Diksha and Vani among five Indians in Canberra Classic field

A big contingent, including Diksha Dagar and Tvesa Malik, will look for a good outing this week when they begin their campaign at the ActewAGL Canberra Classic here Friday.

Along with Diksha and Malik, there will be three other Indian girls -- Vani Kapoor, Astha Madan and Amandeep Drall.

Diksha had finished 44th at the Australian Ladies Classic - Bonville golf tournament last week, while Tvesa, who had finished as the top domestic pro on Women's Pro Golf Tour in India, signed off at tied 61st in the same event.

Vani, who has earned a full card to Australian Ladies PGA, Astha and Amandeep had missed the cut last week.

All five Indian girls are in the afternoon wave and will start from the tenth tee.

Norwegian Marianne Skarpnord who picked up her fourth Ladies European Tour trophy in Bonville on Sunday is looking to make it back-to-back Australian titles in the Canberra Classic.

The 33-year-old Norwegian made an eight-and-a-half hour drive from Bonville Golf Resort to Royal Canberra via a sight-seeing trip to Sydney earlier in the week with her best friend on tour, Camilla Lennarth.

World number 25 and defending champion Jiyai Shin is in a confident mood as she prepares to defend the Canberra Classic.

The Korean has twice won here in the 2013 ISPS Handa Women's Australian Open and the ActewAGL Canberra Classic in 2018.

One player who will be hoping she can match it with the Korean star is Australian Hannah Green who is coming off a top-10 finish at the ISPS Handa Women's Australian Open in Adelaide two weeks ago.

Dame Laura Davies has returned to Canberra again this week and will play the opening two rounds alongside Shin and Green.

Other players who are expected to contend this week are Dutch star Anne Van Dam and the Swedish duo Madelene Sagstrom and Caroline Hedwall in the field.