16-year-old Riya Jadon, ranked No. 6 on the IGU Ladies Merit List, broke through for her maiden amateur title with a dominant seven-shot victory at the IGU Pune Ladies & Junior Girls Championship at Poona Club.
Riya, who opened with impressive rounds of 71 and 70, survived a nervy final day 74 to finish at 2-over 215 and comfortably claim both the Ladies & Girls A&B Combined and A&B Girls Combined titles.
Chandigarh’s Guntas Kaur Sandhu (75-75-72) finished runner-up at 222, while Haryana’s Ceerat Kang (76-74-73) took third at 223 in the overall combined category.
In the A&B Girls section, Guntas again finished second, followed by Haryana’s Yogya Bhalla (75-77-74) in third at 226 and West Bengal’s Anaahat Bindra (79-75-73) in fourth at 227.
In the Girls B Category, Guntas claimed the top spot with her 222 total, ahead of Rajasthan’s Shiksha Jain (233). Delhi’s Rehnoor Malik and Punjab’s Rabab Kahlon shared third at 236.
In the Girls C Category, Karnataka’s Aastha Prasanna Rao (76-80-82) secured the title with a total of 238. Maharashtra’s Vaanya Singh (247) and Noya Saherwala (253) finished second and third respectively.
Riya’s steady play across three rounds and her composure under pressure made the week a breakthrough moment — and a confidence boost ahead of the All India Ladies & Junior Girls Championships next month.
One notable storyline this week was who wasn’t in the field. A number of India’s leading female amateurs — those competing in WAAP, R&A, USGA and other international events — were absent from the Pune stop, raising questions about scheduling overlaps and the growing divide between domestic and international pathways. Their absence opened the door for emerging players, and Riya seized the moment beautifully.
