Women's Golf Association of India

Diksha starts with a solid even par round, lies 11^th in France

Evian Resort Golf Club, Évian-les-Bains, France, May 12: Diksha Dagar gave herself a fair start with an even par 71 on a day when just 10 players went under par in the first round of Jabra Ladies Open.

Diksha had two birdies and two bogeys at the Evian Resort Golf Club, where players started from the sixth and 15th tees. Diksha, starting from the sixth, bogeyed the eighth but got the shot back on the Par-4 10th. She gave away her second bogey on the Paf-3 16th before getting back to par with a birdie on Par-3 second. Her round of 71 gave her Tied-11th place for the day.

Also getting off to a decent start was Amandeep Drall, hoping to go one better than her second place at Hero Women’s Indian Open last year. Drall shott 1-over 72 with two birdies and three bogeys and was placed T-20th.

Among the other three Indians in the field, Seher Atwal, niece of the Indian golf legend, Arjun Atwal, shot 4-over 75 and was T-67.

Tvesa Malik, who got into the draw barely 48 hours before the start, had a rough start, as did Vani Kapoor. Both carded 5-over 76 and were T-83rd, needing solid second rounds to make the cut, which will fall after two rounds with Top-60 and ties playing the final round.

Dutch star Anne van Dam fired a bogey free six-under 65 to lead by two shots after round one at Evian Resort Golf Club. Starting her round on the 15th tee, the five-time Ladies European Tour (LET) winner got off to a solid start when she birdied the par-4 17th before making the turn.

After a string of pars, van Dam soon lit up the putter as she made three consecutive birdies on the 7th, 8th, and 9th. Shrugging off the jet lag after spending the past few weeks in the United States, the 27-year-old Van Damm birdied the 12th before finishing with another on the challenging par-3 14th.

Herbin sits in solo second after carding a 67 (-4) on home soil. Also starting on the 15th, the 40-year-old hit the ground running following the seven-week break on the LET.

Hot on Herbin’s heels is Sweden's Linn Grant who sits in third after firing a 68 (-3) at Evian Resort Golf Club.

Denmark’s Nicole Broch Estrup is in solo fourth after carding a steady 69 (-2). Six players sit in a tie for fifth on -1 including defending champion Tiia Koivisto.