Keya Badugu wins Southern India golf title after three-birdie surge and playoff
The Delhi golfer birdied the 15th, 16th and 17th to draw level with Anaahat Bindra at 215, then won the playoff in Bengaluru. Priya Kumari finished third.
BENGALURU — Three birdies in a row transformed Keya Kumar Badugu’s final round and carried the Delhi golfer towards the Ladies title at the IGU Bio-Gen Rotary Southern India Golf Championship for Ladies and Junior Girls on Friday, 9 October. She defeated Kolkata’s Anaahat Bindra in a playoff at the Karnataka Golf Association course after the pair finished level over 54 holes.
Keya returned rounds of 73, 71 and 71 for a one-under-par total of 215. Anaahat matched that aggregate with scores of 70, 72 and 73, setting up the playoff that decided the championship.
The decisive stretch
Keya’s challenge appeared to be slipping away when she stood two over par for the final round after 14 holes. She then birdied the 15th, 16th and 17th in succession before closing with a par at the 18th. That late surge turned her round into a one-under 71 and brought her level with Anaahat.
The turnaround followed two days spent chasing the early leader. Anaahat’s opening two-under 70 had given her a three-shot advantage over Keya. A second-round 71 from Keya, against Anaahat’s 72, cut that gap to two strokes heading into the final day.
Anaahat recorded birdies at the first and 10th holes in her closing round of 73. With neither player separated by the three-round aggregate, Keya secured the title in the playoff.
How the leaders finished
Champion: Keya Kumar Badugu — 73, 71, 71; total 215; won the playoff.
Runner-up: Anaahat Bindra — 70, 72, 73; total 215.
Third: Priya Kumari — 75, 70, 75; total 220.
Priya’s second-round 70 was her best of the week, and she finished five strokes behind the leading pair.
The championship forms part of the Indian Golf Union’s competitive calendar for women amateurs and junior girls. For Keya, the defining passage in Bengaluru was a three-hole burst that erased the final-round setback and kept her in contention for the title.
This report is based on the press release supplied to The Civic Frontier. The tournament concluded on 9 October 2026.