Indian golfer Diksha Dagar finishes +5 after first round of Women's British Open

Indian golfer Diksha Dagar had to settle for a round of five-over par following the first round of the Women's British Open at Woburn Golf Club in Buckinghamshire.

It means the youngster will have a battle on her hands during Friday's second round in order to make the cut and ensure she takes her place in the final two rounds over the course of the weekend.

Tricky start

Dagar's downfall in her first round was her start: as she dropped three strokes in the opening four holes.

But after bogeys at holes 2, 3 and 4 Dagar began to find her rhythm and holed in for par at the next eight holes.

Another bogey at 13 broke that run and, although she regained her composure once more, another dropped shot on the 18th hole saw her card a score of 77.

Overall though the Indian teenager can take a great deal of satisfaction from her opening round, with major champions such as Laura Davies and Pernilla Lindberg below her on the leaderboard.

Rapid rise

For a number of reasons, Dagar deserve a lot of credit just to have made it to the first tee box at Woburn.

Her rise to prominence has been little short of remarkable.

Born profoundly deaf, she had cochlear implants at the age of six, which was when her father - an Army Colonel who was a near scratch golfer - began coaching her.

Dagar was a natural and her talent soon began to flourish.

In 2017, she claimed a silver medal at the Deaflympics.

Last year she represented India at the Asian Games and also won the Singapore Open.

Turning Professional

Dagar decided to make the switch to become a full-time professional at the start of 2019 and did not take long to make her impact felt.

Joining the Ladies European Tour, the unheralded Dagar won her first Tour title in only her fourth appearance as a pro.

At the South African Women's Open in Cape Town, the left-hander edged out three-time champion Lee-Anne Pace by one stroke.

Since that incredible achievement, Dagar's performances have been steady if not quite so spectacular.

Last week the 18-year old travelled to France to make her debut in a major tournament.

At the Evian Championships, Dagar failed to make the cut after rounds of 77 and 78 - but it was another good learning experience.

Now in the fifth and final major of the year, can Dagar do something extra special in her second round to extend her stay until Sunday?