PIF Saudi Ladies International: Diksha Dagar And Avani Prashanth Open With 69s In Riyadh

Diksha Dagar and Avani Prashanth began the PIF Saudi Ladies International with identical 3-under rounds, giving the Indian challenge an early lift at Riyadh Golf Club. Both players shot 69 in the opening round, placing tied 21st. They trailed leader Hye-Jin Choi of Korea by five shots after a low-scoring day in Riyadh.

Choi set the first-round target with an 8-under 64, moving clear of the field with eight birdies and no dropped shots. Japan's Chizzy Iwai followed closely at 7-under 65 to claim second place. A few groups were still on the course when play was halted, leaving the leaderboard not fully settled.

The top performers and leading Indians at the PIF Saudi Ladies International after round one are shown below, highlighting the early gaps

and bunching around the cut positions in the 120-player field.

Player	Country	Score	Position
Hye-Jin Choi	Korea	64 (-8)	1st
Chizzy Iwai	Japan	65 (-7)	2nd
Diksha Dagar	India	69 (-3)	T-21
Avani Prashanth	India	69 (-3)	T-21
Aditi Ashok	India	71 (-1)	T-70
Pranavi Urs	India	73 (+1)	T-86

Diksha, third on the LET Order of Merit in 2023 and highest-ranked Indian in 2025, delivered a bogey-free 69. Birdies on the third, 12th and 18th holes underlined a controlled performance. The two-time LET winner produced a clean card, which provides a stable platform as Diksha aims to build early-season rhythm.

Avani's 69 followed a more fluctuating route but showed strong recovery. Avani started with a birdie on the first, then dropped a shot on the fourth. Birdies on the fifth and eighth brought Avani to 2-under at the turn. Further gains on the 12th and 15th briefly moved Avani near the top 10 before a bogey at the 18th.

Among the remaining Indians, Aditi Ashok closed well with a birdie on the ninth, Aditi's final hole, returning a 1-under 71 that placed Aditi tied 70th. Pranavi Urs encountered more difficulty and registered a 1-over 73, leaving Pranavi in a share of 86th place. Hitaashee Bakshi stood at level par with five holes left when play was suspended.

Singapore's Shannon Tan, who won the 2025 LET Order of Merit and the Hero Women's Indian Open, started with a 1-under 71. Tan's steady round kept Tan within range of the leaders on a day when scoring was clustered, especially around the projected cut line in the middle of the field.

The PIF Saudi Ladies International is in its seventh edition and has featured on the LET schedule since 2020. The event is being played at Riyadh Golf Club for the third straight year. The tournament offers a purse of US $5 million and has drawn 120 players from more than 30 countries, including several regular contenders from the LET and LPGA Tours.

The first round at the PIF Saudi Ladies International left the Indian contingent well placed, with Diksha and Avani inside the top 25 and Aditi under par. With two leaders already at 8-under and 7-under, the next rounds at Riyadh Golf Club are likely to demand more low scoring to stay in contention.