Gurugram: History is potentially unfolding at the Hero Women’s Indian Open. Never before has an Indian golfer maintained the top spot on the leaderboard for three consecutive days heading into the final round. Adding to the excitement, a remarkable five Indian players currently sit within the top ten, a feat unprecedented in the tournament’s 16-year history.
On Saturday, local favorite Hitaashee Bakshi solidified her position, extending her lead to three shots. Her consistent performance has ignited genuine hope for an Indian champion—a title last claimed by Aditi Ashok in 2016 at the very same DLF Golf and Country Club.
Bakshi’s impressive round began with a birdie on the first hole, setting the tone for a day that included six birdies in total. She showcased remarkable composure and control, finishing with a two-under 70, bringing her three-day total to a stellar nine-under 209. Even with favorable sunny skies, the course at DLF Golf and Country Club remained a challenge, pushing players to their limits in managing shots on both the fairways and the greens.
Reflecting on her performance, the visibly tired yet beaming 21-year-old, competing in her first full Ladies European Tour season, stated, “I’m just going one shot at a time, it’s my home course, no pressure.” She acknowledged the mental and physical toll of the back nine: “It was exhausting on the back nine because the rough really did get to me and there was a birdie-bogey-birdie-bogey thing that started but I’m really glad that I followed it all through the end.” Her only significant misstep came on the seventh hole, where a double bogey resulted from an uncharacteristic chunked 92-yard shot and then a 40-yard chip. Despite this, Hitaashee emphasized her ability to maintain focus, adding, “I really held my calm from the seventh green to eight tee.”
Trailing Bakshi, England’s Alice Hewson, who placed tied 11th last year, is the closest contender with a round of 69, bringing her total to 210. Singapore’s Shannon Tan, still very much in contention for the Order of Merit title, is four shots back, sharing her position with India’s rising stars Avani Prashanth and Zara Anand. Adding to the strong Indian presence in the top ten are Pranavi Urs and Vani Kapoor, highlighting a promising showing for the host nation.
Top Leaderboard (Indians unless stated):
- 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)