Amateur Mahreen Bhatia seals breakthrough win at Hero WPGT’s 15th leg

Sixteen-year-old amateur Mahreen Bhatia claimed a landmark victory on the Hero Women’s Pro Golf Tour, winning the 15th leg at Jaypee Wishtown with a composed final-round 67 to finish at 12-under, three shots clear of the field.

Mahreen, who opened with rounds of 68 and 66, became the first amateur to win on the Tour this season. The last amateur champion before her was Nishna Patel in early 2024.

Holding a two-shot overnight lead, Mahreen made an early move with birdies on the third and fifth before holing out for eagle on the par-4 sixth. Playing partner Vani Kapoor stayed in touch with three early birdies of her own, but Mahreen reached the turn four shots ahead.

A brief wobble came on the 11th, where Mahreen dropped her first bogey of the day while Vani birdied the 12th to cut the gap to two. But the teenager responded decisively, rolling in birdies on the 14th and 15th as Vani dropped a shot on the 15th. Three holes later, Mahreen closed out her win at 12-under 204.

Vani finished second at nine-under after rounds of 69, 67 and 68. Sneha Singh and Jahanvi Bakshi returned matching 70s to finish third and fourth, while Jasmine Shekar’s 67 — the joint-best of the day — took her to fifth at one-under.

Only five players finished under par for the week, with Mahreen’s second-round 66 standing as the tournament’s lowest score. First-round leader Lavanya Jadon, Kriti Chowhan and amateur Saanvi Somu shared sixth at one-over, while Khushi Khanijau completed the top ten.

Mahreen adds her name to a long list of amateur winners on the Hero WPGT — a streak that has continued every year since 2016, featuring players such as Aditi Ashok, Tvesa Malik, Avani Prashanth and Diksha Dagar.

Photo – WGAI