Wollongong, Australia – India’s golf sensation Diksha Dagar has scripted a remarkable comeback at the Ford Women’s NSW Open. After a disappointing opening round of 77, the top Indian star fired back-to-back brilliant scores of 66 and 65 in the second and third rounds, propelling her to a tied 26th position at 5-under par.
Dagar’s second round was a masterclass in consistency, where she drained five birdies without dropping a single shot. She carried that momentum into the third round, adding six more birdies while maintaining her bogey-free streak. The highlight was her blistering finish on the last five holes, where she picked up four birdies, positioning her perfectly for a strong charge on the final day.
This resurgence helped her comfortably make the cut in 53rd place after the second round and climb steadily to T26 over the next day. Meanwhile, fellow Indians Hitashi Bhakhshi (73-73), Pranavi Urs (74-74), and Avani Prashant (80-72) unfortunately missed the cut.
The leaderboard is stacked entering the final round, with regional qualifier Hannah Reeves leading at 12-under par. The 17th edition of the tournament has already seen plenty of drama, including heavy rains that disrupted play on Thursday. At Wollongong Golf Club, the third round kicked off with a shotgun start at 2:45 PM local time, as Ireland’s Aine Donegan held a two-shot lead.
Donegan started strong with a birdie on the par-5 opener but faltered over the next 10 holes, losing five shots and opening the door for challengers. Reeves, a three-time regional qualifier winner, capitalized on the sunny conditions, bouncing back from an early bogey to card six birdies and a 66 (-5). Her round featured a near hole-out eagle on the final hole for a grandstand finish.
She’s now one shot ahead of compatriot Kelsey Bennett with 18 holes remaining. Thailand’s April Angurasarnee stole the show with a career-best 62 (-9), including a stunning hole-in-one on the 170-yard par-3 12th. She shares third place with France’s Agathe Laisne and South Korea’s 17-year-old amateur Sumin Oh. Six players lurk at 8-under in the top 10, setting up an exhilarating Sunday showdown.