Key Points

Diksha (71-73) is even par for 36 holes and Tied-28th going into the final two rounds. She is the only Indian in the field this year.

Japan’s 23-year-old Miyu Yamashita (68-65) was bogey free in the second round and is the leader at 11-under-par through 36 holes and fellow Japanese Rio Takeda (67-69) is second at 8-under. The next group of four players at Tied-3rd is far behind at 4-under.

After two rounds at Royal Porthcawl, 71 players made the cut, which fell at two-over par.

The weather conditions saw the temperatures change a lot. Diksha did well to handle it at the demanding Royal Porthcawl Golf Club. She began with two pars but dropped shots on the third and the sixth. She recovered with an eagle on the Par-5 ninth and turned in even par.

On the back nine she bogeyed the tenth but gained birdies on the 12th and the 13th. With scoring being difficult, she was even sniffing at a Top-10 place. Then came bogeys on the 14th and the 16th and she did well to ensure there was no more damage.

A good finish here will set up Diksha well in the second half of the season that is busy and also includes her home event, the Hero Women’s Indian Open, where she has come close to winning and adding to her two wins on the LET.

Diksha will play the third round with Australian Stephanie Kyriacou, who had a hole in one and an eagle in her second round of 70 that also included a run of four bogeys in a row.

Japan’s Rio Takeda is second despite bogeys at the 6th and 10th. Four players sit in a tie for third place on four-under par after 36 holes. They included Switzerland’s Chiara Tamburlini, Germany’s Laura Fuenfstueck, Thailand’s Pajaree Anannarukarn, and America’s Lindy Duncan.

Three players sit in a tie for seventh place. South Korea’s A Lim Kim and Sei Young Kim, and Sweden’s Madelene Sagstrom, all finished the second round on three-under par.

- IANS