Cape Town, March 12 (IANS) Vani Kapoor and Pranavi Urs finished in Top-20 in the high-profile Investec South African Women’s Open golf championship.
Vani, who was in Top-10 after three rounds, and needed a strong final round to make a bid for Top-5 from overnight tied eighth, did get an under-par round but her final round of 1-under 71, still saw her drop to tied 12th at 8-under total.
Pranavi had her best round of the week with an exciting 3-under 69 that included a four-in-a-row birdie run and an eagle, but she also dropped a double bogey and two other bogeys. At 7-under she was tied 16th.
Ashleigh Buhai, the winner of the 2022 AIG Women’s British Open shot a final round of 68 (-4) to win the title at Steenberg Golf Club. Buhai held a four-shot lead since the midway mark and maintained that tempo.
Buhai had six birdies and two bogeys on the fourth day to win her fifth LET title with a score of 22-under-par and she has now won this tournament four times. Spain’s Ana Pelaez Trivino finished second, while Chiara Noja was third.
Vani had only one birdie and one bogey on the front nine and on the back nine, she had two birdies against one bogey.
After seven pars on the front nine, Pranavi bogeyed the eighth and birdied the ninth and she carried on from there for three more birdies in a row till 12th. Later a double bogey on 15th and a bogey on 17th cost her dearly, but an eagle finish saw her bounce back a little for 69.
Pelaez Trivino finished in second place yet again after a round of 68 (-4) and a total of 18-under-par. Germany’s Chiara Noja ended the week in solo third place on 17-under-par after a fourth-round 69.
Aditi Ashok continues to lead the 2023 Race to Costa del Sol rankings.
–IANS
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