Golf Championship: Hitaashee’s team leads on day one of Mixed Pro Challenge

The first round of the 36-hole tournament, a first-of-its-kind men’s and women’s mixed event being played in India, saw 17-year-old Hitaashee make a major contribution to her team total as she fired the day’s best score of six-under 66 at her home course.

REPRESENTATIVE IMAGE: The Golf Championship is a Team Strokeplay event where all players must hole out on every hole. The two best scores out of three on each hole (hole by hole) would count towards the team score.

Hitaashee Bakshi, Ankur Chadha and Aadil Bedi fired a total of 13-under 131 to take the lead on day one of the Golf Championship — Mixed Pro Challenge — here on Tuesday.

The first round of the 36-hole tournament, a first-of-its-kind men’s and women’s mixed event being played in India, saw 17-year-old Hitaashee make a major contribution to her team total as she fired the day’s best score of six-under 66 at her home course.

The team comprising Yuvraj Singh Sandhu, Sunit Chowrasia and Gaurika Bishnoi were in second place with a gross score of 11-under 133.

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Third place was occupied by the trio of Pranavi Urs, Karandeep Kochhar and Chiragh Kumar, who had a gross score of 10-under 134.

The tournament is a Team Strokeplay event where all players must hole out on every hole. The two best scores out of three on each hole (hole by hole) would count towards the team score.

Hitaashee, who is in the middle of her class 12th Board exams, had a horrid start as she bogeyed the first two holes after pulling her approach shots on both occasions. She then began turning it around, picking up four birdies on the front-nine thereafter including three on the trot from the seventh through the ninth.

Hitaashee then added four more birdies to her card on the back-nine courtesy three conversions from a range of eight to 12 feet and a tap-in on the 17th. She also got out of trouble on the 12th with a good par-save.

Yuvraj and Sunit had the two best scores in their team as both shot rounds of 73 to help their team end the day in second place.

Mysuru-based 18-year-old Pranavi, one of only two players to shoot an error-free round on day one, was instrumental in her team being placed third.