India, Aug. 8 -- Aditi Ashok shot a one-under-71 and Diksha Dagar an even-par round to be tied 14th at the halfway mark of the women's golf competition in the Paris Olympics at the Le Golf National on Thursday.Aditi, who was on the verge of a bronze at the 2021 Tokyo Games before finishing fourth by one shot, remained one spot lower than where she ended on Day 1 after an even-par 72.On Thursday, the 26-year-old Bengaluru golfer, who is playing in her third Olympics after finishing 41st on debut in Rio 2016, began shakily with bogey on the third and fifth holes, but then sank four birdies in a row, from the sixth to ninth, to get to 2-under on the turn.Aditi's best shot was a 41-foot birdie on the seventh, followed by a 10-footer for birdie on the par-3 eighth hole. However, birdies dried up on the back nine and a bogey on the par-4 12th hole, where her short par putt stopped inches short of the hole.Diksha Dagar, 23, who is in her second Olympics, was overnight tied 7th after a 71 on Day 1 that saw her solid round marred by bogeys on the last two holes, was bogey-free till the 17th hole like on Thursday.

Birdies on the third and the par-3 11th took her to 3-under for the tournament.But all the good work was once again spoiled by a double-bogey on the par-5 18th hole, picturesque yet tricky with the water hazard guarding the green. She ambitious second shot landed flush in the bush between the green and the water. After taking a drop, Diksha's next shot flew into the greenside bunker, off which her chip shot came too hot leading to a two putt.The Indian pair was seven shots behind Switzerland's leader Morgane Metraux, who was eight-under for the tournament after carding a six-under 66. China's Yin Ruoning shot a second round 7-under 65 - the best round of the day - to be a shot behind. New Zealand's Lydia Ko, bronze medallist in Tokyo three years ago, was two shots adrift at third after a 67.Defending Olympic champion Nelly Korda was tied-12 at two-under. The US world No.1 enjoyed a hot streak to be six-under after 15 holes, only to drop three shots in the next two holes before finishing with a birdie on the final hole.Although world No.1 Scottie Scheffler shot a final day 62 to win the men's gold medal, the course holds its challenges, and if Aditi and Diksha can string together two strong rounds, they can rise into contention. Aditi, with all the experience gained since her Tokyo heartbreak, including her current season on the LPGA Tour, will hope to find the birdies, especially on the back nine that has proved challenging for most of the field.In the men's golf competition held first, Shubhankar Sharma finished one-under for the tournament to finish T-40 while Gaganjeet Bhullar ended at T-45.

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