Hitaashee sets course record as Amandeep, Seher tie for lead

By Rahul Banerji

Hitaashee Bakshi shot one of the rounds of the season with a ladies course record of 7-under 65 in the second round of the 13^th Leg of the Hero Women’s Pro Golf Tour at Boulder Hills Golf and Country Club in Hyderabad on Thursday.

Her seond-day card also made up for the somewhat listless 75 she had recorded on the first day.

While the sensational 65 took Hitaashee to tied third place, Hero Order of Merit  leader Amandeep Drall had a 5-under 67 to take the lead alongside Seher Atwal (69) on 5-under 139.

Hitaashee is alongside her sister Jahanvi, who has held the spotlight this season with three wins. Jahanvi shot a 68 and was 4-under 140.

Saaniya Sharma (70) and Vani Kapoor (74), who sizzled on the first day in her round of 67, were on 3-under 141 in fifth place. Pranavi Urs (71) shot a score similar to her first-round effort to be 2-under 142.

Bunched field

With seven players within three shots of each other, the final round promises to be a cliff-hanger.

Amandeep was bogey-free on the front nine with four birdies and added two more on the back nine while giving away one bogey in her 67.

Seher opened with two birdies and closed with three in a row and in between dropped shots on the seventh and 11^th holes for her 69.

The toast of the day was Hitaashee, who after a lacklustre start to the week was in stunning form.

She converted three birdies on the front nine and four on the back nine as she closed birdie-birdie. She fed on the momentum with back-to-back birdies three times during the day.

Jahanvi’s round was also flawless, like her sister’s but she had only two birdies on either side of the course, which yielded seven cards under the par on the second day.

With Amandeep, Seher and Hitaashee in the lead group and the one ahead of them having Vani Kapoor, Saaniya Sharma and Jahanvi, the stage is set for a tight finish.

Third round tee times and scores

8:30 am: Trimann Saluja 155; Neha Tripathi 154; Shweta Mansingh 154

8:40 am: Oviya Reddi 153; Jyotsana Singh 153; Lakhmehar Pardesi 153

8:50 am: Disha Kavery 153; Rhea P Saravanan 150; Asmitha Sathish 149

9:05 am: Ridhima Dilawari 147; Khushi Khanijau 145; Pranavi Urs 142

9:15 am: Vani Kapoor 141; Saaniya Sharma 141; Jahanvi Bakshi 140

9:25 am: Hitaashee Bakshi 140; Seher Atwal 139; Amandeep Drall 139

Also read: Vani Kapoor shows solid form with back-nine blitz at Boulder Hills