Heena Kang outlasts Lavanya Gupta for victory at Prestige Golfshire

Heena Kang clinched her maiden professional title at the 11th Leg of the Hero Women’s Pro Golf Tour, held at the Prestige Golfshire in Bengaluru. Entering the final round with a four-shot lead and eight holes to play, Kang showcased admirable composure by parring each of the closing holes to secure a one-shot victory. The win follows her encouraging pro debut last month, where she finished fifth, marking a swift rise in her fledgling career.

Challenging Kang fiercely was amateur Lavanya Gupta, who shared the final group with her on the last day. Gupta began the day just two shots behind but fell as far as five strokes back after a tough front nine that saw her card four bogeys. However, Gupta fought back valiantly with timely birdies at the 11th, 14th, and 16th holes. Despite needing another birdie to force a playoff, Gupta matched Kang's steady par play on the final two holes, ultimately finishing just a stroke adrift.

The round started on a shaky note for both contenders with each carding an early bogey. While Gupta added another bogey on the fourth, Kang also faltered briefly with a bogey on the fifth, maintaining a slender two-shot advantage. Kang extended her lead to four strokes after a bogey from Gupta on the eighth was met with a birdie from Kang on the ninth. Although the momentum shifted on the back nine with Gupta’s charge, Kang held firm, avoiding any mistakes after her bogey on the 11th, to close out the tournament victoriously.

Heena Kang’s victory adds her name to an elite list of first-time winners this season on the Hero WPGT—joining the ranks of Vani Kapoor (four titles), Sneha Singh (two), Rhea Purvi Saravanan, Amandeep Drall, Jasmine Shekar, and Ridhima Dilawari. Kang’s achievement is particularly notable given her recent representations of India in prestigious international amateur competitions such as the Queen Sirikit Cup and the Women’s Amateur Asia-Pacific, signaling a confident transition to the professional ranks.

Other highlights from the event include Ananya Garg’s resilient charge to a solo third-place finish. Despite a 3-over start in her first five holes, Garg rallied with four birdies—including two late in the round on 16 and 17—to post the best score of the final day with a 1-under 71. Jasmine Shekar, part of the leader group early on, endured a difficult front nine with a six-over stretch, ultimately finishing fourth with a 77.

The leaderboard further included Neha Tripathi (73), amateur Riya Jadon (74), and Ananya Datar (75) sharing fifth place, while co-leader after the first day Mannat Brar and Agrima Manral tied for eighth at 224. Ridhima Dilawari rounded out the top ten with a 74.

In the season-long context, Vani Kapoor maintains her lead atop the Hero Order of Merit, with Ridhima Dilawari, Jasmine Shekar, Neha Tripathi, and Amandeep Drall making up the top five. Kang’s breakthrough signals a compelling new chapter in Indian women’s professional golf, heralding depth and emerging talent on the domestic circuit.

Heena Kang’s maiden pro title is a story of steady progression and mental fortitude, marking her as a rising star with promising potential to influence

the landscape of Indian women’s golf further.

Photo by WGAI