Diksha finishes eighth in Sweden for second Top-10 in as many starts

ALLERUM (SWEDEN), JUN 4: India’s Diksha Dagar on Sunday’s fought back with two birdies in the last five holes of Helsingborg Ladies Open here to finish in the Top-10 for the second straight week.

Diksha shot an even par 72 and finished at 5-under 211 in tied eighth place at the Allerum Golf Club.

Diksha, starting the day in tied sixth place after being tied second at one point, opened with a birdie. However, she went on to drop shots on the third, fourth and 11th holes to fall to 2-over but birdies on 14th and 18th ensured an even par round.

Sweden’s Lisa Pettersson produced a sensational finish with birdies on 15th and 16th and an eagle on 18th and soared to the top with a 5-under 67 and a total of 11-under. That left Spaniard Ana Pelaez Trivino (69) at 10-under and in second place. Smila Tarning Soenderby (68) finished third.

Vani Kapoor, who was tied 16th after the second round, slipped to tied 31st after a round of 74, while Tvesa Malik, who was tied 55th ended tied 68th with a final round of 78. Amandeep Drall and Seher Atwal missed the cut.

Diksha, who was tied sixth a week earlier in the Belgian Ladies Open, will enter the Top-40 of the Race to Costa Del Sol, which is the Order of Merit.

Lisa Pettersson, who was tied third overnight, showed no signs of challenging for the title at the star despite a birdie on the fifth hole. She bogeyed the 10th and was behind the leader, Ana Pelaez.

The Swede birdied 12th and then when she birdied 15th and 16th she was in contention. She eagled the 18th and set a club house target at 11 under.

Ana Pelaez turned in even par 36 and was still 7-under. Birdies on 10th, 12th 16th took her to 10-under. She parred the 17th and needed a birdie on 18th to force a play-off. She failed to get that final birdie and stayed as 10-under, giving Pettersson the title.

It was the first LET win for the 28-year-old Pettersson, whose best finishes thus far were second places last year at the Skafto Open and Aland Open.

(PTI)