Hitaashee extends lead as Indians take the highlight

The final time an Indian stood atop the leader-board each day going into the ultimate day’s play on the Hero Women’s Indian Open golf was by no means. Neither have there been 5 Indians within the top-10 on the finish of third day’s play of the competitors in all its 16 editions to date.

On Saturday, Hitaashee Bakshi opened up a three-shot result in not solely proceed her keep on the prime but additionally increase actual potentialities of an Indian winner for the primary time in 9 years. Aditi Ashok is the one different Indian to win on the DLF Golf and Country Club right here means again in 2016.

It began with a birdie on the very first gap, the primary of six, because the native favorite by no means misplaced her composure or management on the proceedings to card a two-under 70 for a three-day complete of 9-under 209. Despite the skies opening up for a pleasing and sunny day, the course continued to check the gamers, who struggled to regulate the photographs on each the fairways and the greens.

“I’m simply going one shot at a time, it’s my house course, no strain. It was exhausting on the again 9 as a result of the tough actually did get to me and there was a birdie-bogey-birdie-bogey factor that began however I’m actually glad that I adopted all of it by way of the top,” the visibly drained however beaming 21-year previous, in her first full season on the Ladies European Tour, stated.

Her solely low level on an in any other case excellent day was on the seventh gap, the place she dropped a few photographs for a double bogey. “It was a 92-yard shot for me from the center of the golf green and I chunked it, which was very surprising of me, then there was a 40-yard chip that I once more chunked however I actually held my calm from the seventh inexperienced to eight tee,” Hitaashee admitted.

England’s Alice Hewson, who completed tied 11 final 12 months, was the closest with a card of 69 to complete 210 whereas Singapore’s Shannon Tan stored her Order of Merit win hopes alive 4 photographs behind, tied with Avani Prashanth and Zara Anand amongst others. Pranavi Urs and Vani Kapoor had been the opposite Indians in top-10.

Top leader-board (Indians until acknowledged): 207: Hitaashee Bakshi (70-67-70); 210: Alice Hewson (Eng, 69-72-69); 212: Pranavi Urs (72-67-73); 214: Avani Prashanth (73-71-70), Kelsey Bennett (Aus, 71-71-72), Shannon Tan (Sin, 68-73-73), Lisa Pettersson (Swe, 71-69-74), Zara Anand (68-70-76); 215: Kajsa Arwefjall (Swe, 73-72-70), Vani Kapoor (67-74-74), Verena Gimmy (Ger, 68-70-77); 216: Leonie Harm (Ger, 74-71-71), Amandeep Drall (74-70-72), Chiara Tamburlini (Sui, 71-68-77).