Hero Women’s Open: Two-time LET champion Diksha aims better finish, Chiara eyes Order of Merit

Diksha aims to match the effort of Aditi Ashok, the only Indian to win the tournament in 2016 and has five LET titles to her credit.

L-R: Diksha Dagar, Tvesa Malik, Hitaashee Bakshi, Chiara Tamburlini, Alice Hewson and Mannon de Roey pose with the trophy in Hero Women’s Indian Open golf in Gurugram. | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

Two-time champion on the Ladies European Tour (LET), Diksha Dagar would attempt to improve on her third place last year when she tees off with favourite Chiara Tamburlini of Switzerland and Mannon de Roey of Belgium in the $400,000 Hero Women’s Indian Open golf tournament at the DLF Golf and Country Club on Thursday.

Diksha spearheads a strong presence of 27 Indians, including five amateurs, in a field of 114 players from 31 countries. She aims to match the effort of Aditi Ashok, the only Indian to win the tournament in 2016 and has five LET titles to her credit.

Chiara is on a high, having won three titles this season, including the $1 Million event in Taiwan a fortnight ago. She heads the Order of Merit and needs to finish ahead of Mannon to seal her place at the top for the season.

The tournament also features three past winners, Caroline Hedwall of Sweden, Camille Chevalier of France and Christine Wolf of Austria. It has 12 players who have won titles on the Tour in the last two seasons.

The most successful among all the champions in the field is Lee-Anne Pace of South Africa, with 23 titles.

A bunch of Indian players, Pranavi Urs, Tvesa Malik, Vani Kapoor, Gaurika Bishnoi, and Hitaashee Bakshi, apart from Amardeep Drall, who had finished joint second two years ago, would be keen to capitalise on the opportunity at home.

It will be a challenging course, requiring the players to be accurate with their tee-shots and calling for finesse with their putting on the fast greens.

From Chiara to Mannon to Alice Hewson of England, everyone agreed that the 14th hole was the trickiest after they went through their practice sessions.

“My goal is to win the Order of Merit. I want to do my best and try to have fun,” said Chiara.

“I am working on important aspects as I focus on my game and try to do well,” said Diksha, who guided her team of former Army Chief, General Manoj Naravane, Air Marshal R.K. Anand and her father, Col. Narinder Dagar, to victory in the Pro-Am event with a score of 26-under par on Wednesday.

Diksha had earlier won the Hero Shot skill event on Tuesday against seven fellow pros, thus preparing herself in the best possible way in a familiar environment.

“It is special to be competing at home. I have family and friends watching. It is an advantage to have played here before. I will give my best,” said Tvesa.

“I am pretty confident,” said Hitaashee, who has done exceptionally well in the domestic circuit.