WPGT 2026: Jasmine Snatches Lead With Birdie On Last Hole, Vani And Ridhima Move Into Contention

(MENAFN- IANS) Jaipur, Nov 13 (IANS) Jasmine Shekar (74-70) rolled in a birdie on the closing hole to take the outright lead after the second round of the 14th leg of the Women's Pro Golf Tour (WPGT) 2026 at the Rambagh Golf Club in Jaipur on Friday.

Jasmine, who opened with a 74, carded a level par 70 to move to a 4-over total of 144 and take a one-shot lead into the final round. She was leading the experienced duo of Vani Kapoor (75-70) and Ridhima Dilawari (74-71), who between them have won six titles this season. Also tied second with Kapoor and Dilawari was Durga Nittur (73-72) at 5-over 145.

Overnight leaders Ananya Datar (71-75) and amateur Ojaswini Saraswat (71-76) slipped to fifth and sixth, respectively. Jasmine's birdie on the last proved particularly valuable, giving her the outright lead in a tightly packed leaderboard and putting her in a strong position to chase the title.

There was some reshuffle immediately behind her, with experienced campaigners Kapoor and Dilawari making their move. Both climbed into contention alongside Durga Nittur, setting up an intriguing final-round contest.

Apart from Jasmine's even par-70, Vani produced one of the day's more assured performances, returning an even par 70 after opening with a 75. Her round of 70 was built around consistency and a strong finish, as she negotiated the challenges of the Jaipur course to make up ground on the leaders.

Jasmine had three bogeys in the first six holes and then birdied the 8th, 14th and the 18th to claw back to even par. Kapoor bogeyed the seventh and got back that shot on the 14th as scoring continued to be challenging at the Rambagh Club.

Ridhima, meanwhile, followed her opening 74 with a one-over 71. She had an encouraging start to the round, including a birdie on the second. She dropped shots on the fifth and the seventh and then had one birdie and one bogey on the back nine for a 71. Her ability to stay in contention through two rounds gives her a genuine opportunity heading into the final day.

Durga Nittur also remained firmly in the hunt. After an opening 73, she carded a 72 to join Vani and Ridhima in second place. Her opening nine was particularly solid, with a 35, although a two-over back nine prevented her from taking a share of the lead.

The second round also saw the first-round leaders lose ground. Ananya Datar, who had set the pace with a one-over 71 on Thursday, slipped to a five-over 75 and dropped to fifth at 146. She is now two shots behind Jasmine but remains close enough to mount a challenge.

Amateur Ojaswini Saraswat also had a difficult day after beginning with a 71. She carded a six-over 76 to move to sixth at 147, three shots off the lead. Riya Jadon was in seventh place with rounds of 74-74, while Lavanya Jadon and Shweta Mansingh shared eighth at 149.

Further down, Mannat Brar, Sneha Sharan, Amandeep Drall, Shagun Narain and Khushi Khanijau were tied for 10th at 150.

With just one round remaining, the stage is set for a closely fought finish. Jasmine has the advantage, but Vani's resurgence, Ridhima's steady progress and Durga's consistency mean there is little room for error.

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