Riddhima Dilawari stormed to the top of the WPGT 2026 second leg standings after firing a flawless back-nine surge for a 2-under 70 in the first round at Kalhar Blues & Greens, Ahmedabad, on Wednesday.
Hot on the heels of her vice-championship in leg one, Dilawari overcame two bogeys with four birdies, including pairs on holes 7-8 and 14-15. Her restrained play on the closing stretch proved decisive, edging out Sneha Singh by one stroke.
Sneha, a proven winner, posted a clean sheet with one birdie on 16 after 15 pars, settling for 71 and vowing to close the gap tomorrow.
Crowding the fifth spot at 73 were heavyweights Vani Kapoor, the 2025 merit list leader; Jahnavi Bakshi; Nayanika Sanga; teen amateur Mahreen Bhatia; Karishma Govind; and newcomer Sanvi Somu.
Dilawari outlined her 2026 roadmap: prioritizing WPGT and IGL domestic stops to hone her game. A par-5 bogey early on was quickly erased, setting up her under-par triumph.
Amandeep’s two birdies were undermined by a double bogey, and Zara’s amateur round included bogeys on one and 17.
Nayanika’s aggressive style yielded five birdies but four bogeys, highlighted by a triple bogey on seven following three front-nine mishaps. Vani rallied with birdies on nine and 11 before a 14th-hole slip.
Last week’s champion Jasmin Shekhar endured a tough day, ballooning to 79 with bogey woes and doubles, salvaged only by a final birdie.
Day one’s action sets up an intriguing showdown, with Dilawari’s momentum poised to face stiff challenges from the chasing pack.