Women's Golf Association of India

Diksha finishes tied third with a solid back nine in Joburg

Joburg, April 21: Diksha Dagar fired four birdies on the back nine and rocketed to a third-place finish in the Joburg Ladies Open. Diksha, who finished the third round in tied fifth place, carded 3-under 70 on the Par-73 Modderfontein Golf Club and totalled 9-under 283 to finish in tied third alongside Spaniard Luna Sobron Galmes (71). Diksha’s earlier rounds were 73-71-69-70.

This was Diksha’s best finish of the 2024 season and her third Top-10 finish. She was ninth at Lalla Meryem Cup in Morocco and then Tied-sixth at Aramco Ladies Florida.

Tvesa Malik, who looked set for a Top-10 as she birdied three times on the front nine had a disappointing back nine as she dropped two bogeys and a double bogey and ended with 1-over 74 and fell to T-29 after being T-24 overnight.

Vani Kapoor (74) was T-41 and Ridhima Dilawari (79) was T-66, as all four Indian women made the cut.

Swiss rookie Chiara Tamburlini completed a superb win with a final round of 3-under 70 that took her total to 17-under 275 and she won the title and a cheque of Euros 45,000. Thailand’s Aunchsia Utama (71) was sole second and Diksha was tied third with Galmes.

Diksha had a slow start with one bogey on the front nine, where she dropped a shot on the par-3 fourth hole. She parred the rest of the eight holes on the front nine and on the back nine she birdied 11th, 12th and 13th and added a fourth birdie on the 18th for a round of 70. She picked up Euros 15,750.

Tajmburlini had seven birdies against one bogey in the first 16 holes and then dropped a bogey on 17th and a double bogey on 18th as nerves got the better of her, but she had a massive cushion and still won by seven shots.