Tie for Czech Ladies Open lead as three Indians make the cut

Sweden’s Lisa Petterson on her way into a share of the day two Tipsport Czech Ladies Open lead in Beroun on Saturday. Image courtesy let.com.

By Rahul Banerji

A second-day charge by Sweden’s Lisa Petterson and Charlotte Heath of England threw open the Tipsport Czech Ladies Open in a second successive round of low scores on Saturday.

Behind them, former winner Diksha Dagar lined up another strong Ladies European Tour finish as she led a three-strong Indian challenge into the final round at Berounn.

Diksha, winner in 2019 and tied third along with Avani Prashanth at last week’s Dutch Ladies Open, returned a 1 under par 69 to total 9 under 135 and tied for 11th place.

At the top, Pettersson and Heath were locked together on 13 under 131s with excellent second rounds in hot but helpful conditions.

Pettersson surged into a share of the lead with a sparkling 7 under 65 that featured six birdies and an eagle in chase of a second LET title after 2023.

Tour rookie Heath turned in a flawless 6 under 66 that included seven birdies against a solitary bogey as she continued her rich run of form and stayed on course for a maiden LET victory.

Finland’s Noora Komulainen was sole third at 12 under 132 with a bogey-free 67, while England’s Esme Hamilton and New Zealand’s Amelia Garvey shared fourth place on 11 under 133.

Consistent run

Diksha was consistent on Saturday with four birdies and one bogey after opening the tournament with a sparkling 66. 

Pranavi Urs (67-71) and Vani Kapoor (68-70) also comfortably made the cut, sharing 37th place on 6 under 138s. It was Vani’s second cut of the season on the LET.

Three other Indians, however, bowed out after 36 holes. 

Avani Prashanth narrowly missed advancing despite recovering with a second-round 68 after an opening 75, while Ridhima Dilawari also fell short despite improving to 70 following a first-round 73. 

Hitaashee Bakshi missed the weekend after rounds of 71 and 81, with the cut falling at 5 under 139.

Five players shared sixth place at 10 134 under, underscoring both the packed leaderboard and scorinng-friendly conditions in Beroun.

Also read: Diksha Dagar opens with top 10 placing at Czech Ladies Open