A strong start and birdie finish helped propel Diksha Dagar to the top of the leaderboard after round one, as she aims to seal a third career win on the Ladies European Tour; watch the KPMG Women's Irish Open on Sky Sports Golf from 5.30pm on Friday
Thursday 31 August 2023 23:41, UK
India's Diksha Dagar leads the way at the KPMG Women's Irish Open after shooting a seven-under-par round of 65.
Dagar, a two-time winner on the Ladies European Tour, went bogey-free at Dromoland Castle to lead American Gurleen Kaur and France's Emma Grechi by a single shot after the opening round.
Starting off her round on the 10th tee, Dagar carded four birdies in the opening seven holes doing so back-to-back on 11 and 12 and then 15 and 16, before birdying three times more on the back nine, including on the last to secure the lead.
"It has been a long season, I was taking one shot at a time and not taking it too seriously today," said Dagar, who is fifth in the 2023 Race to Costa del Sol.
"I had seven birdies; I had a good day and I'm happy to see myself keeping with the good momentum that I've got.
"I am still very good from tee to the green, but at the beginning of the season, I was struggling on the greens. It was a matter of time; I have been practising a lot, taking one shot at a time and reading the lines and I have improved in my putting.
"I was thinking this golf course is tough, so I just took it one shot at a time because every shot counts. It was a good day and very surprising. I have been having the same mentality and every year my game improves and so does my thinking process. The more you play, the better you get."
Kaur and Grechi sit in a tie for second place on six-under-par. South Africa's Casandra Alexander and Australia's Kirsten Rudgeley sit one shot further back in a share of fourth on five-under-par.
Seven players are in a share of sixth place on four-under-par with defending champion Klara Davidson Spilkova alongside Austria's Christine Wolf, English duo Gabriella Cowley and Eleanor Givens, Spain's Emma Cabrera Bello, France's Anne-Lise Caudal and Germany's Sophie Witt.
Watch the KPMG Women's Irish Open, live on Sky Sports Golf from 5.30pm on Friday. Stream the DP World Tour, PGA Tour, Ryder Cup and more for £26 a month for 12 months with NOW.
