Indian Golfers Struggle On Opening Day Of Women's Indian Open

Indian golfers Ridhima Dilawari, Pranavi Urs and Diksha Dagar struggled on home course, dishing out bogeys by bagful even as Sara Kouskova of Czech Republic stroked her way to top with a 3-under-par 69 on a testing opening day at USD 400,000 Hero Women's Indian Open here on Thursday.

At DLF Golf and Country Club, Kouskova led field by a stroke as Ridhima and Pranavi found mselves tied for 17th place with 2-over-par 74s with a large group.

Olympian and pro-am winner Diksha struggled through day to 6 over 78 that contained five bogeys and a double-bogey on par-5 eighth hole. two-time LET winner needed a closing birdie to salv her round.

Tvesa Malik was a shot ahe of Diksha on 5 over 77 along with Khushi Khanijau in tied 56th place.

Promising amateur Zara Anand was three-over for a share of 34th place, while fellow amateurs Mannat Brar and Janneya Dasanniee were a furr stroke behind at tied 41st position.

However, 25-year-old Kouskova overcame testing conditions and an early morning haze to shoot three-under and was one of just seven players in 114-strong field to break par.

She led Mireia Prat of Spain, Florentyna Parker of England, and France's Perrine Delacour, who returned identical 2-under 70s, by a shot on a day that did t see a single bogey-free round.

Sharing fifth place were Singapore's Shann Tan, Maria Hernandez of Spain and WGAI invitee Maha Hdioui of Morocco on 1-under 71 each, while re was a five-way tie for eighth place on even-par 72 among Aga Sauzon of France, rway's Marianne Skarprd, Momoka Kobori of New Zealand, Australian Kirsten Rudgeley and Alice Hewson of England.

Kouskova, who has five top-10 finishes in season so far, including a third place at La Sella Open in Alicante, Spain, picked up two early birdies on 11th and 12th, before she dropped a triple-bogey 7 on par-4 13th hole. She quickly me up as she holed from 85 yards for day's only eagle.

A bogey on 16th saw her turn in even par.

On her second nine, she h three birdies on third, sixth and ninth and bogeys for a good 3-under 69 aggregate for day.

" front nine was wild. But we were like, 'ok, this is DLF', this is what can happen. I hit a really really good shot on 15. I thought it was a really good distance and it ended up pitching just short and going in hole. I didn't see it go in because it was behind ridge. I heard a couple of cheers!" said Kouskova after her round.

"It was lots of stey golf after that. We tried to play as confident as possible. It was needed. course is playing really tough this year, but condition is still spectacular. It's just as it should be for a world-class event like this. So it's really enjoyable but really tough," she ded.

On Kouskova's heels are trio of Prat, Delacour and Parker. Prat, in fact, h one of better cards of opening day with a single bogey against three birdies, all of which came on front nine.

Delacour and Parker h more eventful rounds with Frenchwoman balancing five birdies against three dropped shots. Parker mixed four bogeys with six birdies, including three in her last five holes.