Golf: Diksha Dagar Kicks Off with Impressive 4-under 67 in Australia
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Synopsis
Diksha Dagar rebounded from a recent missed cut to score an impressive 4-under 67 in the first round of the Women’s NSW Open, putting her in a strong position tied for fourth.
Key Takeaways
- Diksha Dagar impressed with a 4-under 67.
- She had seven birdies and four bogeys.
- Her score places her tied for fourth.
- Rookie Avani Prashanth finished T-54.
- The tournament features a 132-player field.
Wollongong (Australia) March 20 (NationPress) Refusing to be discouraged by her missed cut last week, Diksha Dagar, a two-time Ladies European Tour champion, delivered an impressive performance with a 4-under 67 in the opening round of the Women’s NSW Open.
Beginning her round on the ninth hole of the Wollongong Golf Club, Diksha stumbled initially with a bogey but quickly regained momentum, scoring seven birdies across the next ten holes. However, her progress was hampered as she dropped three shots in four holes – specifically at the third, fifth, and sixth holes – before finishing with another birdie on the seventh.
Her score of 67 places her in a tie for fourth, as Spain’s Nuria Iturrioz and local favorite Kirsten Rudgeley took the lead after both recorded rounds of 65 (-6).
Diksha, who was the runner-up at the season-opening event in Morocco at the Lalla Meryem Cup, managed eight birdies but had four bogeys, with three of them occurring towards the end of her round, resulting in her 67.
Other Indian participants included Pranavi Urs, who finished with an even par 71, placing her T-37, while rookie Avani Prashanth, who secured a Top-15 finish last week, ended T-54 with a score of 1-over 72.
Pranavi recorded two birdies and two bogeys, while Avani achieved two birdies but had three bogeys.
Four-time LET winner Iturrioz set the pace in Australia with seven birdies in the morning, despite an early bogey at the par-4 third hole.
As the afternoon winds picked up, Rudgeley skillfully managed the conditions, starting strong with a birdie on the par-5 first hole, followed by three more birdies at the fourth, fifth, and eighth holes, her only dropped shot happening at the sixth as she went out in 32.
Embracing the wind, Rudgeley added three more birdies at the eleventh, thirteenth, and fourteenth holes, matching Iturrioz’s score before finishing steadily with a 65 (-6).
Trailing just one shot behind are Anna Magnusson, who recorded eight birdies on Thursday morning thanks to excellent putting.
Seven players share fourth place at four-under par, including India’s Diksha, Finland’s Ursula Wikstrom, the Czech Republic’s Sara Kouskova, New Zealand’s Amelia Garvey, Denmark’s Cecilie Finne-Ipsen, Thailand’s Aunchisa Utama, and Switzerland’s Kim Metraux.
This event is a 72-hole stroke play competition featuring a field of 132 players.
