Diksha Dagar Ranks T7 After Opening Round at Lalla Meryem Cup in Morocco

Key Takeaways

Diksha Dagar scores 3-under 70, Tied-seventh.
Avani Prashanth debuts with a 2-under 71.
Tvesa Malik finishes 6-over 77.
Top-60 and ties will make the cut for the next rounds.
Brianna Navarrosa leads with 67 (-6).

Rabat, Feb 7 (NationPress) Diksha Dagar positioned herself among the Top-10 during the inaugural round of the Lalla Meryem Cup by delivering an impressive 3-under 70 at the Par-73 Royal Golf Dar Es Salam course. The two-time LET winner found herself tied for seventh place.

Among the other two Indian competitors, Avani Prashanth, making her professional debut, scored 2-under 71. Despite a challenging start from the tenth hole, where she recorded two bogeys in the first three holes, she managed to secure six birdies from the 14th hole but also encountered a double bogey on the Par-4 fourth. With her score of 2-under 71, she tied for 14th place.

Tvesa Malik faced difficulties and finished with a score of 6-over 77, landing in a tie for 98th. The cut for the second round will allow the Top-60 and ties to progress to the final rounds.

American Brianna Navarrosa enjoyed a stellar start to her rookie season, leading the day with a round of 67 (-6).

Currently, Spain’s Ana Pelaez Trivino and Sweden’s Kajsa Arwefjall are tied for second place at five under par.

Avani, who successfully navigated Q-School, struggled initially from the tenth, bogeying the 11th and 12th holes. However, she rebounded with birdies on the 14th, 17th, first, second, fifth, and eighth holes, despite a double bogey on the fourth. She drove well, but missed greens in regulation early on before finding her rhythm, finishing with 27 putts in total.

Avani's amateur career included multiple Top-10 finishes in LET events, notably at her home event, the Women’s Indian Open, and victories in both the LET Access and India’s domestic WPGT. She stated there was no sense of nervousness, mentioning, "I think it’s mainly because of the LET giving me those invite spots last year, didn’t feel different at all. The course is fantastic and I loved the greens. The fairways are narrow, but the greens are superb."

She further remarked, “It’s akin to playing at DLF when you're hitting approach shots to the green. There are numerous slopes, and positioning is crucial; otherwise, you’ll face tricky putts. The pins are quite accessible, but one must comprehend which slopes to utilize for effective spin.”