Pranavi leads Indian charge in France; Diksha, Avani trailing

Deauville (France), Sep 26 (PTI) Pranavi Urs began the week with a round of one-under 70 and was the best-placed Indian golfer at tied 23rd in the Lacoste Ladies Open de France here.

It was a modest day for the other Indians as Diksha Dagar began the week with a card of one-over 72 to find herself tied 54th, while Avani Prashanth (73) was tied 70th and Tvesa Malik (74) was at tied 82nd.

Pranavi started on the front nine, which was uneventful. Her first birdie of the day came on the 10th, but she immediately dropped a shot on the 11th before gaining one with a birdie on the 12th. She parred the remaining holes.

Diksha started her round on the front nine and dropped shots on the fifth and seventh holes before picking up a stroke on the ninth. On the back nine she struck a birdie on the 12th but finished the day one-over due to a late bogey on the 17th hole.

Avani's round included four bogeys and two birdies. Tvesa, on the hand, stumbled to four bogeys and managed one birdie on the first day.

Italian Alessia Nobilio started the week with a bogey-free round of six-under 65 to take the top spot. German Helen Briem finished the day at five-under 66 after making six birdies and one bogey.

Ayako Uehara, Kirsten Rudgeley, Ariane Klotz, Lydia Hall and Charlotte Liautier were tied for third place at the end of the first round after carding four-under 67. PTI Cor PM PM PM