Late run puts Diksha in top five at Amundi German Masters

File photo of India’s Ladies European Tour star Diksha Dagar who fired herself into the top five of the Amundi German Open after the first round on Thursday. Image courtesy LET.

By Rahul Banerji

A flying finish by Diksha Dagar carried her into a share of fifth place in the first round of the Amundi German Masters on Thursday.

Having made the turn at the Green Eagle Golf Courses on level par 35, Diksha sparked her round to life with four birdies over the final seven holes, closing with two for two on holes 17 and 18.

With three days to go, the left-hander was tied for fifth alongside three others on 4 under par 69, a shot behind another four-way tie foe the lead.

The par-73 Green Eagle Golf Courses is somewhat different from most championship tracks as it has as many as six par-5s, two on the front nine and four on the back stretch.

Diksha was the best-placed of the nine Indians in the field with Vani Kapoor returning a 1 under par 72 and Avani Prashanth shooting a level par 73.

Large contingent

Tvesa Malik, Sneha Singh, Amandeep Drall, Hitaashee Bakshi, Neha Tripathi and Vidhatri Urs are the other Indians in the field at the 300,000 euro event.

England’s Alice Hewson with a bogey-free 5 under 68 shared the lead with Helen Briem of Germany, New Zealand’s Amelia Harvey and Sweden’s Eliner Sudow.

Vani had two birdies against one bogey and all that action happened on the front nine before she parred every hole of the back nine.

Avani Prashanth, who has played the event as an amateur in the past, had four birdies, two bogeys and a double in her 73.

Also read: Maiden top 5 finish for LET rookie Avani Prashanth in Belgium