Aditi, Diksha shoot even par rounds on first day at Evian Championships

Golfer Aditi Ashok.

Khel Today Bureau 

Evian Les Bains, France: Diksha Dagar and Aditi Ashok were lying 50^th after they shot even par 71 in their first round of The Amundi Evian Championship, which is one the Majors for women.

The leader was South African Paula Reto who carded an opening round of 64 (-7) to hold a two-shot advantage over four players Kiwi Lydia Ko, Thai Wichanee Meechai, Frenchwoman Celine Boutier and American Alison Lee, who 5-under 66 each at the Evian Resort Golf Club.

Both Indians are in the Top-5 of the Merit for the Ladies European Tour.

Winner of the Women’s South African Open and Czech Ladies, Diksha played with Lauren Hartlage and Sweden’s Pernilla Lindberg and started from the tenth tee. She bogeyed 11^th, birdied 12^th and again bogeyed 16^th only to get back the shot on 18^th. She dropped a shot on the first but birdied second and third to get under par, but again bogeyed fifth, her 14^th holes and finished with four pars for 71.

Aditi, who has four wins on the LET including the Hero Women’s Indian Open in 2016, birdied third, 14^th and 15^th and dropped shots on second, sixth and 17^th for a similar 71.

Starting from the tenth, Reto, 33, had one bogey 11^th but birdied three times on 12^th, 15^th and 18^th to turn in 2-under. On her second nine, the front side of the Evian Golf Resort, she birdied five times and finished with 7-under 64.

Nine players are one further shot back in a tie for sixth place on four-under-par including Germany’s Esther Henseleit and Norway’s Celine Borge.