Gurugram, Mar 12 (IANS): Hitaashee Bakshi played a sensational front nine at the DLF Golf and Country Club as she carded 8-under 64 on the first day of the sixth Leg of the 2024 Women’s Pro Golf Tour here on Tuesday.

Hitaashee, who has had a steady season so far and leads the Order of Merit, opened sedately with two pars and then landed two eagles and four other birdies in the next seven holes for a front nine of 8-under 28. She had another birdie on the 13th and a bogey on the 17th, her only blemish of the day, to finish at 64, equalling the ladies course record.

Hitaashee, who in her five previous starts has won once and been second or tied second on three other occasions, is eight shots clear of the second-placed Vani Kapoor and last week’s winner, Amandeep Drall, who shot 72 each.

Gaurika Bishnoi, who was runner-up last week in the fifth leg, was fourth with a round of 73, while the Queen Sirikit bound amateur Zara Anand showed her promise with a 74 that put her at fifth.

Hitaashee, who after a comeback from injuries topped the Thailand LPGA Q-School, showed great form. She picked an eagle on Par-5 fourth and another eagle on Par-4 sixth, where she holed her second shot. Her birdies came on third, fifth, eighth and ninth. On the back nine, she birdied the 13th, and her lone bogey came on the challenging 17th.

Vani had four birdies and four bogeys in her first 13 holes and parred the rest, while Amandeep parred the first 11 holes and birdied the Par-3 12th and gave that shot back on Par-4 17th. Gaurika had three birdies against four bogeys.

Zara Anand had a rough start and was 3-over after the first six holes, but three birdies and a bogey between the eighth and 12th steadied her. She finished with two more bogeys against one birdie.

Astha Madan (75) was sixth, while five players, Ananya Datar, Karishma Govind, Jasmine Shekar, Jahaanvie Walia and another Queen Sirikit player amateur Vidhatri Urs were all tied seventh at 76 each. Amateur Heena Kang, also part of the Indian team going for Queen Sirikit with Zara and Vidhatri, shot 77 to be T-12.