Bengaluru: Heena Kang, who was four shots ahead with eight holes left, did well to keep her nerves in check to par the last eight holes and win the 11h Leg of the Hero Women’s Pro Golf Tour at the Prestige Golfshire. Heena, who was fifth on her pro debut last month, was chased hard by amateur Lavanya Gupta, who was playing in the same final group.

Lavanya, who started the final day two shots behind Heena, had fallen five behind as she was 4-over by the turn. And then there was a great charge from Lavanya, who birdied the 11th, 14th and the 16th. Needing one more birdie to force a play-off, Lavanya finished par-par, the same as Heena, who emerged a winner by one shot.

Heena and Lavanya began the day with a bogey and the latter had a second bogey on the fourth. One hole later, Heena also bogeyed and that meant she was still two ahead of Lavanya.

A bogey for Lavanya on the eighth and a birdie for Heena on the ninth meant the latter was now four ahead.

Things changed fast on the back nine as Lavanya fought hard, but Heena held her own and made no mistakes after the bogey on the 11th, where Lavanya had also given away a shot.

Heena, who in the past few years has worn India colours at major events like the Queen Sirikit Cup, the Women’s Amateur Asia-Pacific and World Amateurs, is now off to a fine start as a pro.

Heena is the latest first-time winner and became the sixth different winner this season – Vani Kapoor (4), Sneha (2), Rhea Purvi Saravanan, Amandeep Drall, Jasmine Shekar and Ridhima Dilawari.

Ananya Garg, who was six behind the leader Heena at the start, had a rough start going three-over in the first five holes. Yet, she fought back with four birdies. She birdies the seventh and the ninth and added two more on the 16th and the 17th. She ended the day with the best card of the final round with 1-under 71 and was sole third.

Jasmine Shekar, playing in the leader group, struggled on the front nine with a six-over stretch that included four bogeys and one double. She had two birdies and a bogey on the back nine and carded 77 to finish fourth.

Neha Tripathi (73), amateur Riya Jadon (74) and Ananya Datar (75) were tied fifth at 223, while amateur Mannat Brar, the co-leader after Day 1, and Agrima Manral, both with 76, were Tied-eight at 224. Ridhima Dilawari (74) rounded off the Top-10.

Vani Kapoor stays on top of the Hero Order of Merit with Ridhima in second place. Jasmine, Neha and Amandeep occupy the third to fifth places.