Diksha Dagar fetches top-20 finish at PIF London Championship

Diksha Dagar in action during the PIF London Championship at the Centurion Club in St Albans. Image courtesy LET.

By Rahul Banerji

Checked by a difficult inbound nine holes, Diksha Dagar still brought in a top 20 finish at the PIF London Championship on Sunday.

With rounds of 70, 73 and 73 at the par-73 Centurion Club near London, Diksha finished in a share of 19th place that helped her maintain 12th place on the Ladies European Tour’s Order of Merit.

The 23-year-old had moments of brilliance on her first nine holes in the course of which she picked up three shots but the back nine proved more difficult to negotiate as she finished on 3 under par 216.

At the top, Germany’s Laura Fünfstück held her nerve to claim a one-stroke victory and her maiden LET title over Ecuadorean rookie Daniela Darquea.

Starting the final round leading by three shots, Fünfstück found herself three-over after the first four holes. 

The German then mounted a remarkable recovery, producing a composed back nine to win at the very last after the lead had changed hands more than once ahead of her. 

A tap-in birdie on the 18th sealed Fünfstück’s maiden tour win on 10 under-par 209.

Big mover

Darquea was the day’s biggest mover with a brilliant 5 under 68 that earned the outright second place on 9 under-par 210. 

Five-time LET winner Anne Van Dam surged into solo third after a dramatic eagle on the final hole, finishing at 8 under.

Seven players shared fourth place on 7 under, including Olivia Cowan, Adela Cernousek, Alice Hewson, Lee-Anne Pace, merit list leader Mimi Rhodes, Kim Metraux, and Manon De Roey.

Diksha started confidently, picking up three birdies on the front nine. Her precise iron play and steady putting suggested she could surge into the top 10. 

However, she gave back the early gains in a stretch between the 11th and 14th holes, dropping crucial shots that halted her momentum.

Fellow Indian golfers Aditi Ashok and Pranavi Urs also made the cut but finished further down the leaderboard. 

LPGA regular Aditi returned cards of 73, 74, and 72 to end the event at level par and tied for 34th place. 

Pranavi posted scores of 75, 71, and 75 to total 2 over 221 and tie for 44th position. Rookie Avani Prashanth did not progress past the cut line.

The LET takes a one-week break before heading to Sweden for the Hills Open at the Hills Golf & Sports Club from August 22 to 24.

Also read: Aditi Ashok tied for seventh after 36 holes at Evian Championship