Diksha Dagar best Indian after first round in Aramco China

Shenzhen (China), Nov 6 (PTI) Golfer Diksha Dagar, coming back from the break she took after the women's Indian Open, carded 1-under 72 to be placed T-42 after the first round of the Aramco China Championship, here on Thursday.

Pranavi Urs was the next best Indian after Dagar, carding an even-par 73 to be placed T-57. Two other Indians in the field, Tvesa Malik and Avani Prashanth carded 1-over 74 to be in tied-75th place.

Moa Folke of Sweden is leading the field by one stroke. She carded 6-under 67 to secure a one-shot lead over the trio of Alice Hewson of England, Aunchisa Utama of Thailand and Laura Fuenfstueck of Germany. Folke played a bogey-free round with four birdies and one eagle.

On the front-nine, Dagar had four birdies and three bogeys. The bogeys came on the second, 10th and 12th holes while the birdies were made on the sixth, seventh, 11th and 13th holes.

Pranavi began her day with three consecutive birdies, on the first, second and third holes, before dropping a shot on the sixth. She made one more birdie on the 15th hole but dropped three strokes in the last two holes with a bogey on the 17th and a double bogey on the 18th to end the day at even par.

Prashanth began her round with a birdie before making a bogey on the fifth. On the back nine, she dropped two shots with a double bogey on the 17th hole before picking up one of the shots with a bogey on the 18th to end her day at one-over par.

Malik, the only Indian to start the round on the back-nine, played one-under par on the back nine after making birdie on the 16th hole. However, on the front nine she struggled after dropping three shots in quick succession with a double bogey on the third and a bogey on fourth.

The birdie on the fifth was a short respite as she made one more bogey on the sixth before finding her rhythm as she managed a late birdie on the eighth to end the day at one over par.

Order of Merit leader Shannon Tan carded even-par 73 and is at T-57 alongside Pranavi Urs. PTI Cor AM AM AM