Johannesburg, April 23 (IANS): The third-place finish has carried Diksha Dagar to 11th place on the Ladies European Tour Order of Merit and her best world ranking of the year and career. Diksha is now 11th on the Order of Merit and 138th in world ranking.

Diksha shot 73-71-69-70 to total 9-under and was tied third at the Joburg Ladies Open, which was won by rookie Chiara Tamburlini at Modderfontein Golf Club. In five starts in 2024, Diksha has been in the Top 10 three times -– T-9 at Lalla Meryem Cup in Morocco, T-6 at Aramco Ladies Florida and T-3 at Joburg Ladies.

At the same event, Tvesa Malik was T-29, Vani Kapoor was T-41 and Ridhima Dilawari was T-66.

Next up for Diksha is the Investec South African Women’s Open at the picturesque Erinvale Country and Golf Estate for the first time, A total of 120 players from 34 nations will tee up in the four-day event between April 25-28 vying for their share of €320,000. The other Indians will be Tvesa, Vani and Ridhima.

The event marks the eighth event of the 2024 LET schedule and the finale of this year’s Sunshine Ladies Tour, which will once again co-sanction the tournament. Among the past winners in the field are Alice Hewson (2020), Diksha Dagar (2019), legendary South African Lee Ann Pace (2014, 2015, 2017, 2021, 2022) and another South African, Tandi McCallum. Defending champion Ashleigh Buhai is absent in Cape Town after playing in last week’s Chevron Championship.