Another Top-10 finish for Diksha in Irish Open

Khel Today Bureau 

Dromoland, Ireland: Diksha Dagar finished seventh at the 2023 KPMG Women’s Irish Open for yet another fine performance this season on the Ladies European Tour. It was her sixth Top-10 of the year and that includes  one win.

Diksha shot 2-under 70 on the final day for a total of 13-under and finished three shots behind the winner, Smilla Tarning Soenderby, who fired a round 10-under 62, to post 16-under and she was later joined by Sweden’s Lisa Pettersson and Anne Van Dam of the Netherlands. Soenderby went on to win her maiden title in a playoff.

The seventh place finish took Diksha into third place on the Race to Costa Del Sol and she overtook fellow Indian Aditi Ashok, who also plays on Ladies PGA Tour in the US. The Top-4 at the end of the season will earn a card into the Ladies PGA Tour.

Diksha’s bogeys on the 18^th on the third and fourth days cost her dearly. She had led after 36 holes.

Among the other Indians, Tvesa Malik gave produced a finish as she produced rounds of 69-70 on the weekend. After just making cut  she finished T-36 and was the second best Indian. Vani Kapoor (71) was T-54 and Ridhima Dilawari 80) was 69^th. Amandeep Drall missed the cut.

Diksha, starting the day three shots behind overnight leader Anne Van Dam, got off to a fine start with birdies on the second and sixth. She bogeyed the eighth and on the back nine she birdied 11^th but bogeyed 12^th. Then came birdies on the 15^th and 17^th  but she missed another birdie on the Par-5 16^th. When she came to the 18^th, she was 14-under and her only chance to try and get into a play-off was an eagle. She tried but went into the water and missed a 9-10 footer for par to give away a bogey.

Soenderby of Denmark headed into the final day in a tie for 21st place after rounds of 71-67-72 on the first three days at Dromoland Castle. She had 11 birdies and one bogey. She was 5-under and bogey free on the front nine. She started the back nine with three birdies in a row, making it four in a row from ninth to 12^th. She bogeyed the 12^th, but bogeyed the 14^th. Then she had three birdies in last four holes to set a clubhouse target of 16-under, which was also reached by Lisa Pettersson and Anne Van Dam.

In the play-off the 23-year-old Dane, reached the green in two and sunk her eagle putt to secure her maiden title on the Ladies European Tour (LET).