Avani Prashanth, Diksha Dagar impress in opening round of Dutch Ladies Open golf

Eemnes, Netherlands: Avani Prashanth and Diksha Dagar gave India encouraging start at the Dutch Ladies Open as both players returned identical rounds of three-under 69 to finish just one stroke behind the leaders after the opening round at Goyer Golf & Country Club.

The pair were among a group of 11 golfers sharing fifth place at the end of the first day, underlining the growing depth of Indian women's golf on the Ladies European Tour. With two rounds still to play, both Avani and Diksha are well placed to challenge for a high finish in one of the Tour's key summer events.

Diksha, backed by Hero, once again demonstrated the consistency that has marked her season. Starting from the back nine, she never dropped a shot in a flawless round that featured birdies on the 12th, 15th and 17th holes. The left-hander then played a steady front nine, making nine successive pars to complete one of the cleanest cards of the day.

Having already produced several solid finishes this season, Diksha looks increasingly comfortable on European courses and her bogey-free effort reflected both discipline and confidence.

Avani's round followed a different pattern but was equally impressive. The Bengaluru golfer suffered an early bogey on the 12th hole after beginning on the back nine and reached the turn in one-over par. She then produced one of the finest inward halves of the day, birdieing the first before adding further gains on the fourth, fifth and seventh holes. A bogey-free front nine of four-under 32 helped her finish alongside Diksha at three-under.

The rookie professional has continued to make a smooth transition to the Ladies European Tour after an outstanding amateur career, and Thursday's performance further underlined her ability to compete with experienced international players.

Another Hero-backed Indian, Pranavi Urs, remained in contention to make the cut despite an ordinary start. She mixed one birdie with two bogeys for a one-over 73, leaving her tied for 58th. With the cut expected to fall around one-over par, Pranavi will look to improve in the second round and earn a place over the weekend.

It proved to be a difficult day for Hitaashee Bakshi, whose scorecard reflected the challenges posed by the course. She managed two birdies but also dropped seven bogeys, a double bogey and a triple bogey to finish with an 82, leaving her near the bottom of the leaderboard. She now requires a remarkable turnaround to make the cut.

Four players shared the first-round lead after posting four-under-par 68s. Sweden's Lisa Pettersson, Norway's Dorthea Forbrigd, Northern Ireland's Olivia Mehaffey and Italy's Alessandra Fanali all produced impressive rounds in warm conditions.

Pettersson, already a Ladies European Tour winner, recovered from two bogeys with a crucial eagle on the par-five 13th to grab a share of the lead. Forbrigd relied on an excellent putting display to compile five birdies, while Mehaffey recovered brilliantly after a double bogey interrupted a run of five consecutive birdies. Fanali was the steadiest of the leaders, completing a bogey-free round with four birdies.

With just a single stroke separating the Indian pair from the lead, Avani and Diksha have given themselves an excellent opportunity to contend for the title. Their strong opening rounds also continue the encouraging trend for Indian women's golf, with the country's leading professionals consistently placing themselves in contention on the Ladies European Tour this season.

Tags : Diksha Dagar, Avani Prashanth, Golf, Netherlands, Pranavi Urs, Hitaashee Bakshi