Hitaashee Bakshi goes 7-under to grab Golden Greens lead

By Rahul Banerji

Hitaashee Bakshi became the second player in two days to shoot a bogey-free 7-under 65 as she took a one-shot lead into the final day of the sixth leg of the Hero Women’s Pro Golf Tour on Thursday.

Hitaashee, who has one win this season, equalled the first round 65 by Gaurika Bishnoi at the Golden Greens course, as the latter slipped to second with a day’s card of 71.

Both scores of 65, by Hitaashee and Gaurika were bogey-free.

After the second round, Hitaashee leads on 9-under 135 with Gaurika on 8-under 136.

Hitaashee hit a purple patch around the middle of her outing. After seven pars to start the day, she fired six birdies in seven holes between eight and 14 and also birdied 18.

Gaurika had three birdies against two bogeys.

Good run

Bangalore’s Durga Nittur, who turns 20 in May, put herself in third place with rounds of 69 and 71 for a 4-under 140 total.

Durga started with a bogey and then parred all the way till 10 before she found her first birdie on 11 and added a second on 18.

Neha Tripathi (72), Pranavi Urs (73), a multiple winner this season, and Jahanvi Bakshi (74) were all T4 on 142 with amateur Heena Kang (69) and Nayanika Sanga (74) tied for sixth on 1-under 143.

Nayanika also holed one of the two eagles of the day, when she registered a three on the par-5 18^th.

The other eagle of the day came from Shweta Mansingh (72), who was tied ninth alongside Afshan Fatima (70), Ridhima Dilawari (74) and Lakhmehar Pardesi (75).

The cut was applied at 12-over and 25 players, including four amateurs, made the final round.

Scores and round 3 tee times

Tee 1

8 am: Lakhmehar Pardesi 145; Ridhima Dilawari 145; Afshan Fatima 145

8:10 am: Shweta Mansingh 145; Nayanika Sanga 143; Heena Kang (A) 143

8:20 am: Jahanvi Bakshi 142; Pranavi Urs 142; Neha Tripathi 142

8:30 am: Durga Nittur 140; Gaurika Bishnoi 136; Hitaashee Bakshi 135

Tee 10

8 am: Oviya Reddi 146; Seher Atwal 146

8:10 am: Nishna Patel (A) 148; Kriti Chowhan (A) 150; Khushi Khanijau 150

8:20 am: Shagun Narain 150; Agrima Manral 151; Trimann Saluja 152

8:30 am: Rhea Purvi Saravanan 153; Saaniya Sharma 153; Asmitha Sathish 154

8:40 am: Zara Anand (A) 155; Rhea Jha 156; Suchitra Ramesh 156

Also read: Gaurika fires flawless 65 for three-shot lead at Golden Greens