Indian golfer Hitaashee Bakshi grinds through marathon day at Singapore Ladies Masters
SINGAPORE - The sky was dark when Hitaashee Bakshi left her hotel room at 4.30am to prepare for the resumption of her first round at the Singapore Ladies Masters on June 15.
The 19-year-old Indian golfer was out on the Laguna National Golf Resort Club course before sunrise as she, along with 65 other players, were affected by a near-four-hour rain delay the day before.
Her 5.30am start was just the beginning of a marathon day for Bakshi, who finished 10 holes to complete her first round before embarking on her next round just two hours later.
As her rivals floundered amid the humid conditions and two rain delays, Bakshi stayed calm to fire a second-round, four-under 68 to grab a share of the clubhouse lead at three-under.
She was tied with China’s Wang Zixuan, 16, who shot 70 to finish with the same score. First-round leader Cai Danlin, at six-under overall, could only complete four holes before play was halted at 6.55pm due to darkness.
Bakshi told The Sunday Times: “Super long day, super tiring, but I’m glad that I pulled it off today. Just when I felt my rhythm getting up they just put the siren on and again the game was stopped.
“It’s totally mentally for me because physically I have prepared myself to play in conditions like this.”
Starting her second round at 7.10am from hole No. 9, she eventually finished her 28-hole marathon 12 hours later on the same hole. Of the 132-player field, only 37 finished their second rounds on June 15.
Having to endure similar conditions while playing on India’s Women’s Pro Golf Tour in 2022 – when she won four titles – on a “much tougher course” helped the golfer.
During the delays, she spent her time drying her rain-soaked socks and even managed to squeeze in a power nap.
After shooting a first-round 73, which left her tied-24th, Bakshi clawed back to contention by mixing six birdies with two bogeys to surge up the leaderboard.
“To have a comeback like this is unnatural, but I worked hard for it. Winning on a tour like this is going to be really special. I’m just going to stay grounded and think about the short term,” she said.
Off the course, she has lofty ambitions and the law student intends to play the LPGA Tour Qualifying-Series events from August onwards.
She added: “It’s what every woman golfer wants to get into. It was a dream come true when I got my Thailand LPGA Tour card in January. I’m going to try out everything I can.”
Chinese golfer Wang Zixuan, 16, shot a second-round 70 to claim a share of the clubhouse lead. ST PHOTO: AZMI ATHNI
Zixuan, 16, who is playing her first tournament after turning professional, also began her day at 4.50am. She said in Mandarin: “Maybe because of the early day, I started quite slow before I stabilised my game. But the final nine holes, I could feel my performances dipping.
“Even though it was an early start, I still got up early to go to the practice range. After all, it’s a competition and I have to take it seriously.”
The final day of the US$100,000 (S$135,000) China Ladies Professional Golf Association Tour event is set for another late finish on June 16, as 23 golfers did not manage to start their second rounds. The projected cut line is currently at seven-over.
Event organisers believe that the 54-hole tournament can still be completed should weather permit and a decision will be taken on June 16 should there be further delays.
Bakshi added: “I’m just going to get some much-needed sleep tonight and prepare for another tough day.”
Indian golfer Hitaashee Bakshi, 19, will be playing the LPGA Tour Qualifying-Series events from August. ST PHOTO: AZMI ATHNI