Indian Golfers Make Solid Starts at Women’s Open and Scottish Challenge

Indian golfers showed promising form across major and developmental circuits this week. Diksha Dagar, competing in her sixth AIG Women's Open, shot a one-under 71 to finish tied for 30th place after the first round at Royal Porthcawl, Wales.

The tournament marks the final major of the year for women and is being held in Wales for the first time. Dagar, the only Indian in the field, collected four birdies on holes 1, 7, 9 and 11, but gave away strokes with bogeys on the 6th, 8th and 11th. 

At one point she was tied for 14th, but slipped to T30 after the later bogeys. In 2023, she had recorded her best Open finish of T21. Leading the round are Japan’s Eri Okayama and Rio Takeda, both with scores of five-under 67, followed closely by Miyu Yamashita at four-under. 

Ten players, including competitors from England, Belgium, Germany, Austria, Japan, South Korea and the US, share the fourth position after posting rounds of three-under par. Meanwhile, rising English star Lottie Woad began with an even-par 72 to lie tied 51st. 

Saptak Talwar of India shared eighth place with five other players at the Farmfoods Scottish Challenge with a bogey-free five-under 66. Talwar, who recently won his maiden Indian Tour title, started from the back nine and registered birdies on the 12th, 15th, and 17th holes before adding two more on the second and fifth. 

Will Enefer of England surged to the top of the leaderboard with a sensational 10-under 61, setting a new course record. Three players, Marc Hammer, Daniel Young, and Quim Vidal, tied for second place at seven-under 64, trailed him.

The strong performances by both Dagar and Talwar mark a positive week for Indian golf, with expectations high as both players look to climb further in the upcoming rounds.