Gold Coast: Hitaashee Bakshi and Diksha Dagar climbed into a tie for sixth place after the third round of the Australian WPGA Championship, both sitting at 9-under par.
Bakshi moved up two spots with a solid 4-under 67, while Dagar produced an impressive 6-under 65 to jump from tied-16th into the top 10.
Meanwhile, Hannah Green is on course to secure her third consecutive title. Fresh off victories at the Women’s Australian Open and the HSBC Women’s World Championship, Green fired a 4-under 67 to maintain a two-shot lead at 14-under par.
She is being closely pursued by Switzerland’s Vanessa Knecht and South Africa’s Casandra Alexander. Green’s round featured seven birdies and four bogeys.
Bakshi had a mixed start, recording two birdies and three bogeys in her first eight holes. However, she bounced back strongly with consecutive birdies on the 11th and 12th, added another on the 14th, and finished in style with an eagle on the 18th. Her total now stands at 9-under, five shots behind the leader, after earlier rounds of 69 and 68.
Dagar, who opened with rounds of 67 and 72, delivered one of the best performances of the day. She started with a birdie and remained bogey-free through the first 11 holes, collecting multiple birdies along the way. Despite a lone bogey on the 13th, she quickly recovered with three consecutive birdies to close with a 65.
Pranavi Urs, the third Indian to make the cut, had a difficult round, carding a 4-over 75. Despite an eagle on the fifth and a birdie on the seventh, a string of bogeys and a double bogey set her back.
Green, a seven-time LPGA winner and major champion, acknowledged the pressure of leading the field. She noted that, as one of the tournament favorites, she expects strong challenges and would not be surprised if a competitor produces a record-breaking round on the final day.
(IANS)
