Diksha, Aditi spearhead strong Indian charge as all four survive Belgian cut

Hulencourt, Belgium: India will have a full contingent in action over the weekend at the Hulencourt Women's Open after all four players comfortably negotiated the halfway cut, with Hero-supported Diksha Dagar and Aditi Ashok leading the country's challenge in Belgium.

Diksha, who began the day as a joint overnight leader, remained well placed despite surrendering a few late shots. A second-round even-par 72 left her at four-under 140, tied for third and only five strokes behind new leader Carolina Chacarra of Spain with two rounds still to play.

The Indian left-hander looked set to maintain her place at the top after a steady round that featured three birdies. However, two bogeys late in the day prevented her from keeping pace with Chacarra's brilliant charge. Even so, Diksha remains firmly in the hunt for what would be her third Ladies European Tour title and another impressive finish in a season marked by remarkable consistency.

Aditi Ashok also strengthened India's challenge with another composed display. Returning to the Ladies European Tour this week, the experienced star added a one-under 71 to her opening 70 to move to three-under overall, sharing eighth place and staying within striking distance of the leaders.

Aditi's scorecard reflected remarkable control rather than aggression. She picked up a solitary birdie while negotiating the rest of the course with 17 pars, avoiding costly mistakes and ensuring she heads into the weekend with plenty of confidence.

India's encouraging week extended beyond its two leading stars.

Avani Prashanth displayed admirable resilience to keep herself inside the top 20. Starting from the 10th tee, Avani endured a difficult opening stretch and slipped to two-over after a double bogey on the par-four 16th. Instead of allowing the round to unravel, she responded impressively by collecting three birdies over her closing seven holes against just one bogey. Her second successive level-par 72 left her at even par for the tournament in a share of 18th place.

Pranavi Urs completed a perfect week for the Indian contingent by making the cut on the number. After opening with 73, she battled through a difficult second round of 76 to finish at five-over, exactly on the cut line, and advanced to the final two rounds in tied 56th place.

While the Indian quartet enjoyed a successful day collectively, Spain's Carolina Chacarra emerged as the player to catch after producing the finest round of the tournament.

The 23-year-old fired a flawless seven-under 65 to reach nine-under overall and establish a two-shot advantage heading into the weekend. Playing only her second Ladies European Tour event of the season, Chacarra carded seven birdies without dropping a shot to move into a commanding position.

The Spaniard has drawn inspiration from her brother, Eugenio Chacarra, whose victories on the DP World Tour—including the Hero Indian Open in 2025—have made it a memorable period for the golfing family.

Australia's Kelsey Bennett occupied second place at seven-under following a five-under 67.

Diksha shared third position with Switzerland's Morgane Metraux, South Africa's Nadia van der Westhuizen, England's Bronte Law and Ireland's Anna Foster, who climbed the leaderboard with a three-under 69.

Aditi was tied for eighth alongside Thailand's Trichat Cheenglab, while New Zealand's Momoka Kobori and Australia's Kirsten Rudgeley completed the top ten at two-under.

With 70 players progressing after the cut was set at five-over par, India finds itself in an enviable position entering the decisive weekend. Diksha remains the country's strongest title contender, Aditi is close enough to mount a serious challenge.

Tags : Diksha Dagar, Women's golf, Aditi Ashok, Carolina Chacarra, Ladies European Tour, Avani Prashanth