Hosur (TN), July 7 (IANS) Hitaashee Bakshi makes a return to Leg-9 of the domestic Women’s Professional Golf Tour at the Clover Greens in the hope of trying to recover the form that made her one of the stars of the local golfing scene.

Hitaashee, who has been finding the going tough on the Ladies European Tour, has decided to get back to her home Tour, as she locks horns with Vani Kapoor, Ridhima Dilawari, and Amandeep Drall. She will also get to play with the young and fresh lot that includes the likes of Anvitha Narender, Mannat Brar, Riya, Lavanya Jadon, and amateur Mahreen Bhatia.

This is Hitaashee’s first start on the domestic Tour this season, as she has been playing on the Ladies European Tour.

The field has become the norm of late, and it is strong, with the numbers consistently above 50, including the amateurs. This week, there are 58 players, including 10 amateurs, and the purse at Clover Greens, Hosur in Tamil Nadu, is Rs.17 lakh.

With the competition having become tight, not even the top stars like Vani, Ridhima, or Hitaashee can have it easy with the younger lot pushing them and often beating them.

This season, of the eight events held so far, Ridhima has been most successful with three wins, while Jasmine Shekar, Tvesa Malik, amateur Lavanya Gupta, Anvitha Narender, and Mannat Brar have won once each.

The current WPGT Order of Merit leader is Ridhima Dilawari, with Jasmine Shekar and Amandeep Drall trailing her in second and third places.

A few days back, Ridhima Dilawari rallied from a bogey-bogey start to fire her third straight round of 71 and sneak ahead of Jasmine Shekar in the sixth leg of the Women’s Pro Golf Tour at the Jaypee Wishtown Golf Course. Playing at the Par-71 layout, Ridhima, starting the final round three shots behind Jasmine, was five behind after just two holes.

Ridhima then staged a superb recovery with two birdies and no bogeys for the rest of the 16 holes, while Jasmine carded a 4-over 75 that ended with a bogey. Jasmine and Ridhima were tied at even par when they came to the 18th tee. Ridhima parred, but Jasmine bogeyed, giving Ridhima her third win in the last five events. Ridhima won the second and fourth legs and has now added the sixth leg as she continues to lead the Hero Order of Merit. For Jasmine, who won the first leg this season, this was her second straight second-place finish.

–IANS

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