Esther Henseleit, Diksha (Inset top) and Amandeep (Inset bottom). Pic: Getty Images/ LET
Nairobi, Kenya: Diksha Dagar got her 2022 season off to a good start with a T-21 finish at the Magical Kenya Ladies Open even as Germany’s Esther Henseleit successfully defended her Magical Kenya Ladies Open title.
Diksha shot a final round of 2-over 74 and finished the week at 9-over 297. Fellow Indian Amandeep Drall, who had a good start to the tournament with a first round 73, carded her best of the week of 72 in the final round at the Vipingo Ridge. Amandeep, who played a lot of LET Access series events last year to get used to the European conditions, ended T-42.
In the season’s first event on the Ladies European Tour (LET) Henseleit’s victory, where she finished the tournament on two-under-par, also ensured she leads the 2022 Race to Costa del Sol with 500 points.
The 23-year-old finished at the top of the leader board at 2-under and was one of the only two players to total under par for four days.
Despite a bogey on the first, Henseleit bounced back with birdies on two, three, six, eight and 11 to put her in a commanding position heading down the stretch. But a dropped shot on 13 and then after finding the water on 17, the German knew she had to make par on 18 to close out the win.
“I was shaking over the putt on 17 and I was shaking down 18 and especially that putt. I have been struggling with the putter over the last one and a half years so it is pretty cool that I holed that one,” said Henseleit.
Spain’s Marta Sanz Barrio recorded her best-ever finish on the LET with second place as she finished just one stroke behind Henseleit on one-under-par. The Madrid native carded a final round of 69 which included one bogey on the front nine and four birdies in her last nine holes.
Leader for the first three days, Linnea Ström, finished third on two-over-par with a final round of 77 while German’s Sophie Hausmann was fourth one shot further back.
Three players shared fifth place with South Africa’s Lee-Anne Pace, Sweden’s Jenny Haglund and France’s Emma Grechi all on five-over-par.
Read also:
Diksha Dagar rises to 21st as Amandeep slips to 57th in Kenya
Amandeep, Diksha make cut in tough conditions in Kenya
Amandeep Drall 10th and Dagar 27th after tough first day at Kenya Ladies Open
