New Delhi, July 22 (IANS) India’s Diksha Dagar will look to build on her consistent run of form when she tees off at the Women’s Scottish Open, which gets underway at Dundonald Links on Thursday.
Diksha will be joined by compatriots Avani Prashanth and Pranavi Urs in the prestigious tournament, co-sanctioned by the Ladies European Tour (LET) and the LPGA Tour. The event, featuring a 144-player field from 33 countries, also offers a potential pathway to the LPGA Tour with victory.
The tournament marks the return of the LET following a two-week break and will be played at Dundonald Links for the fifth successive year.
Diksha heads into the event in impressive form despite not adding to her two LET titles this season. The Hero-backed golfer has recorded three top-10 finishes in her last four starts, finishing tied ninth at the Jabra Ladies Open, tied third at the Dutch Ladies Open and tied seventh at the Hulencourt Women’s Open. She also registered a tied-12th finish at the Czech Ladies Open, a tournament she has previously won.
Her consistent performances have lifted her to eighth in the LET Order of Merit, with five top-10 finishes and three additional top-21 results this season. A strong showing in Scotland could further strengthen her position in the season standings. Her best finish at Dundonald Links remains third place in 2023, while she finished tied 25th last year.
Defending champion Lottie Woad returns to the venue where she claimed victory on her professional debut last year after earning her LPGA Tour card. The English golfer, now ranked World No. 5, has since added another LPGA title to her resume.
“I definitely have special memories and positive ones coming into this week. To come back to a place that I’ve played well and I’ve played before,” said Woad. “Coming here last year, I was coming off a good stretch, and everything happened pretty quickly.
“I was trying to get my LPGA card and then make my pro debut, and then I was winning here, and it was AIG the next week. Everything happened so quickly, and now it’s been a year, and I’ve had time to reflect on it; it’s definitely more special than maybe I thought at the time.”
With warmer-than-usual conditions in the United Kingdom, the course is expected to play differently from last year. Woad will once again be grouped with World No. 1 Nelly Korda and England’s Charley Hull for the opening two rounds.
–IANS
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