Gurbani keeps Usha Ladies Open golf title

Kolkata - Defending champion Gurbani Singh could afford the luxury of two closing bogeys and still win by six shots at the end of the Usha West Bengal Ladies Open Amateur Golf Championship here Friday.

Gurbani, who shot a stunning six-under 64 on the first day carded 75 on the final day and finished way ahead of Aditi Ashok (75) at Tollygunge Golf Club.

Gurbani totalled two-over 212 while Aditi aggregated 218. Millie Saroha, winner of the Northern Championships, made a valiant attempt with the day’s best of even par 70, but Gurbani’s early lead proved too big. Millie totalled 220.

Astha Madan (74) at 221, Sehar Atwal (75) at 225 and Ridhima Dilawari (72) at 226 took the fourth to sixth spots.

Gurbani was way subdued as compared to the first two days. The winner of the Southern title, Gurbani had three bogeys and no birdies on the front nine, and then her sole birdie came on the par-4 12th. She dropped a bogey on 13th and two more on 17th and 18th.

Aditi, who had come within three shots of Gurbani at one stage dropped three shots on last two holes, including a double on the 17th, was again six behind by the finish.

Millie had two bogeys and two birdies on front nine played nine pars in a row on the back nine for her 70.

Gurbani also took the honours in Category A, where Millie Saroha (220) over took Astha Madan (221).

In Category B, Aditi was first with Sehar Atwal second at 225. In Category C Arushi Pandey kept her lead with an 85 and topped the category at 251 while Riya Ahuja (85) was second and 258. Arshia Mahant (90) was third at 260.

In Category D, Tanishka Kumar (87) took the title at 253 and Vasundhara Tihara (83) was second at 259.

This was the sixth event in the series of events sponsored by Usha and there are three more left. The next event is the Western India Ladies, followed by Maharashtra Ladies and Junior girls and finally the All India Amateur Championships here in the second week of December.