Gurbani Singh completed a fine come-from-behind triumph, staving off Aditi Ashok’s challenge in the Usha-IGU Karnataka Ladies and Junior Girls Golf Championship here on Friday.
Trailing by a shot overnight, Gurbani reserved her best for the last, carding a fine three-under 67 to total 207 to clinch her second successive title of the season at the Bangalore Golf Club.
Local lass Aditi, who finished runner-up to Gurbani in the season-opening Army Ladies Amateur in April, once again dished out a fluctuating round, carding a 69 to sign off second, a stroke behind.
Gurbani made a fine start to the final round, sinking four birdies on the opening nine -- 1st, 3rd, 6th and 8th -- to force the issue on Aditi.
The Bangalorean too had four birdies on the opening nine -- 1st, 3rd, 6th and 7th -- but bogeys on the second and fifth holes left her trailing Gurbani by a stroke at the turn.
But Aditi was back on level terms with Gurbani when the latter dropped a shot on the 10th before things changed dramatically on the very next hole. While Gurbani picked her second straight bogey, Aditi double-bogeyed the hole as the former regained her one-shot lead.
Gurbani sunk another birdie on the 14th and Aditi retaliated with a birdie on the 15th but couldn’t find another as her rival sneaked home by a shot.
Leading scores (after 54 holes): Ladies: 207: Gurbani Singh (72, 68, 67); 208: Aditi Ashok (71, 68, 69); 218: Gauri Monga (77, 66, 75); 219: Astha Madan (74, 71, 74); 220: Ridhima Dilawari (74, 75, 71).
Category A: 207: Gurbani Singh (72, 68, 67); 208: Aditi Ashok (71, 68, 69); 219: Astha Madan (74, 71, 74); 220: Ridhima Dilawari (74, 75, 71); 222: Vrishali Sinha (74, 78, 70).
Category B: 226: Amrita Anand (75, 73, 78); 231: Suchitra Ramesh (78, 80, 73); 239: Gurjot Badwal (80, 80, 79); 242: Riya Ahuja (80, 85, 77), Shruthi Shenoy (85, 79, 78).
Category C: 237: Ananya Barthakur (78, 82, 77); 243: Pranavi Urs (81, 78, 84); 248: Anika Verma (79, 87, 82); 252: Tanishka Kumar (86, 83, 83); 258: Sahana Parvantavida (90, 86, 82).
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