India’s Diksha Dagar reacts during her opening round of the Hulencourt Women’s Open in Belgium where she shared the lead with three others on Thursday. Image courtesy let.com.
By Rahul Banerji
Riding a good run of recent form, Diksha Dagar closed her bogey-free opening round at the Hulencourt Women’s Open in a four-way share of the lead in Belgium on Thursday.
With four top-10 finishes behind her already, Diksha was in prime form, splitting her four birdies evenly between the front and back nines at Hulencourt, where she shares the top spot along with three others on 4 under par 68.
Aditi Ashok has made the trip across the Atlantic from the LPGA to play the Belgium event as part of her preparations for next week’s Amundi Evian Championship, the fourth major on the international women’s calendar.
On Thursday, the five-time Ladies European Tour winner and making her event debut at Hulencourt, was in shared seventh place on 2 under 70 with four birdies against two dropped shots.
Behind her, fellow-Bangalorean Avani Prashanth was tied for 24th place on even par 72, while Mysore’s Pranavi Urs shared 33rd place on 1 over 73.
In the lead alongside Diksha on a windy first day were South Africa’s Nadia van der Westhuizen, Switzerland’s Morgane Metraux and Bronte Law of England after the Indian had set the early clubhouse tally.
Playing in the morning wave, the left-hander fired birdies on the first, sixth, 10th and 14th holes to set the early pace at Hulencourt Golf Club.
Steady day
“It was a very steady day of golf,” the 25-year-old said on the LET website.
“It was really tough conditions, but still we continued and stay composed. I’m very happy that I went bogey-free. It was tough to read the greens so I focused on the speed. The greens are also much faster than last week.”
Two weeks ago, both Diksha and Avani missed out on a playoff by one shot at the Dutch Ladies Open finishing the week T3. The former is 11th on the LET Order of Merit thanks to the hot run of results.
“It doesn’t matter what the conditions are like, I know I can still play the same and the form is there.
“I think I’m very intuitive and go with my gut feeling a lot. I’m feeling very confident at the moment.”
In the afternoon, van der Westhuizen in only her fourth LET event was first to reach the lead score with five birdies and one dropped one.
Learning curve
“It was a very, very solid round,” the 24-year-old said later. “This is my first year on tour and I’ve actually been playing very well the last two weeks, I’m just still learning a lot.
“Everything is starting to come together which is nice to see. It’s a big learning process coming from the Sunshine Ladies Tour. It’s good to be out of my comfort zone and I’m very excited to be here.”
Two-time LET winner Metraux matched the target next also with five birdies and one bogey and was joined later by Law, who owns three titles on the tour.
Sharing fifth place one back of the leaders were 2023 LET Order of Merit winner Trichat Cheenglab of Thailand and Finland’s Ursula Wikstrom, now playing in her 23rd European season.
Defending champion Darcey Harry of Wales retired on the with a hip injury.
Also read: Maiden LET win for Komulainen as Indians finish well at Beroun
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