Jaipur, Nov 11 (IANS) Vani Kapoor and Ridhima Dilawari will be the leading contenders as the 14th leg of the 2026 Women’s Professional Golf Tour (WPGT) gets underway at Rambagh Golf Club in Jaipur on Thursday.
Vani and Ridhima have been the players in form this season, and the field will be headed by the duo, though a lot of other stars will also fancy their chances as the season comes down to the last two events in 2026.
Vani and Ridhima have been very dominant on the domestic circuit. Ridhima, who leads the Order of Merit, has won four times and been runner-up twice, while Vani has won twice and been the runner-up three times. Ridhima has played all 13 events so far and leads the Merit list, while Vani has made 10 starts and is second on the Money list.
All the other winners this season, barring three, Vidhatri Urs, Anvitha Narender and amateur Lavanya Gupta, are in the field. This season’s winners in the field include Ridhima, Vani, Jasmine Shekar, Mannat Brar, Sneha Singh and Tvesa Malik.
Vani comes into the week with a lot of confidence after her runner-up finish at the Women’s Indian Open, a performance that underlined her ability to compete against strong international fields.
The most successful player in terms of number of wins on the Women’s Pro Golf Tour will look to carry that form into the domestic circuit and pick up a third win this year.
Kapoor’s performance in Gurugram was particularly impressive. She finished with rounds of 73, 69, 69 and 70 for a seven-under-par total of 281, taking second place behind Thailand’s Pornanong Phatlum. Vani led the tournament going into the final round after consecutive 69s over the second and third days. It was the best finish of her Ladies European Tour career.
The 32-year-old Vani also won on the domestic season, taking the ninth leg and then added another title at the 13th leg, where she beat young Anvvi Dahiya in a three-hole playoff. Vani is the 2025 Order of Merit winner.
However, she will face a formidable challenge from Ridhima, who has been the outstanding performer this season. Dilawari has won four titles in 2026, which came at Kalhaar Blues and Greens, Poona Golf Club and Jaypee Wishtown before adding another at Prestige Golfshire in August.
Her fourth win at Prestige came after three successive rounds under par, as she finished at 10-under 206, one shot ahead of Mannat Brar. Her most recent domestic outing at the 13th leg saw her finish third behind Kapoor and Dahiya.
Ridhima also had a good outing at the Hero Women’s Indian Open, finishing tied 30th. She will be keen to return to winning ways in Jaipur.
Among the other experienced professionals, Tvesa Malik will be an important contender. She produced one of her best performances of the year at the Hero Women’s Indian Open, finishing seventh at one-under 287. Her rounds of 71, 73, 71 and 72 showed that she had found the consistency she had desired all year, and now it would be time to build on it.
Amandeep Drall, another experienced campaigner and former runner-up at the Hero Women’s Indian Open, will also be looking for a strong week. Sneha Singh, a former Hero Order of Merit winner, is another player capable of making a serious challenge, while Seher Atwal and Jasmine Shekar add further experience to the field.
The younger brigade will also be keen to make its presence felt. Mannat Brar has shown that she can compete with the established professionals, having finished runner-up to Dilawari at Prestige Golfshire.
The field also includes amateurs Ojaswini Saraswat, Shiksha Jain and Mehak Lohan, along with qualifier Arohi Kataria. Ojaswini had earned a lot of praise after making the cut at the Women’s Indian Open to become the youngest Indian to do so.
–IANS
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