Golf: All 5 Indians including defending champion Diksha shoot under-par in Czech Ladies Open

Beroun (Czech Republic) (IANS) All five Indians in the field at the 2024 Czech Ladies Open shot under-par scores in the first round which saw a weather interruption. The best Indian was Vani Kapoor with 4-under 68 and T-12 at the end of the round while amateur Avani Prashanth was the next best at T-27 with 3-under 69. 

Ridhima Dilawari (70) was T-39 and the top three Indian stars Diksha Dagar, the defending champion, Pranavi Urs, and Tvesa Malik, carded 1-under 71 each to be T-55.

Diksha, who was the winner here last year, has been in good form since last season. She had nine Top-10s including a win in the Czech Republic and third place at Indian Open and this season her four Top-10s include a third in Joburg. Diksha, who is headed to the Olympics had four birdies and three bogeys.

Vani Kapoor, the top Indian, had six birdies and two bogeys, while Avani, who plans to turn pro at the end of the year, had five birdies, including four in the stretch between the fourth and ninth holes at Royal Beroun Golf Club.

Chloe Williams fired a flawless opening round of 63 (-9) to hold a two-shot lead at the 2024 Czech Ladies Open. It was an interrupted day for the afternoon wave as play was suspended at 4.12 pm (local time) due to the threat of thunder and lightning but restarted at 6.10 pm (local time) with all groups completing their first round. But the Welshwoman, who began her round on the 10th tee in the morning wave, was bogey-free on the first day at Royal Beroun Golf Club. Williams also had two chip-ins.

It hasn’t been the best of starts to 2024 for Williams, who sits 120th in the LET Order of Merit, with one top-30 finish to her name. Finland’s Sanna Nuutinen and Sweden’s Caroline Hedwall both sit in a share of second place on seven-under-par 65 each.

Alexandra Swayne of the U.S. Virgin Islands sits in outright fourth place on six-under-par after her bogey-free 66 on the first day. There are seven players in a share of fifth place with Elena Moosmann, Marianne Skarpnord, Maria Hernandez, Eleanor Givens, Virginia Elena Carta, Emma Spitz, and Hannah Screen all on five-under-par.