Hitaashee shares clubhouse lead at Singapore Ladies Masters

Hitaashee Bakshi on her way into a share of the clubhouse lead at the Singapore Ladies Masters on Saturday.

By Rahul Banerji

Hitaashee Bakshi survived 28 holes, overcast and occasionally wet conditions and multiple stoppages on the second day to put herself in a good position at the Singapore Ladies Masters on Saturday.

With a day to go at the Laguna Golf Resort, Hitaashee was 3 under par 141 for 36 holes and in the joint clubhouse lead with China’s Zixuan Wang (71-70).

Hitaashee, who had played only eight holes of her first round on Friday, finished the remaining 10 for a 1 over 73. She then returned to card a 4 under 68 in the second round just before play was called over fading light.

Her 68 was the equal best among the completed second rounds so far.

Amateur Mahreen Bhatia finished 76-76 for an 8 over total and is a stroke over the projected cut line that is currently at 7-over. Eighty players will come back on Sunday morning to finish their second rounds.

Seher Atwal, the third Indian in the field was disqualified for playing her final hole after the horn had been sounded for stoppage due to darkness.

Seher said she thought it was up to her whether or not to finish the final hole which she, however, had not started when the horn was sounded.

She was at 5-over for 36 holes and well placed to make the cut but now will have to watch Hitaashee and Mahreen from the sidelines.

Hitaashee said, “I played 28 holes today, came to the course at 5.30 am. It was a super long day and very, very tiring. But I am very glad I managed to pull it off today and finish my second round today.”

Quick pace

She added, “Towards the end the other two players in my group and I played fast to try and finish as soon as possible. I am glad we did that. Now I will get some rest in the morning.”

On her day’s round, the domestic tour merit leader added, “When I started making birdies, I felt like the rhythm was getting up. Then suddenly, they would have the siren again and the game would stop.

“It happened more than a few times and it was mentally exhausting. Physically, though, I was prepared to play in conditions like this. So, I was able to cope.”

Hitaashee lapsed only at the end when she made one mistake after being two-on on the Par-4 ninth, her closing hole. In fading light, she three-putted from inside 30 feet having pushed her second putt from about seven feet past the cup.

“That was probably the only mistake I made today,” admitted the cheery 19-year-old, who has had four top 20s in the last few weeks on the Thailand LPGA and the Taiwan LPGA events. She is playing in a third different country in around five weeks.

First-round leader Cai Danlin, who shot 67 on the first day, was 1-under through four holes in the second for a 6-under total.

Thailand’s Nanthikarn Raksachat (70 and 2 under after 14 holes) and amateur Ruolin Song, (68 and level par after three holes) were at 4-under and will complete their second round on Sunday morning.

Mahreen got a taste of life on the pro circuit, as she first completed nine holes of the first round and then 18 in the second. After a 1-under first nine in the first round, she had a 5-over second nine for a 76, missing a few makeable putts under the tough conditions.

Organised by LLD Sports, the Singapore Ladies Masters is sponsored by Marina Bay Sands and CarTimes Group and supported by the Singapore Tourism Board.

Also read: Mahreen best among Indians at rain-hit Singapore Ladies Masters