Diksha Dagar Shines in Dream Start at 2025 Women's Scottish Open

Dundonald Links (Scotland), July 25 (PTI) - In an impressive start to the 2025 ISPS HANDA Women’s Scottish Open at Dundonald Links, Diksha Dagar delivered a strong performance on the back nine, carding a respectable 3-under-par 69 on the first day of the tournament.

Among the trio of Indian players participating, Diksha stood out prominently, securing a tie for 17th place. Although she's having a remarkable season, Diksha is still pursuing her elusive first victory. She trails by three strokes behind England’s Charlotte Laffar, who delivered a stellar opening round of 66, securing a 6-under-par lead.

The other Indian competitors faced challenges in their rounds. Pranavi Urs, returning to action following a lengthy injury hiatus, carded a 75 and is tied for 107th. Meanwhile, Tvesa Malik sits further back in the field at T-126 with a round of 77.

Diksha’s round commenced with a birdie on the fourth hole, only to drop a shot on the sixth. However, she showcased resilience on the back nine with birdies on the 12th, 14th, and 16th holes, resulting in her final score of 69.

Charlotte Laffar opened her round with a bogey at the first hole but quickly rebounded with consecutive birdies on the third and fourth holes. Another birdie followed on the seventh, allowing her to turn at two-under-par. Building momentum on the back nine, Laffar added four birdies in a five-hole stretch between the 10th and 14th holes, though she stumbled with a bogey on the 15th. She rebounded, sinking a 20-foot birdie putt on the 17th, thus securing her position atop the leaderboard at six-under-par.

The 32-year-old Laffar has made a noteworthy return to the Ladies European Tour, having rejoined the tour in May at the Aramco Korea Championship, following a four-year hiatus to focus on her family. Accompanied by her husband David, who serves as her caddie, her journey is closely supported by her family, with her children Freddie and Oscar being cared for by grandparents in Scotland.

A tight contest is brewing as five players share second place, including Ireland’s Leona Maguire, Japan’s Rio Takeda, Spain’s Nuria Iturrioz, England’s Lottie Woad, and Thailand’s Arpichaya Yubol, all posting scores of five-under-par.

Maguire impressed with a spotless opening round of 67, highlighted by an eagle on her very first hole of the day. Lottie Woad, making her professional debut and fresh off her 2025 KPMG Women’s Irish Open victory, also shot a commendable round, tallying six birdies alongside one bogey.

Meanwhile, Thailand’s Yubol managed a composed start, balancing two bogeys with two birdies on her front nine before accelerating with five additional birdies on the back nine, concluding her round at 67.

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