The 15th leg of the Hero Women’s Pro Golf Tour 2025 at Jaypee Wishtown, Noida, has produced one of the most compelling midway storylines of the season.
Over two days marked by fluctuating scoring conditions and mounting competitive tension, 15-year-old amateur Mahreen Bhatia has surged to the top of the leaderboard, holding a two-shot lead over a field anchored by India’s most consistent professionals. At 8-under 134 after rounds of 68 and 66, Bhatia finds herself ahead of Order of Merit leader and five-time 2025 champion Vani Kapoor, who sits at 6-under 136. With the tournament’s ₹17 lakh purse and crucial Order of Merit points on the line for the pros, Bhatia’s performance has disrupted the typical mid-season script and underlined the rapid evolution of India’s junior golf structure.
A Breakout That Reflects a New Generation
Bhatia’s rise reflects the accelerating quality of India’s youth pipeline. Already a proven performer at the global junior level with podium finishes at the US Kids World Championships and a standout win at the FCG Callaway World Championship in California her progression into a WPGT title contender confirms that elite junior players are now transitioning more seamlessly into high-level domestic competition.
Her 36-hole performance showcases both skill and composure. The opening 68 on Day 1 kept her in touch with early leaders, but it was her second-round 66 that elevated her into command. That round arrived on a day when the scoring environment shifted sharply. After 10 under-par rounds on Wednesday, only four players broke par on Thursday. In these tougher conditions, Bhatia’s ability to separate herself from the field stood out.
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The defining stretch came on the back nine of Round 2. After a steady outward nine, she unleashed a six-under 29 one of the lowest nines seen on tour this year. Three consecutive birdies from Holes 10–12 set the momentum, but the moment of the week belonged to her Eagle-2 on the par-4 14th, where she holed out her approach. Another birdie on the closing stretch capped a run that revealed a rare mix of precision, timing and fearlessness.
The scoring volatility around her only amplified the quality of her round. Overnight leader Lavanya Jadon, who shot 67 on Day 1, slipped to a 76 and dropped from the top of the board to T9. Many in the field faced similar challenges. Bhatia, alongside Kapoor and Jahanvi Bakshi, instead produced some of the day’s best golf—a trait that typically defines title contenders.
Despite trailing the amateur, Vani Kapoor delivered exactly the kind of poised second round expected from the season’s most dominant player. Her 67 included strong closing birdies and kept her well within striking distance of a sixth win in 2025. The dynamics of the leaderboard, however, place Kapoor in an unusual position: chasing not just another professional, but an amateur playing at a remarkably high level.
Behind her, Sneha Singh remains firmly in the mix at 4-under 138 after rounds of 68 and 70. Two wins already this season underline her capacity to deliver in the final round. Bakshi’s move to 2-under 140 with a clean 68 keeps her within realistic range as well. With the cut falling at 10-over 152 and 24 players advancing, the final day now presents a rare scenario: the top professionals must manage both competitive pressure and regulatory expectations.
The Prize Money Paradox: When an Amateur Leads the Field
Bhatia’s amateur status introduces a unique layer of complexity to the event. Under USGA and R&A rules, amateurs cannot accept prize money exceeding US$1,000 just over ₹80,000. Should she win the event, her prize money is forfeited and passed down to the next highest professional finisher, applying the standard “skip rule.” This means that if Bhatia wins, the first-place professional currently projected to be Kapoor would receive the full winner’s share of approximately ₹2.72 lakh. The purse then rolls down accordingly to all other professionals.
This structure has significant Order of Merit implications. Kapoor, already at ₹18.86 lakh for the season, could extend her lead without needing to secure the outright tournament victory. For the WPGT, this creates a noteworthy competitive paradox: the amateur’s success strengthens the financial foundation of the professional field.
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Beyond the leaderboard, the week has highlighted broader shifts in Indian women’s golf. The presence of three amateurs in the field Bhatia, Saanvi Somu (T5 at even par) and Shambhavi Chaturvedi has validated the tour’s importance as a bridge between junior excellence and professional readiness. It also underscores the need for the tour to deepen its strategic engagement with India’s top juniors, who increasingly arrive internationally seasoned and competitively hardened.
For Bhatia, regardless of the final-round outcome, the event has already strengthened her case as one of the country’s most promising young golfers. Her decision on whether to remain an amateur crucial for potential US collegiate pathways or turn professional will become a significant storyline should she convert her 36-hole lead into a landmark victory.
A Crucial Final Day Ahead
Heading into the final round, two narratives run in parallel: a top professional chasing another title to cement her season, and a prodigious amateur stepping into contention in only her early years of elite competition. Whether Mahreen Bhatia converts her lead or the professionals regroup to reclaim control, Leg 15 of the Hero WPGT has already delivered one of the season’s most compelling storylines one built on talent, volatility and the changing face of Indian women’s golf.
