Golf: Diksha Finishes In Top-20 As Debutant Shannon Wins Kenya Ladies Open

Golf: Diksha finishes in Top-20 as debutant Shannon wins Kenya Ladies Open (Image Source: IANS)

Magical Kenya Ladies Open: Diksha Dagar shot a fine 5-under 68 on the final day to finish in the Top-20 of the Magical Kenya Ladies Open. The Indian, third on the Ladies European Tour's Order of Merit in 2023, shot rounds of 71-76-77-68 for a total of even par 292 to be Tied-19th.

It was the opening event of the new season in 2024 on the Ladies European Tour (LET).

Pranavi Urs, who was Tied-eighth after three rounds, shot 3-over 76 in the final round and ended T-23rd, while Vani Kapoor (73) was T-36.

The event produced a surprise winner in Singapore’s 19-year-old Shannon Tan, who was making her LET debut. She beat a strong field by four shots to become the first woman pro golfer from Singapore to win on the Tour.

Shannon shot rounds of 73-70-67-70 to total 12-under. She beat Alessandra Fanali (8-under) by four shots. Tan shared the third-round lead with Italian Alessandra Fanali, at 9-under after three rounds. Tan carded 3-under 70 as Fanali carded 74.

Starting on the back nine, Diksha was on fire with five birdies on the back nine of the course. She had one more birdie and a bogey on her second nine.

Pranavi had an up-and-down day with an eagle, two birdies, five bogeys and a double bogey in her 76 as she slipped down the leaderboard to Tied 23rd.

Vani Kapoor had two birdies and two bogeys.

In 2023, Lyn Yeo, former Singapore Ladies Golf Association president and founder of the Singapore Ladies Masters and Singapore Junior Development Tour, gave Shannon, then an amateur, a special invite for the Singapore Ladies.

Shannon went on to win the event, sparking off an Olympic dream, which is now very close for the teenager, who quit college at Texas Tech University, to become a pro. Tan earned a card on the prestigious 2024 LET through a top-20 finish at the Lalla Aicha Q-School last December.

This was only her third pro event and the win gives her a Tour card till the end of 2026.