Golfers Dagar, Gandas in line for Top-10 finish at ISPS Handa in N Ireland

Galgorm, N Ireland, Aug 20 (IANS) Diksha Dagar had another gritty round as she played a steady even par round of 72 but dropped to Tied-11th after the third day of the ISPS HANDA World Invitational.

Still, Diksha also made the second cut, as the third round cut fell at 4-over with 38 players making it through to the final day.

In the men’s segment of the tournament being played simultaneously, Manu Gandas was Tied-10th after a round of 70 on the third day and he also made the third round cut which fell at 2-over.

Among women Gabriella Cowley fired a round of 67 (-5) to hold a one-shot lead while Dan Brown retained his six-stroke lead among men.

Diksha, who was T-21 finish in the AIG Women’s Open, had two birdies on the first and the ninth holes of the front nine after which she seemed set to be comfortably in the Top-10. Then she dropped bogeys on the 10th and 16th hole to drop back to even and slipped to T-11.

This week’s innovative event is tri-sanctioned by the DP World Tour, LPGA and Ladies European Tour, with men’s and women’s tournaments played on the same courses at the same time for two equal prize funds of US$1.5million.

In the men’s event Gandas, after a birdie on the second, had four bogeys in the next seven holes. However, he recovered very well with three birdies and no bogeys on the back nine to finish at even par. He was still in the Top-10.

Cowley began the day two shots behind the leader and got off to a good start with birdies on the second, fourth and eighth holes. Cowley dropped a shot on the 10th but rolled in back-to-back birdies on 11 and 12 and made another on 14. She had another bogey on the 15th but made a birdie on 17 to seal a round of 67 and move to the top of the leader board on six-under-par.

American Ryann O’Toole and Germany’s Esther Henseleit sit in a share of second place on five-under-par at Galgorm. Switzerland’s Kim Metraux sits in solo fourth place on four-under-par after producing a round of 69 (-3).

In the men’s competition, England’s Daniel Brown maintained his six-shot advantage and leads with a total of 14-under-par ahead of England’s Alex Fitzpatrick and South Africa’s Wilco Nienaber.

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