Swiss Ladies Open: Amandeep, Diksha start with 69 and 70

 Diksha Dagar played a steady round with just two birdies against one bogey as she opened the Swiss Ladies Open with a card of 1-under 70.

She was lying T-27 after the first round but the top Indian of the day was Amandeep Drall, who opened on the 10th with a birdie and closed the day with a birdie on the ninth. In between two other birdies and two bogeys for a 2-under 69 that put her in T-14th place.

The third Indian in the field, Vani Kapoor carded 1-over 72 and was T-53. There are 126 players in the 54-hole stroke play event, where the cut will be applied after two rounds with the top 60 professionals and ties moving into the final day.

France’s Anne-Charlotte Mora fired a bogey 9-under 62 to take a two-shot lead at the VP Bank Swiss Ladies Open at Golfpark Holzhäusern. It was a day of low scoring in Switzerland, as Mora went bogey-free in the afternoon and posted nine birdies to storm to the top of the leaderboard.

Her compatriot Nastasia Nadaud set the clubhouse lead earlier with a round of seven-under par. But Mora overtook her later.

Diksha, getting ready for the home Open, the Hero Women’s Indian Open, where Amandeep Drall was the runner-up in 2022, started from the back nine like the other two Indians. While Diksha dropped just one bogey, she missed a lot of birdie chances and made two through the day.

Diksha is currently lying third on Race to Costa Del Sol, the Order of Merit for the Ladies European Tour.

Amandeep Drall and Vani Kapoor have had mixed seasons as they get ready for their home open and also go on to save their playing rights for 2024.

Two more red numbers on the 13th and 15th quickly moved the 26-year-old into the outright lead, with a wonderful birdie on the 18th extending her advantage late into the day.

In a tie for second on seven-under par sit Nadaud and Norway’s Madelene Stavnar. Both went bogey-free like the outright leader.

Three players sit in a tie for fourth on five-under par, a trio that includes Wales’ Chloe Williams, Germany’s Alexandra Försterling, and Sweden’s Moa Folke.