India’s Diksha Dagar and Aditi Ashok opened with a modest round of even par 71 each on the first day of The Amundi Evian Championship here. The Indian duo, who are due to play four straight big events over the next four weeks, were tied for the 50th place, but well in line to make the cut post which the top 65 and ties will play the final two rounds.
South African Paula Reto fired 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 all shot 5-under 66 each at the Evian Resort Golf Club at the event, which is a Major for women. Of the two Indians, both of whom are in the top-5 of the Race to Costa Del Sol, the Order of Merit for the Ladies European Tour, Diksha was the first to start from the tenth tee along with Lauren Hartlage and Sweden’s Pernilla Lindberg.
Diksha, winner of two LET events in South Africa and Czech Ladies in 2019 and 2023, alternated between bogey and birdies as she bogeyed 11th, birdied 12th and then bogeyed 16th only to get back the shot on 18th. She again a dropped a shot on first but birdied second and third and for the first time moved to under par. But on the fifth she again gave back the gains and ended even par. Aditi, who has four wins on the LET since her opening one at home in the Women’s Indian Open in 2016, birdied third, 14th and 15th and dropped shots on second, sixth and 17th for a similar 71.
Reto, 33, began her day from the 10th tee and made a bogey on Hole 11 but immediately bounced back with a birdie on 12. She rolled in a birdie on 15 before she really got into a rhythm with birdies on 18 and the first before three on the trot on holes five through seven.
