Pranavi opens with 69, leads Indian challenge at KPMG Women’s Irish Open

STRAFFAN (IRELAND): Pranavi Urs made a strong start to the KPMG Women’s Irish Open, carding a three-under 69 to sit inside the top 10 after the opening round, while fellow Indians Diksha Dagar and Tvesa Malik were left battling to make the cut at The K Club here in wet conditions.

Pranavi who has been one of India’s better performers on the Ladies European Tour this season, with a Top-5 at Dutch Ladies and four other Top-20 finishes, produced a steady round in wet conditions at the Palmer South Course.

Starting from the 10th tee, she picked up three birdies on the back stretch on the 10th, 16th and 17th before adding another birdie on the first hole.

Pranavi, a winner last year in a mixed event played alongside men on the IGPL Tour in India, dropped her only shot of the round at the eighth, her penultimate hole, to close with a three-under 69 and put herself in a strong position ahead of the second round.

Diksha, currently 11th on the LET Order of Merit, and Tvesa both carded 74s to be tied 69th and will need better scores in the second round to move safely inside the cut line.

Diksha, who also started from the 10th, had an inconsistent round with two birdies, two bogeys and a double bogey.

Tvesa matched her 74 after making four birdies, but also gave away four bogeys and a double bogey.

Avani Prashanth had a difficult outing and carded a seven-over 79. She faces an uphill task to make the weekend after the opening round.

At the top of the leaderboard, South African Casandra Alexander produced a stunning nine-under 63 to take a four-shot lead over a group of four players.

Alexander, the LET Order of Merit leader, set a new course record on the Palmer South Course despite the wet conditions.

She made three birdies in her first four holes and added another on the eighth before producing a spectacular back-nine charge.

She birdied the 10th, 11th, 12th, 14th and 18th holes to complete a bogey-free 63, her lowest round of the season.

Italy's Alessandra Fanali, England's Lily May Humphreys, Czech Republic's Jana Melichova and Isle of Man's Ana Dawson were tied second on five-under 67.

Three players Annabell Fuller, Sweden's Louise Rydqvist and Czech Republic's Sara Kouskova were another shot back at four-under, while Ireland's Aine Donegan was among those tied ninth on three-under alongside Pranavi.

The 132-player tournament is being played over 72 holes, with the cut to the top 60 professionals and ties after 36 holes. The event carries a prize purse of 450,000 euros.

For Pranavi, the opening 69 provides an encouraging platform as she bids to stay in the leading group and mount a strong challenge over the remaining three rounds.