Lavanya Jadon receiving winner’s cheque & trophy from Mr. Sunil Chandran, DGM-DLF G&CC
18-year-old Lavanya Jadon announced her arrival with a clutch victory at the 2025 Hero Women’s Pro Golf Tour’s 13th Leg at DLF Golf and Country Club, defeating amateur Zara Anand, the overnight leader, who has committed to play college golf at Auburn University starting next year, on the second playoff hole. Trailing by four shots on the back nine, Lavanya holed a nerveless birdie on the 18th to force extra holes, then held steady for her first professional title.
Her win makes her the eighth different champion in just 13 events this season, underlining a generational shift on the domestic circuit. For years, stars like Vani Kapoor and Amandeep Drall have dominated the Hero WPGT, but teenagers such as Lavanya are proving that India’s next wave is ready to challenge the established order.
This breakthrough arrives at a perfect moment for Indian women’s golf. The US$500,000 Hero Women’s Indian Open, South Asia’s flagship women’s event on the Ladies European Tour, is only 10 days away, and Lavanya’s dramatic victory injects excitement and local interest. With Indian youngsters like Diksha Dagar, Pranavi Urs and Avani Prashanth already making their mark internationally, Lavanya’s emergence adds another name to a growing list of homegrown talents who could shine on the global stage.