Diksha Dagar keeps lead after two rounds in Irish Open

Diksha Dagar. Pic/PTI

Diksha Dagar fired a round of three-under 69 on Day Two of the Women's Irish Open and leads by one shot at the halfway stage.

The Indian star held the overnight lead but didn't get off to the best start with a bogey on the first at Dromoland Castle. However, she soon found a rhythm rolling in back-to-back birdies on five and six before another dropped shot on 14.

Four of the five Indians, who started this week, made the cut. Diksha was right on top, Vani Kapoor (70) was T-45, Ridhima Dilawari (72) was T-51 and Tvesa Malik (72) was T-59. Amandeep Drall was the only Indian to miss the cut with 75-74. The cut fell at 1-over with 70 players making it.

Diksha Dagar, the two-time Ladies European Tour (LET) winner who won last month in the Czech Republic, also has five Top-10 finishes. She finished her second round in style with three birdies in her final four holes for a round of three-under-par and to sit at the top of the leaderboard with a total of 10-under-par.

"Today, I struggled a little bit because I played very well yesterday," said Diksha. "I handled it very well today and finished with a respectable score of three-under.

"On the 17th hole I had a long birdie putt, I thought wow yes because I was feeling a little bad on 16 as I missed a birdie putt. I was making a target that I should finish on a respectable score of two or three under.

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"After making a birdie on 17, I had a fist pump and it made me feel confident. I attacked the flag on 18 and I had a very good putt left. The weekend is going to be a very good experience, I'm getting used to it and I'm going to feel good and stay focused," she said.

Three players sit in a tie for second place with Anne Van Dam of the Netherlands, Indian American Gurleen Kaur and France's Emma Grechi all on nine-under-par.

It was an excellent round of 66 (-6) on the second day for five-time LET winner Van Dam as she had one bogey and seven birdies on her scorecard.

LET rookie Gurleen Kaur shot a 66 on the opening day and followed that up with a 69 (-3) on day two in Ireland.

The American made a bogey on the fourth but bounced back with a birdie on the fifth before another dropped shot on the eighth.

However, a hole-out eagle on the ninth saw Kaur regain momentum and she rolled in birdies on 11 and 17 to have a total of nine-under-par.

France's Grechi also backed up her opening round of six-under with a round of three-under which included three bogeys and six birdies.

France's Anne-Lise Caudal sits in outright fifth place on eight-under-par after back-to-back rounds of 68 at Dromoland Castle.

Four players sit in a tie for sixth place with Spain's Elena Hualde, Sweden's Lisa Pettersson and English duo Meghan MacLaren and Alice Hewson all on seven-under-par.

(With IANS inputs)