Vikarabad (Telangana)[India], November 16 : Hitaashee Bakshi added a 2-under 70 to her first-round card of 67 to double her three-shot lead to six with one more round to go in the 14th Leg of the Women's Pro Golf Tour at the Vooty Golf Club.
Winner of two titles this season, Hitaashee is six shots clear of Nayanika Sanga (71-72) and Vidhatri Urs (70-73), the only player to have won three times this year. Nayanika and Vidhatri are at one-under 143 each.
Hitaashee, leader on the WPGT Order of Merit, will become the second three-time winner in 2024, if she holds on for a win as expected.
Three players, Ananya Garg (76-71), Shweta Mansingh (72-75) and Sneha Singh (70-77) are tied for fourth place at 3-over 147, a release said.
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 on the sixth and the seventh. She birdied 12th but dropped a shot on the 13th and then again dropped a shot on the Par-5 16th before picking a birdie on the closing 18th for a day's card of 70, which equalled the best score of the day alongside Yaalisai Verma.
Nayanika had an incredible six birdies, six bogeys and six pars. She did not have a single par in her first seven holes, which included four birdies and two bogeys. She seemed to be making good progress at 3-under through 12 holes, but then dropped three bogeys in the last six holes, including two in the last two holes.
Vidhatri had three birdies, one bogey and a triple bogey on Par-4 11th, which ruined her card. Shweta Mansingh had four birdies, three bogeys and two doubles in her 75, the release said.
Amandeep Drall (74-74) is sole seventh at 4-over 148, while Yaalisai Verma (79-70) and Khushi Khanijau (71-78) are tied eighth at 5-over 149. Rhea Purvi Saravanan (76-75) rounded off the top ten.
Tee times for Round 3 of the 14th Leg of the Hero Women's Pro Golf Tour at Vikarabad Golf County:
1. 8:30 am: Chitrangada Singh 169, Yashita Raghav 163;
2. 8:40 am Annagghha Vennkatessh 160, Disha Kavery 157, Ravjot K. Dosanjh 156;
3. 8:50 am: Pihoo Chauhan (A) 156, Srihitha Mandava 155, Agrima Manral 155;
4. 9:00 am: Snigdha Goswami 155, Gauri Karhade 155, Karishma Govind 154;
5. 9:10 am: Jasmine Shekar 153, Anvitha Narender 152, Rhea Purvi S. 151;
6. 9:25 am: Khushi Khanijau 149, Yaalisai Verma 149, Amandeep Drall 148;
7. 9:35 am: Sneha Singh 147, Shweta Mansingh 147, Ananya Garg 147;
8. 9:45 am: Vidhatri Urs 143, Nayanika Sanga 143, Hitaashee Bakshi 137.
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