Jamshedpur, Jan 10 (NationPress) Rhea Purvi Sarvanan kicked off the 2025 season of the Women’s Pro Golf Tour (WPGT) with a remarkable victory in the first leg at the Golmuri Golf Club here on Friday. The 22-year-old golfer from Kolar narrowly defeated amateur Saanvi Somu in the first play-off hole after both players ended the tournament tied at 1-under 215 for three days, with each shooting a score of 71 on the final day.
Rhea had rounds of 72-72-71, while Saanvi, who has often finished as the runner-up, carded 75-69-71. Rhea, now in her fifth season as a professional, trains at Zion Hills, located two hours from Bengaluru. She improved upon her tied-eighth place finish in the 14th leg of the 2024 HPWGT season.
Rhea appeared to be in control of the title with two holes remaining, standing at 3-under for the tournament and three strokes ahead of amateur Saanvi as they departed from the 16th green. However, Rhea bogeyed the final two holes, while Saanvi birdied the 18th for the third consecutive day, resulting in a play-off.
During the play-off, Saanvi missed a six-foot putt for par and was left with a two-foot putt for bogey when Rhea secured her victory with a par from six feet. This win also placed her at the top of the Order of Merit after the first event. Saanvi, despite being an amateur, showcased an impressive performance once again, having been a runner-up multiple times.
At the start of the final day, Saanvi hinted at a potential breakthrough for her first win. She started with back-to-back birdies for a two-shot lead, which grew to three shots as Rhea bogeyed the third hole.
However, Saanvi's performance faltered; between the third and the 16th holes, she recorded three bogeys and one birdie, while Rhea made birdies on the 11th, 12th, and 14th holes to take the lead.
In an unexpected turn, Rhea's three-shot lead evaporated as she dropped shots on the 17th and 18th holes, allowing Saanvi to birdie the 18th and push the competition into a play-off. Despite her tenacity, Saanvi ultimately fell short in the play-off.
Jasmine Shekar produced one of only two under-par scores with a 2-under 70 on the final day. However, she was unable to secure any birdies over the last three holes, which could have placed her into the play-off alongside Rhea and Saanvi. Jasmine finished third at even-par 216, while Durga Nittur, who was co-leading after two rounds, fell to fourth with a score of 77.
Neha Tripathi (72) and Sneha Singh (74) ended in a tie for fifth place, while Khushi Khanijau (67), who recorded an eagle along with four birdies and just one bogey, achieved the tournament's best round of 67 to finish seventh. Amandeep Drall (78), Anisha Agarwalla (73), and Ananya Garg (77) rounded out the top ten in eighth, ninth, and tenth places, respectively.
The second leg of the Tour is set to take place at the Tollygunge Golf Club in Kolkata next week.
