Dubbo, NSW, Australia, February 29: Diksha Dagar recovered superbly from a terrible patch in the middle of the front nine to return one-under 71 in the third round of the Women’s New South Wales Open at Dubbo Golf Club. Dagar, who reached 10-under at one stage, before falling giving up five shots in three holes between fourth and sixth, fought back with four birdies in the remaining holes to get to eight-under.
However, with Belgian Manon de Roey striking brilliant form with six-under 66, Dagar finds herself seven shots behind the leader, who is 15-under and five ahead of second-placed Julia Engstrom (68).
India’s other contender in the fray, Aditi Ashok added a two-under 70 and moved up to Tied-eighth at five-under 211. Aditi opened with a birdie but ran into trouble between third and ninth with three bogeys and anther one on 11th. She was two-over for the day at that stage, butt five birdies in a row from 12thto 16thbrought her back in the fray for at least a Top-10 before a bogey on 18thpushed her back slightly.
De Roey backed up her course record 64 with a superb six-under 66 in the third round. Teenage star Engtröm lies in second after a 68, with fellow Swede Camilla Lennarth right behind her in third position.
De Roey has won three times on the LET Access Series and is now just 18 holes away from her first victory on the LET.
The 28-year-old from Antwerp, Belgium, started the day with a two-stroke advantage and birdied two of the first three holes, before making her sole bogey at the sixth.
She birdied the long ninth and 10thholes to build a four-stroke lead and added three more birdies at the 13th, 14thand at the short 18th, where she chipped in from the front of the green.
Lennarth carded a two-under 70 containing three birdies and just one bogey.
Slovenia’s Katja Pogacar is a stroke back in a tie for fourth with Dagar, while Slovenia’s Pia Babnik and two-time LET tournament winner Atthaya Thitikul from Thailand are eight shots from the lead, in a tie for sixth, after rounds of 66 and 70 respectively.
Pogacar holed out for eagle on the 11thand another roar went up as Michele Thomson holed out for eagle on the 17th. She shares eighth place with Aditi Ashok, while Esther Henseleit is tied for 10thplace.
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Diksha soars to second, Aditi is Tied-11 in NSW Open; De Roey leads
Diksha Dagar lying fifth in NSW Open, two shots behinds leaders
