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Diksha Dagar who started her opening round from the back nine birdied her first three holes and that set the tone for a solid first round of 5-under 67 at the Ladies Italian Open at Golf Nazionale. She was fourth and one shot off the trio of leaders, Australian Kirsten Rudgeley, Spain's Fatima Fernandez Cano, and Swiss Tiffany Arafi by one shot. The three leaders shot 6-under 66.
Diksha was the best among the five Indians in the field. Vani Kapoor (72) was T-30, Pranavi Urs and Tvesa Malik with 73 each were T-41 and Ridhima Dilawari (75) was T-76. Diksha, who had a rare missed cut last week, birdied the 10th, 11th and the 12th. A fourth birdie came on the par-4 16th and she turned in 4-under. As she birdied twice more on the first and the third, she went into the lead at six under. Then came a dropped shot on the par-4 fourth and she ended at 5-under as she finished with five pars, including at least two birdies misses. Diksha in 2024 has had two Top-10s in a third at Joburg and five other Top-25 finishes. Last year was spectacular as she had nine Top-10s, including a win in Czech Ladies and third place in Hero Women's Indian Open. Vani also starting from the tenth birdied the 11th, 12th and 13th, but then had five pars. On her second nine, she bogeyed three times on the first, third and fourth and finished even par. Pranavi had three birdies against four bogeys and Tvesa had two birdies against three bogeys. Rudgeley set the tone with a 66 and she was followed by Fernandez Cano moments later after the Spaniard bounced back brilliantly from a bogey on the par-4 1st to post seven birdies. The duo was joined by Switzerland's Arafi. The leaderboard saw the lead trio chased by Diksha (67) and Czechia's Sara Kouskova (68), who played together and they were fourth and fifth. (ANI)
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