Danielle Kang sets the pace as Diksha Dagar battles through in #AIGWBO

An early stutter proved expensive for a determined Diksha Dagar. Hinako Shibuno and Danielle Kang took the clubhouse lead with a 66, but Ashleigh Buhai upened them with three straight birdies through the 16th hole to emerge solo first round leader.

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Danielle Kang at the AIG Women's British Open

01 August 2019: The Women’s British Open kicked into gear with a flurry of good scores. At the top of the leaderboard, Danielle Kang and Hinako Shibuno reached the sanctity of the clubhouse with a 66 to their names. Starting a little later, Ashleigh Buhai usurped the lead, at 7-under through 16 holes. And she brought that home safely to return the sole leader at the end of the first round.

India’s Diksha Dagar was fighting a grim battle at the Woburn Golf Club, after conceding three straight bogeys from the second hole.

Even though Diksha was playing with great discipline through the first round, the early damage sat on her card like a stubborn cat. She was four-over through 15 holes, letting just one more stroke slip through eleven holes after slipping to 3-over through the fourth. A bogey at the 18th meant that the Indian finished the day with a 77.

Kang cushioned her card with four birdies in five holes, starting with the 13th. She had seven birdies and a long bogey, which came at the 14th, right in the midst of that prolific stretch.

Shibuno made a bogey on the fourth, but went on a tear just ahead of the turn. She posted seven birdies in her last eleven holes to secure a solid 66.

Moriya Jutanugarn was bogey free as she made a fluent start to her quest for the final major of the LPGA season. The Thai star made two birdies on the front nine before adding three in four from the 13th hole.

Charley Hull joined her in T4, her 67 also bogey free like that of Moriya. The Englishwoman had just one birdie in the first nine holes, but a hat-trick from the 10th helped her secure a spot among the top golfers in the first round.

Sung Hyun Park, T4 with Moriya and Charley, got most of her work done on the front nine. She made four birdies in six holes from the 2nd as she got her week going with a rousing start. A birdie at the 10th was negated by a bogey at the next hole, but she padded her card of 67 with a final birdie at the 15th hole.

Aditi Ashok is not in the field this week. This is just the second career start in a major for Diksha, after missing the cut at her debut event last week.