Paris [France], May 24 : It was a rather disappointing opening day for the Indian contingent at the Jabra Ladies Open. Diksha Dagar at 1-over 72 had a modest round and was T-33 at the Evian Resort in France.
The remaining five struggled and will need good second rounds to make the cut and stay on in the event. Sneha Singh, getting a taste of golf in Europe, shot 3-over 74 and was T-61, while Amandeep Drall (76) was at T-83 and Tvesa Malik (77) was T-94. Pranavi Urs shot 79 and was T-114 and Vani Kapoor (81) was T-125th.
Diksha, who has had three Top-10 finishes and three other finishes in Top-25 in her 10 starts this year, had four birdies against five bogeys, while Sneha the next best Indian had four birdies, five bogeys and a double bogey.
France's Agathe Sauzon and Moroccan Ines Laklalech carded five-under-par 66s to share a one-shot lead after the first round.
Starting at the sixth hole, Sauzon made a birdie and quickly sank another on the ninth. After making a bogey on the 12th, she made further gains on the 13th, 15th, 16th and the par-5 18th at the new layout of the course.
The winner of the Jabra Ladies Open will qualify to play in the only major championship in continental Europe at the same venue in seven weeks.
Laklalech, the 2022 Ladies Open de France winner, started her day on the par-5,15th hole. She quickly grabbed two birdies and then bogeyed the 17th. She earned a share of the lead with birdies on the third, fourth, sixth and ninth holes then made another gain on the 12th, before dropping a shot on the 13th.
Switzerland's Morgane Metraux and Jana Melichova of Czechia are one stroke back with 67 each and four players shot 68 each and they include two French players, Nastasia Nadaud and Celine Herbin, besides Swede Johanna Gustavsson and Slovenian Ana Belac.
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