Vikarabad (Telangana), Nov 15 : Hitaashee Bakshi, the current leader on the Order of Merit, got off to a flying start with a 5-under 67 round on the opening day of the 14th Leg of the Women's Pro Golf Tour at the Vooty Golf County here on Friday.

Hitaashee, who has won twice this season, had six birdies against one bogey and opened a three-shot lead over Vidhatri Urs and Sneha Singh, who shot 2-under 70 each. Three players, Khushi Khanijau, Nayanika Sanga and amateur Srihita Mandava carded 1-under 71 each to be tied for fourth. Amateur Srihita also delivered a hole-in-one on the Par-3 eighth hole.

Hitaashee opened the week with two birdies and added two more on the seventh and the ninth to turn in 4-under. On the back, she dropped her only shot of the day on the tenth but made up with birdies on the 12th and the 18th for a card of 67. Vidhatri birdied four times on the first, fifth, 11th and 12th and had bogeys on the fourth and the sixth. Sneha also had four birdies against two bogeys.

There were a lot of birdies as Khushi Khanijau had five birdies but she also gave away four bogeys, while Nayanika Sanga also had five birdies but she also dropped two bogeys and a double bogey.

Amateur Srihita had an action-packed round with a hole-in-one, three birdies, two bogeys and a double bogey. Shweta Mansingh (72) was the sole seventh while the experienced Amandeep Drall finished with 2-over 74 despite a double bogey on the Par-4 18th hole.

Ananya Garg, Agrima Manral and Rhea Purvi Saravanan rounded off the top 10 with rounds of 76 each.

/IANS