Indian golfers will stand to gain as former winners and emerging stars of the Ladies European Tour clash at the Hero Women’s Indian Open, the region’s biggest golf tournament, at the DLF Golf and Country Club beginning October 19. With a purse of USD 400,000 on offer, a strong collection of proven champions and a bunch of Indian women golfers, who are now regulars on the LET, will be part of a star-studded field of 120 which will showcase four of the top five in the current LET’s Order of Merit and seven winners from what has been a very competitive 2023 season.
India’s Diksha Dagar, a two-time LET winner, currently fourth on the Order of Merit, will carry the flag. Among other Indians in focus will be last year’s runner-up Amandeep Drall along with Vani Kapoor, Tvesa Malik and Neha Tripathi. One big win can bring a big change in their fortunes on the Order of Merit.
Besides Dikha, the other stars from the LET’s Order of Merit are Johanna Gustavsson (Sweden), Ana Pelaez Trivino (Spain) and Thailand’s Trichat Cheenglab.
The seven winners from the ongoing season are Sweden’s Lisa Pettersson (Helsingborg Open), Spain’s Carmen Alonso (Ladies Open by Pickala Resort), Spain’s Nuria Iturrioz (La Sella Open), Denmark’s Smilla Tarning Soenderby (KPMG Women’s Irish Open) and Thailand’s Trichat Cheenglab (Big Green Egg Open).
They were joined by Sweden’s Johanna Gustavsson, who won the Lacoste Ladies Open de France, and has now vaulted to second place on the OOM.
Breakout season for Gustavsson and Trichat
Johanna Gustavsson of Sweden, having a standout season, is chasing down the leader, France’s Celine Boutier. Boutier’s recent victories at the Evian Championship and Women’s Scottish Open have placed her in the top spot. Gustavsson is trailing by 241 points, closely followed by Ana Pelaez Trivino, Diksha from India, and Thai sensation Trichat Cheenglab. The three are separated by less than 39 points, and with just three more events in 2023, the stakes are high for a chance to lead the Order of Merit with a win in India.
Diksha eyes historic Order of Merit triumph
Diksha has enjoyed a remarkable season, securing her second LET win at the Tipsport Czech Ladies Open, with Thai golfer Trichat as the runner-up. Overcoming a slow start in 2023, she displayed remarkable consistency with an impressive five-event streak, culminating in her Czech Ladies Open victory. She frequently finished in the Top-8 during this period. Diksha’s outstanding performance at the AIG Women’s Open marked the best Major finish by an Indian golfer. She’s well on track for the 2024 Olympics and aims to be the first Indian to conquer the Race to Costa Del Sol.
