Diksha is best Indian after first day at Australian Women’s Classic

Magenta Shores (Australia), Mar 5 (PTI) Diksha Dagar carded three-under 69 to lie tied 20th as the best-placed Indian at the Australian Women’s Classic that got underway on the Ladies European Tour here.

The top Indian star had two bogeys on her first nine as she started from the back nine of the Magenta Shores course.

She had a bogey start but recovered with three birdies in the next four holes, and bogeyed the 18th to turn in 1-under. On the second nine, she birdied twice to finish with a 69.

Czech Republic’s Sara Kouskova fired the course record 64 (-8) at Magenta Shores on Thursday to storm into the round one lead.

Among the other Indians, Pranavi Urs (72) was the next best at T-52 and she had a roller coaster of a round with two birdies, an eagle, a bogey and a double bogey.

Avani Prashanth (77) at T-118 and Hitaashee Bakshi (82) struggled in the first round.

Kouskova, a two-time Ladies European Tour (LET) winner made good the calm conditions in New South Wales carding eight birdies and dropping no shots to lead by two after 18 holes of action.

Kouskova hit all 18 greens and missed just one fairway on Thursday at Magenta Shores Golf & Country Club.

Two back in a tie for second on six-under par sit New Zealand’s Momoka Kobori, Ecuador’s Daniela Darquea and Australia’s Kelsey Bennett.

The former, Kobori, got off to the hottest of starts at Magenta Shores playing her first nine holes in just 30 shots, six-under par.

Five players sit in a tie for fifth on five-under par following the first round of action.

This includes Thai duo Trichat Cheenglab and Sasikarn Somboonsup, France’s Celine Herbin – who had two eagles on day one – Denmark’s Sofie Kibsgaard and LET Access Series (LETAS) graduate Katharina Muehlbauer from Austria. PTI Cor ATK