Hitaashee doubles her lead on day 2 at Vooty leg of Hero WPGT

DLF golfer and Hero WPGT Order of Merit leader Hitaashee Bakshi has forged well clear of the field in the 14^th leg at Vikarabad near Hyderabad. Image courtesy WGAI.

By Rahul Banerji

Hitaashee Bakshi added a 2 under par 70 to her first-round 67 to double her lead with a round to go in the 14th leg of the Hero Women’s Pro Golf Tour at the Vooty Golf Club on Saturday.

Winner of two titles this season, Hitaashee is now six shots clear of Nayanika Sanga (71-72) and Vidhatri Urs (70-73), the only player to have won three times this year, the WGAI said.

Nayanika and Vidhatri were on 1 under 143 each.

Hero WPGT Order of Merit leader Hitaashee will become the second three-time winner in 2024, if she holds on for a win on Sunday.

Ananya Garg (76-71), Shweta Mansingh (72-75) and Sneha Singh (70-77) were tied for fourth on 3 over 147.

Steady progress

Hitaashee, who is due to play the Ladies European Tour Qualifying School Final Stage next month, opened with five pars and then landed back-to-back birdies before the turn.

The DLF golfer then swapped two birdies for as many dropped shots for a day’s card of 70, equalling the best score of the day alongside Yaalisai Verma.

Nayanika had an incredible six birdies, six bogeys and six pars on a card that did not have a single par in the first seven holes.

She seemed to be making good progress at 3 under after 12 holes but then dropped three shots in the last six holes, including two in the last two.

Vidhatri had three birdies, a bogey and one triple on the par-4 11th, which ruined her card. Shweta Mansingh had four birdies, three bogeys and two doubles in her 75.

Amandeep Drall (74-74) was sole seventh on 4 over 148, while Yaalisai Verma (79-70) and Khushi Khanijau (71-78) were T8 on 5 over 149. Rhea Purvi Saravanan (76-75) rounded off the top ten.

Scores and round 3 tee times

8:30 am: Chitrangada Singh 169, Yashita Raghav 163

8:40 am: Annagghha Vennkatessh 160, Disha Kavery 157, Ravjot K. Dosanjh 156

8:50 am: Pihoo Chauhan (A) 156, Srihitha Mandava 155, Agrima Manral 155

9 am: Snigdha Goswami 155, Gauri Karhade 155, Karishma Govind 154

9:10 am: Jasmine Shekar 153, Anvitha Narender 152, Rhea Purvi S. 151

9:25 am: Khushi Khanijau 149, Yaalisai Verma 149, Amandeep Drall 148

9:35 am: Sneha Singh 147, Shweta Mansingh 147, Ananya Garg 147

9:45 am: Vidhatri Urs 143, Nayanika Sanga 143, Hitaashee Bakshi 137

Also read: Hitaashee opens three-shot lead in Vooty leg of Hero WPGT