A week after clinching her second Ladies European Tour title, Diksha Dagar, the talented golfer from India, faced a challenging start at the Ladies Open hosted at Pickala Rock Resort. The opening day was marred by not one, but two storm delays, significantly affecting the performance of several players.

Diksha, known for her brilliant display of skill with 13 birdies and an eagle in her previous victory, failed to replicate her success. Struggling throughout the round, she registered a score of 74, failing to secure any birdies. With the cut looming, Diksha will need an exceptional second round to stay in contention.

Among her compatriots, Pranavi Urs, competing on a sponsor’s exemption, and Vani Kapoor displayed decent performances, both carding even par 72 to secure a shared position at T-55. Amandeep Drall and Ridhima Dilawari finished the day at T-78th with a score of 73. Tvesa Malik and Diksha, both posting 74, found themselves at T-90. With the competition fierce, a strong round could see these Indian golfers make the cut.

Meanwhile, Spain’s Carmen Alonso took the early lead with an outstanding round of 64 (-8) amidst the disruptive weather conditions. Alonso skillfully capitalized on her late start, evading the storm delays, and recorded numerous birdies, including an eagle, to top the leaderboard.

Following one stroke behind Alonso is Austria’s Christine Wolf, who is still seeking her second victory on the Ladies European Tour since her win at the Indian Open some years ago. Wolf began her round on the back-nine, securing birdies on the 12th, 13th, and 17th holes before the play was interrupted due to an electrical storm. Following a three-hour delay, Wolf demonstrated composure and continued her excellent performance with birdies on the 3rd, 5th, and 7th holes. She concluded her near-nine-hour round with another birdie on the 9th.

Vani Kapoor

Linda Osala of Finland and Johanna Gustavsson of Sweden also performed admirably, both securing a spot at T3 with a score of six-under-par 66.

As the tournament progresses, the Indian players remain hopeful of a comeback, while Alonso and Wolf strive to maintain their impressive form amidst the challenging weather conditions.