How Vani Kapoor rediscovered her authentic golf self and reclaimed the joy of playing Premium

Analysing how Vani Kapoor rediscovered her love for golf and made possibly the best start to a season in her career

Vani Kapoor’s golf career started in Delhi with something as simple as wanting to spend more time with her father on Sunday afternoons. “We didn’t think it would become a profession or anything,” she said.

What began as a fun activity has now led to her becoming the most successful player in Hero Women’s Pro Golf Tour (HWPGT) history, with a record 35 titles.

Runaway leader

Vani is on a high, having won the eighth leg of the HWPGT at the Bengaluru Golf Club (BGC) last week. “This is probably the best start I have had to the year in my entire career,” she said, in reference to claiming four of the eight legs. The 31-year-old is the runaway leader on the HWPGT Order of Merit, with total winnings of ₹11,88,000.

The path to this latest title was not easy. She was trailing early in the third round, but key moments — a birdie on the ninth and a hot streak of birdies on holes 12 through 15 — put her back in the lead. “I just kept rolling, and by the time I reached the final two holes, I knew I had a cushion. I just needed to finish the job.”

Vani turned professional in 2012 at just 18 years old and quickly became a dominant force on the Indian domestic circuit. Her debut season brought three victories, a sign of things to come. Since then, she’s steadily built a stellar record.

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