Delhi golfer Keya Kumar Badugu won the Ladies title at the IGU Bio-Gen Rotary Southern India Golf Championship in Bengaluru on Friday, 9 October, defeating Kolkata's Anaahat Bindra in a playoff after a late run of three consecutive birdies brought her back into contention.
According to the supplied championship press release, both players finished the 54-hole tournament at the Karnataka Golf Association course on one-under-par 215. Keya recorded rounds of 73, 71 and 71; Anaahat returned 70, 72 and 73. Priya Kumari took third place on 220 with rounds of 75, 70 and 75.
The closing stretch that changed the contest
Keya began the final round two strokes behind Anaahat and was two over par for the day after 14 holes. Birdies at the 15th, 16th and 17th transformed her round, taking her to one under with one hole remaining.
A par at the 18th completed a 71 and set her tournament total at 215. Anaahat's closing 73 left the pair level, sending the Ladies title to a playoff that Keya won. The release does not specify the playoff hole or the winning score.
Bindra's early advantage
Anaahat had established a three-shot advantage over Keya with an opening two-under-par 70. Her second-round 72 put her on 142 after 36 holes, while Keya's 71 brought her to 144 and narrowed the gap to two strokes.
The final round reversed that position. Keya's second consecutive 71 made up the remaining deficit as Anaahat signed for 73, despite birdies at the first and tenth holes. Their identical totals meant that the winner could not be separated over the scheduled three rounds.
For Keya, the decisive passage came before the playoff: without those three late birdies and the closing par, the opportunity to contest the title in extra play would not have followed. The victory concluded the Ladies competition at the championship for Ladies and Junior Girls.
