Galgorm (N Ireland), Aug 19 (PTI) India’s Diksha Dagar produced another gritty round of golf in tough conditions, shooting one-over 74 to move up from overnight Tied-13th to Tied-seventh at the ISPS HANDA World Invitational here.
Diksha is seeking another good result after a superb career-best T-21 finish in a Major at the AIG Women’s Open at Walton Heath last week.
The leader is Marissa Steen who produced a round of one-under 72 at the Par-73 Castlerock after a two-under 70 at the Par-72 Galgorm course.
The cut fell at five-over with 63 players making it through to the third round, which will be played at Galgorm and then there will be a further cut to the top 35 players and ties at the 54-hole mark.
In the men’s competition that is being played at the same time, Manu Gandas (66-73), despite a bogey-bogey finish on 8th and 9th, stayed in Top-10 at Tied-ninth.
He was Tied-third after the first round but dropped thereafter. England’s Dan Brown is still out in front with a total of 11-under-par and holds a six-shot lead at the 36-hole mark.
This week’s innovative event is tri-sanctioned by the DP World Tour, LPGA and Ladies European Tour, with men’s and women’s tournaments played on the same courses at the same time for two equal prize funds of USD 1.5million.
Diksha, starting from the 10th, dropped a bogey on her first hole and had another bogey on the 13th but birdied the Par-5s at 15th and 17th. She turned in even par but dropped a shot on the first and registered 1-over 74.
With her father, Col Naren Dagar, as her caddie, Diksha armed with some new clubs, has been showing a distinct change in her game.
After a super five-under 66 on the first day at Castlerock, Gandas started his second round on the tenth and bogeyed the 11th, 13th and 15th to go 3-over.
A birdie on 18th was negated by a bogey on the first. He seemed to have repaired the damage with birdies on the third and seventh, but bogeys on the closing holes gave him a card of 3-over 73 at Galgorm.
Steen put herself in pole position at the top of the leader board as she began the day on two-under-par, which she carded at Galgorm, and headed to the Links of Castlerock.
Being in the first group out, Steen got the best of the conditions on what turned out to be a very gusty and damp day. The 33-year-old made two bogeys and three birdies for her round of 72 and moved to the top of the leader board with a total of three-under-par.
The two-time LET winner Germany’s Esther Henseleit sits in outright second place on the leader board after shooting a round of 71 (-2) at Castlerock.
She had five birdies and three bogeys on her scorecard on day two in Northern Ireland to move into contention.
Four players are in a share of third place with England’s Gabriella Cowley, Germany’s Olivia Cowan, winner of Hero Women’s Indian Open, Switzerland’s Kim Metraux and American Ryann O’Toole all on one-under-par.
Five players are in a tie for seventh place with India’s Diksha, Wales’ Chloe Williams, Korea’s Soo Bin Joo, Thailand’s Jasmine Suwannapura and Australia’s Karis Davidson all on level par.
The cut fell at five-over with 63 players making it through to the third round, which will be played at Galgorm on Saturday, and there will be a further cut to the top 35 players and ties at the 54-hole mark.
In the men’s competition, England’s Dan Brown is still leading with a total of 11-under-par and holds a six-shot lead at the 36-hole mark.
Brown opened a six stroke lead at the halfway stage. The Englishman led by two after the opening round and, despite the rest of the field showing the strains of battling the tough weather conditions, his game looked good as he posted a four under par 66 at Galgorm to reach 11-under after 36 holes.
The 28-year-old Englishman leads by six from countryman Alex Fitzpatrick and Spain’s Angel Hidalgo, who share second place on five under par.
The fourth place is shared by five players, including English duo John Parry and Eddie Pepperell, Scotland’s Connor Syme, Spaniard Adrian Otaegui and Danish youngster Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen.
Source: PTI News
