By There was plenty to cheer for the Indians with Diksha Dagar showing the way by holding the second spot behind Norwegian Madalene Stavnar on the opening day of the $400,000 Hero Women’s Indian Open golf on Thursday.
Diksha made light of an early bogey fire six birdies – same as Madalene – for a five-under 67 that kept her one stroke off the lead.
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Vani Kapoor was a stroke behind Diksha following a round of 69. Amateur Vidharti Urs shot a 70 to share the fifth spot. Another amateur Avani Prashanth’s 71 kept her among the 16 players with sub-par cards.
Diksha did well to absorb the pressure of expectations. “It was a slow start (from the 10th) for me today because on the 11th hole, I was confused with the club selection. So I wasn’t confident about the tee shot. Never mind, I could have made an up and down. But it (the bogey) was alright, afterwards, I hit six birdies and I had a solid round.”
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Vani, who shot four birdies on the trot after starting from the 10th tee, said, “I just kept riding on them and then I had a little bad patch going down. I three putted the 18th and missed a chip out on the second, that was a little annoying but again those were just lip outs.” She made amends by finding birdies on the fifth and the eighth holes.
Sub-par scores: 66 – Madalene Stavnar (Nor); 67 – Diksha Dagar; 68 Vani Kapoor; 69 – Aline Krauter (Ger), Trichat Cheenglab (Tha); 70 – Vidharti Urs (A), Hannah Burke (Eng), Lia Pettersson (Swe), Johanna Gustavsson (Swe), Sanna Nuutinen (Fin), 71 – Emma Nilsson (Swe), Avani Prashanth (A), Eleanor Givens (Eng), Renate Grimstad (Nor), Kim Metrauz (Sui) and Liz Young (Eng).
