Chevalier wins it at the post

Gurugram: Golf is a harsh taskmaster. It can give — and take away — with the same nonchalant ease, as overnight leader and course record-setter Michele Thomson of Scotland found out to her great cost on the final day of the Hero Women’s Indian Open at the DLF Golf and Country Club here on Sunday.

What was looking like a cruise to the title and $60,000 in prize-money went up in smoke over the final six holes of her closing round, and opened the door for an early Christmas for rookie Frenchwoman Camille Chevalier, who after starting the day three shots behind overnight leader Thomas, closed out the title with a birdie-birdie finish on the testing the Black Knight course by a single stroke.

The drama unfolded on the back nine. Thomson bogeyed the ninth and 10th holes, following up with a double bogey on the 14th. She blocked her drive into the hazard on the right, took a penalty drop and them came out only to miss the green.

As this was happening, playing partner Chevalier birdied the hole for a three-shot swing. Thomson dropped to 10-under and Chevalier, who birdied the 11th and 12th to get 9-under, added another to get to 10-under.

Thomson fought back with a birdie on 15, but Chevalier birdied 17 to pull level again. On 18, Chevalier played a bold shot over water and the ball rolled to three feet of the pin. Thomson’s shot was 15 feet from the flag. Thomson failed to birdie, which Chevalier did to win. The 23-year-old from Aix-en-Provence, who fired five birdies in her last eight holes, said she was not even thinking about the win when she teed off in the final round. She finished at 12-under-par, a stroke clear of Thomson, four ahead of tie for third, and five shots clear of the group that saw Vani Kapoor bring in a tied six finish and close in on a full card for the Ladies European Tour.

Chevalier (67) received her Euro 51,637 winner’s cheque and trophy from Hero MotoCorp managing director and chief executive Pawan Munjal. She finished on 12-under 204, while Thomson (71) was 11-under 205. There was a three-way tie for third with Carlota Ciganda (70), who spiced up the front nine with an eagle and two birdies, Anne van Dam (67), who had eight birdies against three bogeys, and Sarah Kemp (71).

Local player Vani Kapoor (72), in her fifth Women’s Indian Open as a professional, brought in her best-ever result on the LET alongside Klara Spilkova (70) and Celine Boutier (72) on even-under 209, while defending champion, India’s Aditi Ashok, just couldn’t get her putts to drop as she carded 72 and finished at four-under 212 and T13. Another local lass, Gaurika Bishnoi (77), lost the plot and finished T44.

Said the overwhelmed Vani, brushing aside two bogeys on the back nine that derailed her challenge, “I’ve been playing this tournament for the past seven years and have been waiting to have my week.

“I’d very happily take this, finishing sixth. The final day didn’t go as I expected it to. It was the first time I was in contention, and I was a bit nervous as well.”

Chevalier became the third successive LET rookie to win the Hero Women’s Indian — Aditi Ashok in 2016 and Emily Pedersen in 2015 did that — and before them Caroline Hedwall was the first to do so in 2011.