Hitaashee ends 22-month title wait at Tolly Hero WPGT leg

By Rahul Banerji

Hitaashee Bakshi turned in a strong performance to win the third leg of the Hero Women’s Pro Golf Tour at the Tollygunge Club in Kolkata on Friday.

A DLF Academy trainee, Hitaashee won three times in 2022, but then had a winless 2023 during which she was also injured.

After two successive runner-up finishes in the 2024 season, Hitaashee broke her title drought by a convincing four-stroke margin, the WGAI said.

Playing steady golf she had two birdies against one bogey, for a 1-under 69 on the day and a 2-under 208 for the week.

Hitaashee’s last win on the tour came in September of 2022 in the 11^th leg at Hyderabad.

Jasmine Shekar shrugged off an early double bogey to bring in a 69, the only other under par card on Friday to take second place on 2-over 212.

Ananya Garg, tied for second overnight, dropped two late shots to finish third, while Ridhima Dilawari, who was alongside her after 36 holes, ended fourth.

Steady going

Hitaashee, who recently won the Qualifying School and full playing rights to the All-Thailand Pro Golf Tour, started the day with a three-shot margin over Ananya and Ridhima.

Both, however, fell away further with bogey starts. Hitaashee parred the first two holes and had a birdie on the third that put her further ahead.

Neither Ananya nor Ridhima could come close to Hitaashee, who played solid golf with just one bogey on the sixth, which she made up for with a birdie on the next hole, and parred the last 11.

Jasmine did make a run with three birdies, but the double bogey dented her hopes, and she also missed a few birdie putts.

Amateur Anaahat Bindra (72) was tied fifth with Seher Atwal (74), while Khushi Khanijau (70), the first-round leader, was seventh. Mumbai leg winner Sneha Singh (71) tied for eighth with Amandeep Drall (75) and Gauri Karhade (77).

Hitaashee moves to the top of the Hero Order of Merit with one win and runner-up finishes in the first two legs.

The Gurgaon player has now won Rs.3,69,000 while Sneha has taken home Rs.3,29,500. Jasmine Shekar is third with Rs.2,16,900 while Khushi Khanijau and Amandeep Drall are fourth and fifth on the Hero Order of Merit.

The fourth leg of the Hero WPGT will be held at East Point Golf Club in Visakhapatnam from February 6 to 9.

Also read: Hitaashee takes three-shot lead over Ananya at Tolly leg of WPGT