Diksha Dagar became only the second Indian to win an event on the Ladies European Tour after Aditi Ashok as she won the South African Women's Open in Cape Town on Saturday.
Dagar was two shots behind overnight leader Lee-Anee Pace, a three-time former champion, at the beginning of the day but she carded a score of three-under 69 for an aggregate score of five-under 211 to win the tournament.
"I just played my normal game I didn't not expect to win this tournament, and I got two lucky breaks, on the 15th and 16th, where I made a long putt and one chip in," Diksha said after the win.
"My aim was to get close to the hole and make it to the par. I was confident, sometimes you have a feeling that 'yes, I can do it' and it happened," she said.
Pace finished second after an even-par 72, to end with a total of four-under 216. Ashok has won three tournaments on the LET tour and now plays on the LPGA tour.
Dagar's father Narinder Dagar, who served in the Army, was on the bag for her. Narinder has helped her cope with her hearing problems; she started wearing hearing aids since the age of six. The left-handed Dagar is well-known for her brand of aggressive and fearless golf on the Indian circuit. Her brother, Yogesh, who is also deaf, plays golf too and has been playing in age-group events.
Dagar has been in good form of late, having finished tied-fifth at the NSW Open last week. Dagar turned professional in December last year after obtaining her LET card at Qualifying School. She was four-over after the first three holes on day one, but settled quickly after the nervous start and signed for a 76.
The 19-year-old former World Deaf Championship winner and 2017 Summer Deaflympics silver medallist showed none of her first round nerves in the second and third rounds. She had shot a round-leading score of 6-under 66 in the second round.
"I was on fire today," Dagar had said after her second-round display.
LET rookie @DikshaDagar wins the 2019 @SAWomensOpen on -5. Incredible performance. Welcome to the winners circle Diksha ����#InvectecSAWomensOpen @SLadiesTour pic.twitter.com/yH3glRKmkl
- Ladies European Tour (@LETgolf) March 16, 2019
Dagar trailed till late into the back nine. She started one behind and Pace pulled two clear with a birdie on 11th but bogeyed the 13th to fall back to five-under.
Dagar birdied the 15th and 16th and that helped her catch up with Pace at five-under. The South African dropped another shot on the 17th and Dagar stayed steady to lead by one shot. The Indian won the title after both parred the final hole.
"We are thrilled to have our first Indian winner on the Sunshine Ladies Tour," Lali Stander, spokesperson of the South African Women's Open, Golf RSA and the Sunshine Ladies Tour, told ESPN. "She has been a huge inspiration to the deaf children from our South African Disabled Golf Association who came to watch her during the first round."
Esther Henseleit (70) of South Africa and Michele Thompson (68) of Australia were tied-third at three-under 212, and Carly Booth (69) of England was fifth at 2-under 214. Millie Soroha, the other Indian in action, ended tied-50th after finishing with a score of 11-over 227.
Dagar also represented India at the 2018 Asian Games and won the 2018 Singapore Amateur title. She also won a Pro event on the Indian domestic Hero Women's Pro Golf Tour, before turning pro at the beginning of this year.