WPGT 2024: Hitaashee doubles lead to six shots in 14th Leg; Nayanika Sanga, Vidhatri Urs in pursuit

Vikarabad (Telangana): 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 (WPGT) at the Vooty Golf Club here on Saturday. 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.

Hitaashee, who is due to play the Final Stage of the Ladies European Tour Qualifying School next month, opened with five pars and then landed back-to-back birdies on the sixth and the seventh. She birdied the 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.

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.