Diksha, Pranavi in top-10 in Australia

Wollongong (Australia) Mar 21 (PTI) Impressive Pranavi Urs joined Diksha Dagar in the top-10 list after carding fine rounds on the penultimate day of the Ford Women’s NSW Open here.

Diksha added 2-under 69 to her earlier rounds of 67-68 and at 9-under for 54 holes she was tied-eighth in windy conditions.

Pranavi after 71-68 shot a superb 5-under 66 to rise to T-10, while rookie Avani Prashanth did her reputation a lot of good with a 1-under 70 that included an eagle on the Par-13th.

This was the third cut in as many starts for Avani, who has won pro titles on her home tour, the Hero WPGT and on the LET Access.

English rookie Mimi Rhodes will take a one shot lead into the final round after she carded a bogey-free 68 (-3) to move to 15-under par.

She leads Italian Alessandra Fanali (64) by one shot and she is 14-under, while Australia’s Kirsten Rudgeley and Spain’s Nuria Iturrioz are tied third at 12-under.

Diksha, winner of two LET titles, and second in Lalla Meryem Cup in Morocco this year, had three birdies on the 10th, 11th and the 13th and her sole dropped shot came on the seventh.

Pranavi, who played alongside fellow Indian, Avani, had a strange round.

She shot 5-under and her five birdies came on the trot from the 10th to the 14th and the rest were all pars.

Avani bogeyed the ninth and was one-over till she came to the 13th, which she eagled.

She dropped another shot on 16th but picked a birdie on the 18th to ensure an under par round.

Mimi and Fanali, the top two, were both bogey free for the day.

After a prolific amateur career, the 23-year-old Rhodes is chasing a maiden victory on the LET this week in only her fourth event as a full member.

Sara Kouskova had a disappointing day at a windy Wollongong carding a 72 ( 1) to move back into a tie for fifth on 11-under par.