Pho Thaen (Thailand): India's promising golfer Hitaashee Bakshi, who is making a comeback from injury, got a big boost on Friday when she won the Thailand LPGA Qualifying School and earned full playing rights on the Thailand Ladies PGA Tour.
The 19-year-old Bakshi shot rounds of 68-71-68 for a total of 8-under. She won by two shots over Aretha Herng Pan (70-70-70) at 6-under. Six players including five Thais, one of them amateur, were tied for third place at 5-under 211 at the Watermill Golf Club and Resort just two hours away from Bangkok.
The three round 54-hole event had 212 starters and only 20 cards were on offer. India’s other players in the field included Sneha Singh (68-74-76), who was T-33. Another Indian, Agrima Manral was further down.
Hitaashee after her first round of 68 was third but fell to tied fifth after the second. Four straight birdies from the seventh to the 10th and no bogeys saw her card 4-under 68 and win by two shots.
Hitaashee, who won three times in 2022 on the domestic Hero WPG Tour in India, has begun 2023 well to finish runner-up in the first two legs of the local Tour in India.
The Thailand LPGA Tour gets underway at the same course, Watermill next month.
Published 26 January 2024, 14:32 IST