Good start for Tvesa, Diksha and Ridhima at Joburg Ladies golf

Indian golfer Tvesa Malik got off to a good start with a 2-under 71 to be placed Tied-16th at the Joburg Ladies Open here on Thursday.

There are three other Indians in the field and of them, Diksha Dagar (73) and Ridhima Dilawari (73) carded even par 73 each to be tied 30th, while Vani Kapoor shot 76 and was T-80 at the Modderfontein Golf Club.

Thailand’s April Angurasaranee led the field with a card of 6-under 67 that included nine birdies and three bogeys, while six players including Singapore’s rookie Shannon Tan were tied second at 4-under each.

Eight others were tied at 3-under in T-8th place. Tvesa, a multiple winner on Hero WPGT Tour, and eight others were Tied 16th in a crowded leader board. Tvesa, winner of Supersport Ladies Challenge on the Sunshine Ladies Tour for her first International pro title outside India last month, opened with a bogey on the 10th and turned in 1-over after a birdie on 16th and a bogey on 18th.

On her second nine, she was bogey free as she birdied the second and landed an eagle on the Par-5 fourth and parred the last four holes for 71. Diksha, also starting on the 10th, had three birdies, including two in her last five holes, and three bogeys.

Ridhima was off to a brilliant start with four birdies in first five holes, but then slowed down.

She bogeyed eighth and 15th but got one birdie back on 16, only to close with a double bogey and a bogey and drop out of Top-10.

Vani had mixed luck with three birdies against six bogeys and three birdies.

This is the seventh event on the Ladies European Tour, which had its last two events in Australia.

Next week the Tour stays in South Africa for the South African Open, which in 2019 was won by Diksha.