Diksha Dagar aims for top finish at the Big Green Egg Open
India's Diksha Dagar eyes another title in 2023 as she tees off for the Big Green Egg Open in the Netherlands on the Ladies European Tour (LET). Diksha, who could not find a place in the Asian Games 2023 team, is making heads turn on the international golf circuit.
The Indian golfer has scripted two successive top-10 finishes and has six top-ten finishes out of 20 starts. Her recent appearance came at the Irish Open, where she finished seventh. Her back-to-back top-ten finishes have helped her move to the third spot on the Order of Merit/Race to Costa del Sol.
If she manages to finish on top at the Big Green Egg Open, Diksha could become the first Indian woman to win the merit list in Europe. Currently, Diksha is behind France's Celine Boutier and Spain's Ana Pelaez Trivino in the rankings.
The duo has opted out of the Open, providing a huge opportunity for Diksha Dagar to move to the top. The winner of the Big Green Egg Open will be crowned on Sunday, September 10. The event offers a prize fund of €300,000.
Diksha Dagar has not been selected for Asian Games 2023
Diksha Dagar is one of the top Indian golfers to be left out of the Asian Games 2023 team. However, Diksha Dagar's consistency in the recent international tournaments has made several experts question her exclusion.
India's top-ranked pro, Aditi Ashok, was automatically selected by the Indian Golf Union, while Avani Prashanth and Pranavi Urs earned their berth through selection trials in April.
The 22-year-old was T-21 at the AIG Women's Open, which was the best by an Indian woman at the Major Championship. Diksha also won the Tipsport Czech Ladies Open in June 2023.
Also, if the 22-year-old finishes inside the top four in the LET Order of Merit, Diksha Dagar would earn the LPGA card. With six events remaining, including the Indian Open, Diksha is almost certain to finish in the top four.
According to the official rankings, Diksha has 1337.34 points. Aditi Ashok is in fourth place with 1309.19 points. Celine Boutier, who has featured in only four events this year, has gathered 1725.38 points and is at the top of the race. Spain's Ana Pelaez Trivino, who is in the second spot, has 1487.20 points and has featured in 18 events this year.