Pune: Amateur Nishna Patel announced her arrival on the big stage by bagging her maiden professional title with a one-shot victory in the opening leg of the Hero Women’s Pro Golf Tour at Poona Club course here on Friday.
“It means the world to me, honestly,” said the 17-year-old from Mumbai, who let her tears of happiness flow in a warm embrace with fellow amateur Mannat Brar.
Nishna signed a card of 1-under 70 for 207 overall while Sneha Singh (67) and Hitashee Bakshi (69) tied for second while Brar (70) and Seher Atwal (71) were tied-fourth.
It could have very well been a different kind of emotions as Pro tour Order of Merit Winner Sneha, going into the final round four shots behind Nishna, set the course ablaze with five birdies in the front nine to nose ahead by a stroke.
Hitashee, trailing by two at the start, birdied the sixth, 11th and the 12th to edge ahead of Nishna as well.
Nishna, who had a shaky front nine with a bogey on the par-4 fifth and a birdie on the sixth, gained a shot on the par-5 12th. The trio bogeyed the par-16th and when Sneha failed to save par on the penultimate hole, it was a three-way tie going into the 18th.
Nishna and Sneha set themselves up for a birdie as their approach shots took them within putting distance of the final pin, but it was the former who held her nerve steady while the latter double-putted.
“Honestly, I wasn’t thinking much about the score, because I knew we were all like one shot here and there,” Nishna said after the win.
“Sneha started off really well, she caught up really quickly. But I was just thinking like, ‘don’t give up’. ‘Never give up’ was one of the code that was just going through my mind.
“Because this is golf. I mean, anything can happen. On the 17th hole, I was in trouble as my driver went left. But I think it was a good decision to just chip it out safe.
“I knew I could stick it from there and then make the putt. That’s exactly what I did to save par. I was just thinking to give my best.”
Nishna couldn’t have asked for a better start to the season after a strong performance as a junior in 2023, which included a runner-up finish at the Asia-Pacific Golf Confederation Junior championship in Philippines, missing the title by one shot.
“I honestly did not expect that over there. But I was pretty happy with the week. I would have obviously like to close it off with the wind but it was a good experience for me,” she said.
“Being India No. 1 in 2022 was really a push for me. And then getting to play for my country in so many events, I gained a lot of exposure,” said Nishna, who reached the Round of 16 at the R & A Girls’ amateur championship in August besides competing in the Queen Sirikit Cup last year and the World Amateur team championships twice.
Is she ready to turn pro now? “I’m not very close to turning pro right now. I want to take it as it comes.”
“It means the world to me, honestly,” said the 17-year-old from Mumbai, who let her tears of happiness flow in a warm embrace with fellow amateur Mannat Brar.
Nishna signed a card of 1-under 70 for 207 overall while Sneha Singh (67) and Hitashee Bakshi (69) tied for second while Brar (70) and Seher Atwal (71) were tied-fourth.
It could have very well been a different kind of emotions as Pro tour Order of Merit Winner Sneha, going into the final round four shots behind Nishna, set the course ablaze with five birdies in the front nine to nose ahead by a stroke.
Hitashee, trailing by two at the start, birdied the sixth, 11th and the 12th to edge ahead of Nishna as well.
Nishna, who had a shaky front nine with a bogey on the par-4 fifth and a birdie on the sixth, gained a shot on the par-5 12th. The trio bogeyed the par-16th and when Sneha failed to save par on the penultimate hole, it was a three-way tie going into the 18th.
Nishna and Sneha set themselves up for a birdie as their approach shots took them within putting distance of the final pin, but it was the former who held her nerve steady while the latter double-putted.
“Honestly, I wasn’t thinking much about the score, because I knew we were all like one shot here and there,” Nishna said after the win.
“Sneha started off really well, she caught up really quickly. But I was just thinking like, ‘don’t give up’. ‘Never give up’ was one of the code that was just going through my mind.
“Because this is golf. I mean, anything can happen. On the 17th hole, I was in trouble as my driver went left. But I think it was a good decision to just chip it out safe.
“I knew I could stick it from there and then make the putt. That’s exactly what I did to save par. I was just thinking to give my best.”
Nishna couldn’t have asked for a better start to the season after a strong performance as a junior in 2023, which included a runner-up finish at the Asia-Pacific Golf Confederation Junior championship in Philippines, missing the title by one shot.
“I honestly did not expect that over there. But I was pretty happy with the week. I would have obviously like to close it off with the wind but it was a good experience for me,” she said.
“Being India No. 1 in 2022 was really a push for me. And then getting to play for my country in so many events, I gained a lot of exposure,” said Nishna, who reached the Round of 16 at the R & A Girls’ amateur championship in August besides competing in the Queen Sirikit Cup last year and the World Amateur team championships twice.
Is she ready to turn pro now? “I’m not very close to turning pro right now. I want to take it as it comes.”