By Rahul Banerji
Overnight leader Hitaashee Bakshi held off a charging Pranavi Urs to win her third title of the season in the 11th leg of the Hero Women’s Pro Golf Tour on Friday.
Hitaashee had to overcome an early double bogey on her way to a level-par 72 that was good enough at Hyderabad’s Boulder Hills Golf & Country Club.
Local rookie pro Sneha Singh, one shot adrift and in second place overnight, had a rough day with a double bogey and three bogeys against three birdies for a 74 that saw her slip to third place.
Sneha is still to win her maiden trophy as a professional, even though she has been a winner on the WPGT as an amateur in the past.
It was a close battle between the three players in the lead group of Hitaashee, Sneha and Pranavi.
Hitaashee extended her lead on the very first hole with a birdie as pre-event favourite Pranavi parred and Sneha bogeyed.
On the next Sneha got back the shot, but Hitaashee dropped a shot and Pranavi parred yet again and the three were back where they had started.
It stayed that way for the next two holes with pars from all three.
Swaying fortunes
As Pranavi and Sneha birdied the fifth, Hitaashee birdied the sixth and the tussle continued. Then came the setback for Hitaashee who double-bogeyed the seventh as did Sneha while Pranavi safely parred the hole.
At this point, Hitaashee and Sneha were 1-over for the day and Pranavi was 1-under and had reduced the gap with Hitaashee from four to just two.
Sneha was still one behind Hitaashee, her rival from junior and amateur days.
Pranavi dropped a shot on 11 and Sneha did the same on 13 to see Hitaashee increase her lead. Then all three birdied the par-5 14th after which Pranavi upped the pressure with birdies on 16 and 17.
When the trio reach the 18th tee, Hitaashee was 7-under for the tournament and Pranavi had crept up to 6-under, while Sneha was 5-under.
Pranavi needed a birdie on 18 and for Hitaashee to par the hole to force a play-off while Sneha needed an eagle to catch Hitaashee.
However, as Hitaashee parred, Pranavi dropped a shot and fell two behind to end her run.
Sneha bogeyed as well to fall three back and finish third.
Hitaashee’s steady golf saw her play the back nine without a blemish and one birdie, which carried the day for her.
Pranavi did have three birdies, but she also dropped two shots on the back nine.
Third title
Hitaashee’s earlier wins this season came on the third and sixth legs of the Hero WPG Tour.
Nayanika Sanga, who landed an eagle two on par-4 ninth shot an even par 72 and at 3-under 213 for 54 holes, finished fourth,.
Amateur Keerthana R Nair shot 73, including a double bogey on seven, which proved a hurdle for many in the field. Keerthana was fifth and the best-placed amateur.
Khushi Khanijau (72) ended sole sixth, while another amateur Heena Kang (75) was seventh on 2-over 218.
Shweta Mansingh (73) and Seher Atwal (75) were tied for eighth place on 4-over 220, while amateur Vidhatri Urs (77) ensured the presence of three amateurs in the top 10. on 5-over 221.
Pranavi stayed on top of the Hero Order of Merit as her earnings topped Rs.10 lakh to reach Rs.10,89,500.
Hitaashee’s third win of the season took her earnings to Rs.8,15,000 and she is now in second place with Seher Atwal (Rs.7,50,000) in third.
Also read: Hitaashee leads Sneha by a shot in 11th leg of Hero WPGT
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