Dagar opens with 67, sits T-8 as Macdonald takes early lead

Gold Coast — India’s Diksha Dagar made a confident start to her campaign at the Australian WPGA Championships, finishing the first round at 4-under par to secure a tied-eighth position.

Dagar’s round stood out for its consistency, as she avoided any bogeys and built momentum with four birdies across both nines. Her performance puts her within striking distance, just four shots behind leader Kelsey Macdonald.

Macdonald delivered a standout round of 64, setting a new course record with a mix of birdies and a closing eagle to take the top spot.

Hitaashee Bakshi also showed promise with a 2-under 69, bouncing back well after early setbacks to end the day in tied-23rd place.

However, it was a challenging start for Pranavi Urs and Vani Kapoor, who finished over par and will be looking to improve in the next round.

Close behind the leader, Australia’s Hannah Green and England’s Charlotte Heath are in contention, keeping the leaderboard tightly packed after day one.

With inputs from IANS