Modest start by Indians, Pranavi, Vani best among Indians on a storm-hit day Finland

Pranavi Urs.

Khel Today Bureau 

Siuntio, Finland: A week after winning her second Ladies European Tour title, it was not the best of starts for India’s Diksha Dagar even as her fellow Indians had decent starts at the Ladies Open by Pickala Rock Resort. It was a day hindered by not one, but two storm delays and it took a toll on many of the players.

Diksha who had 13 birdies and an eagle last week had no birdies in her round of 74 and will need a solid second round to make the cut.

Among other Indians, Pranavi Urs playing on a sponsor’s exemption shot even par 72 and was T-55 as was Vani Kapoor. Amandeep Drall and Ridhima Dilawari (73) were T-78^th while Tvesa Malik and Diksha with 74 each were T-90. But with the scoreboard rather tight, a good round could see the Indians make the cut.

Pranavi and Vani were the best Indians. Pranavi had two birdies against two bogeys, while Pranavi had one birdie and one bogey. Ridhima Dilawari had as many as five birdies, but also gave away three bogeys and a double bogey.

Carmen Alonso of Spain stormed into an early lead  after firing a magnificent 64 (-8) on a disrupted first day in Finland.  The Spaniard capitalised on her late start and missed the storm delays to fire birdies and one eagle to lead the field.

Beginning on the 10th hole, the 38-year-old soared into contention when she made four birdies on the back nine on the 12th, 14th, 15th, and 18th. After a steady run of pars, Alonso birdied the 5th before finishing with a wonderful eagle-birdie flurry on the 8th and 9th – seconds before the final horn sounded.

One back from Alonso is Austrian Christine Wolf, who after her first and only win on the LET in Hero Indian Open some years back, is still looking for her second win. Starting on the back-nine, the one-time LET winner posted birdies on the 12th, 13th, and 17th before play in Finland came to a halt following an electrical storm. After a three hour delay, Wolf kept her composure to birdie the 3rd, 5th, and 7th hole before setting up another on the 9th following a fine approach.

With thunder circling Pickala Rock again, the horn sounded again leaving Wolf with another hour wait to roll in birdie number seven which she did in style to complete the near-nine hour round.

Hot on Wolf’s heels in T3 on six-under-par 66 are Finland’s Linda Osala, Sweden’s Johanna Gustavsson.