind the leaders were Kriti Chowhan and amateurs Lavanya Gupta and Riya Jadon, who finished the day tied for third at 2-over 74. Interestingly, three amateurs figured among the top five — a strong reflection of the growing depth of Indian women’s golf.
For Heena Kang, who only turned professional last month, it was another promising display. After a shaky start with back-to-back bogeys, the former India international showed composure by picking up birdies on the third, seventh, and 12th holes to move into red numbers. A dropped shot on the final hole meant she had to settle for par, but her performance was enough to keep her at the top of the table.
Mannat Brar had an equally eventful round. She opened with a birdie on the fourth hole, only to give it back immediately on the par-5 fifth. A pair of bogeys on the 11th and 12th pushed her to two-over, but strong birdies on the 15th and 18th ensured she closed at level par.
Among the chasers, Kriti Chowhan and Lavanya Gupta both registered two birdies against four bogeys, while Riya Jadon posted three birdies but was held back by three bogeys and a costly double bogey to finish with a 74.
The day’s biggest surprise came from Ridhima Dilawari, the winner of the 10th leg, who struggled to an unexpected 82. Another former champion, Seher Atwal, also had a tough outing with an 86.
Further down the leaderboard, Ananya Datar, Jasmine Shekar, and Anahita Singh ended at 3-over 75 to share sixth place, while five players — Karishma Govind, Durga Nittur, Ananya Garg, Khushi Khanijau, and Astha Madan — were locked together in ninth after shooting 76 each.
With amateurs and rookies making their presence strongly felt, the Women’s Pro Golf Tour 11th leg promises a thrilling battle in the rounds to come. Both Mannat and Heena will look to build on their solid starts as they aim to claim a breakthrough victory.
