Diksha makes history, enters Top 20 at South African Women's Open

Vani, who was 3-over 75 for the first day, was 3-over for her first nine holes to go to 6-over.Ridhima Dilawari 74-77 was 7-over and Tvesa Malik 76-76, who had two double bogeys in the second round, ended at 8-over and will miss the cut.This is the final event on the Sunshine Ladies Tour and the Womens South African Open is also co-sanctioned with the Ladies European Tour.

India's Diksha Dagar put together a solid 2-under 70 in tough conditions and entered the top 20 at the Investec South African Women's Open here on Friday. The southpaw is now 1-under for two rounds and tied 18th, up from overnight tied 53rd. A few players are still out on the course and Diksha's position could change slightly at the par-72 Erinvale Country & Golf Estate.

Diksha, who won the Czech Ladies Open and finished tied 3rd in Amundi German Masters and Hero Women's Indian Open, is also a former champion at Women's South African Open, which she won in 2019 for her maiden victory on the Ladies European Tour.

As Diksha moved into top 20, the lead had changed with England's Eleanor Givens (69 and 4-under through 13 holes) and Belgium's Manon de Roey (69 and 4-under 15 in second) were both at 7-under.

They were followed by Sweden's Lisa Petterson (68-71) and Annabell Fuller, who had two more holes to play, and overnight leader, Rosie Casals, who had two more holes to play. They were all at 5-under.

As many as 10 players including Diksha were at 1-under.

Diksha, who shot 73 on the first day, began the second day with a bogey but quickly got back the shot on the par-5 third. She followed up that with six pars and turned in even for the day.

On the back nine, Diksha birdied 10th, but dropped a shot on 11th. She repeated that sequence on 13th which she birdied but bogeyed 14th to stay at even for the day. Then came birdies on the 15th and 16th followed by pars on the last two for a card of 70. Diksha picked three of her five birdies on the Par-5s.

On a day when scoring was tougher than the first day, Diksha was the only Indian to be sure of making the cut. Vani Kapoor, who had played only nine holes in the second round so far, was 6-over and needed at least one more birdie to get inside the cut line, which seemed likely to fall at 5-over. Vani, who was 3-over 75 for the first day, was 3-over for her first nine holes to go to 6-over.

Ridhima Dilawari (74-77) was 7-over and Tvesa Malik (76-76), who had two double bogeys in the second round, ended at 8-over and will miss the cut.

This is the final event on the Sunshine Ladies Tour and the Women's South African Open is also co-sanctioned with the Ladies European Tour.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)