Vani Kapoor takes first-ever LET lead at Hero Women’s Indian Open
Vani Kapoor led the Hero Women’s Indian Open at DLF Golf and Country Club in Gurugram on Saturday, October 24, 2026, after shooting a 69 for the second straight day. Her three-day total of 211 left her one stroke clear of defending champion Shannon Tan and three-time winner Pornanong Phatlum as the tournament moved into its final day.
The 32-year-old, a regular at the event, produced another strong round to find herself atop the leaderboard in front of a home crowd, a position she said she had not occupied before in a Ladies European Tour event. Her charge raised the prospect of only the second Indian winner in the championship’s history; Aditi Ashok remains the only Indian to have won the title, in 2016. Vani, however, acknowledged the challenge that remains with one round to play.
Kapoor sank three birdies on the front nine, added two more on the back nine and then dropped a couple of shots, finishing with a bogey on the 18th to complete her third round. That 69 was her second consecutive day at that score and it gave her the outright lead in a LET event for the first time in her career.
Shannon Tan, who is the defending champion from Singapore, recovered from a poor front-nine on Friday and found form on Saturday with five birdies across the first six holes before the turn. Her back nine contained three birdies and three bogeys, leaving her at 212 and within reach of the leader heading into the final day.
Pornanong Phatlum of Thailand, a three-time winner at the event, was also on 212 after three rounds, sharing second place with Shannon. Argentina’s Magdalena Simmermacher and India’s Pranavi Urs were a further stroke behind on 213, completing the top five on the leaderboard.
Swiss player Chiara Tamburlini, who had led after the opening two rounds, struggled on the DLF Golf and Country Club course on Saturday, carding a seven-over 79 to fall back into a tie for 10th at the conclusion of Day Three. The course’s difficulty had already tested players over the opening days, producing swings on the scoreboard.
Last year’s experience of an Indian leader who could not close out the title was recalled in the galleries: Hitashee Bakshi held a three-shot advantage entering the final day in the previous edition but finished third after stumbling under pressure. That precedent underlines the narrow margins remaining as the Hero Women’s Indian Open moves to its decisive round, with Kapoor holding a one-shot advantage over Tan and Pornanong as play resumes for the final day.