Diksha Dagar Tops Indian Field After Opening Round at China Championship

Shenzhen – India’s Diksha Dagar made a solid start to the China Championship, shooting a 1-under 72 to emerge as the highest-placed Indian golfer after the opening round. Dagar ended the day tied for 42nd on the leaderboard.

Returning to competition after a brief break following the Women’s Indian Open, Dagar mixed four birdies with three bogeys in her opening round. Starting on the front nine, she picked up birdies on the 6th, 7th, 11th, and 13th holes, while dropping shots on the 2nd, 10th, and 12th.

Pranavi Urs was close behind with an even-par 73, tied for 57th. She began impressively with three consecutive birdies on the first three holes but lost ground with a bogey on the 6th, another on the 17th, and a double bogey on the 18th, despite a birdie on the 15th.

Tvesa Malik and Avani Prashanth each carded 1-over 74s to share the 75th spot.

At the top, Sweden’s Moa Folke set the early pace with a flawless, bogey-free 6-under 67, giving her a one-stroke lead. England’s Alice Hewson, Thailand’s Aunchisa Utama, and Germany’s Laura Fuenfstueck were tied for second at 5-under 68. Folke’s round included four birdies and an eagle.

Singapore’s Shannon Tan, the current Order of Merit leader, also opened with an even-par 73 to join Pranavi in a tie for 57th, her round featuring three birdies and three bogeys.

With inputs from IANS