Thailand’s Pornanong Phatlum produced a flawless final-round 65 to claim her fourth Hero Women’s Indian Open title on Sunday, overcoming home favourite Vani Kapoor by four strokes at the DLF Golf and Country Club in Gurugram, India.Â
The 36-year-old Thai golfer delivered a bogey-free, seven-under-par final round to finish at 11-under 277, adding to her previous victories in 2008, 2009 and 2012. The triumph came 18 years after her maiden success at the tournament.
Phatlum began the final round one shot behind overnight leader Kapoor but quickly turned the contest into a closely fought battle.
Both players birdied the opening hole before Kapoor extended her advantage to two strokes with another birdie at the second. Phatlum responded at the third and added three more birdies at the fifth, eighth and ninth to draw level with the Indian at the turn.
The momentum shifted decisively on the back nine as Kapoor dropped a shot at the 10th. Although she recovered with a birdie at the 11th, successive bogeys at the 12th and 13th handed Phatlum the advantage.
The experienced Thai golfer maintained her composure and strengthened her position with birdies at the 15th and 16th before closing with two pars to secure a comfortable four-shot victory.
The win marked Phatlum’s 23rd professional title and a remarkable return to form after she had considered retirement earlier this year.
Phatlum expressed delight at returning to a tournament where she had enjoyed considerable success earlier in her career. She credited her putting and familiarity with the venue for helping her produce one of her finest closing rounds.
Kapoor, meanwhile, finished runner-up at seven-under 281 after a final-round 70, recording her best result on the Ladies European Tour.
Despite missing out on a maiden title, the Indian golfer was pleased with her performance, particularly her aggressive approach during the opening nine holes.
Defending champion Shannon Tan of Singapore finished third at four-under 284, while India’s Pranavi Urs and the Czech Republic’s Sara Kouskova shared fourth place at three-under 285.
Argentina’s Magdalena Simmermacher secured sixth place at two-under 286, while India’s Tvesa Malik finished seventh at one-under 287.
The tournament also highlighted a strong showing by the Indian contingent, with three home players finishing among the top 10.
For Phatlum, the victory represented more than another addition to her trophy collection. Having contemplated stepping away from professional golf, the Thai veteran demonstrated that she remains capable of competing and winning at the highest level.
