Diksha, Aditi make steady start at Evian Championships as Reto leads the way

Aditi Ashok and Diksha Dagar fired matching level par 71s to share 50th place after the first round of the Amundi Evian Championship at Evian-les-Bains on the French shore of Lake Geneva on Thursday.

South Africa’s Paula Reto led the packed field with a 7 under round of 64 and held a two-shot advantage over New Zealand’s Lydia Ko, Wichanee Meechai of Thailand, Frenchwoman Celine Boutier and American Alison Lee, who shot 5-under 66s at the Evian Resort Golf Club.

Both Indians are in the top five of the merit list for the Ladies European Tour (LET).

Winner of the Women’s South African Open and Czech Ladies Open, Diksha played with Lauren Hartlage and Sweden’s Pernilla Lindberg and started from the tenth tee.

She swapped two birdies for as many bogeys on the outward nine and repeated the pattern on the way back to the clubhouse for a par card on the day.

Aditi, who has four wins on the LET including the Hero Women’s Indian Open in 2016, birdied thrice and dropped as many shots too for an identical 71.

Starting from the tenth tee, Reto, 33, had an early bogey but birdied three times to make the turn in 2-under. On her homeward nine, the South African birdied five times to finish with a statement-making 7-under card.

“I had so much fun,” Reto, who won the 2022 Canadian Women’s Open, told the LET website. “The views and everything, it’s just awesome to be here. I hit some good quality shots beginning of the round and just gave myself opportunities.

“One birdie dropped, and you try to do the same thing over and over and just put yourself in good spots on this golf course. On my second hole, I hit a good shot off the tee, it was just in the bunker. I hit a good shot again, it was just the ball came back and I three-putted.

“I said it’s okay, the next hole is pretty tough and just to get myself in the fairway and give myself an opportunity. When the birdie dropped and the next couple of par saves as well, so sometimes you just stay in it, and you just don’t give up.

“You know, you never know out here with this golf course. Anything is possible. You just got to give yourself the best opportunity to make par and birdie.”

Nine players were one further shot back in a tie for sixth place on 4-under par including Germany’s Esther Henseleit and Norway’s Celine Borge.

Aditi, currently 23rd in the LPGA Race to CME Globe Order of Merit has five top 10 results in her 13 starts on the LPGA. In the Rolex rankings, the Bangalore golfer is 45th.

For her part, Diksha is fifth in the Race to Costa Del Sol Ladies European Tour rankings list with four top 10s.

Both have won once each on the LET, Aditi at the season-opening Magical Kenya Open and Diksha more recently at the Tipsport Czech Ladies Open in late June.

The field for the Evian Golf Club event includes major champions and first-time winners including Rose Zhang, Lilia Vu, US Women’s Open champion Allisen Corpuz and first-time LPGA winner Linn Grant.