April Golf Round-Up - Women’s Professional Golf (India)
After a hectic March, April proved to be a relatively quieter month for Indian women’s professional golf on the domestic circuit. Much of the global spotlight remained on The Masters at Augusta, which captured the imagination of golf enthusiasts worldwide. A special highlight came in the Par-3 Contest, where India’s Gaurika Bishnoi, alongside her British-Indian husband Aaron Rai, claimed victory. Congratulations to the young couple on this memorable achievement.
The focus for several of India’s top women professionals shifted overseas, where they participated in the Indian Golf Premier League events held across Mauritius, Congo, and South Africa. Hosted in Mauritius by India’s tennis legend Leander Paes, the event attracted a distinguished gathering, including members of the island’s social and sporting elite. The Pro-Am format provided valuable exposure and competitive experience.
Six players from the Women’s Golf Association of India (WGAI) were selected to participate in these international events, gaining an important opportunity to sharpen their skills across diverse courses and playing conditions.
On the domestic front, Riddima Dilawari continues to lead the Hero Women’s Professional Golf Tour (HWPGT) Order of Merit, with Jasmine Shekhar close behind in second place. Established names such as Amandeep Drall and Tvesa Malik, who have been balancing participation on the Ladies European Tour, remain firmly placed within the top five of the Order of Merit standings as of March 2026.
Encouragingly, increased prize money on the HWPGT has expanded the competitive field, with 49 players now earning prize money on India’s premier women’s professional tour. This growth reflects both the rising standard of play and the strengthening depth of the women’s game in the country.
In a significant developmental initiative, WGAI has put forward the name of Indian professional Saniya Sharma for The R&A Women in Golf Leadership Programme, reinforcing its commitment to nurturing future leaders within the sport.
Looking ahead, the dates for the prestigious Hero Women’s Indian Open have been confirmed for October 19–25, 2026. The tournament will feature a prize purse of USD 500,000 and is expected to attract a strong international field of over 100 players.
With May being a relatively quiet month on the domestic tour, India’s leading quartet—Diksha Dagar, Pranavi Urs, Tvesa Malik, and Vani Kapoor-continue to compete on the Ladies European Tour, gaining valuable international exposure.
Attention is already turning toward Olympic qualification. From June 2026, ranking events counting toward the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games will commence. Currently, fourteen Indian players feature in the Rolex Women’s World Rankings, with four ranked within the top 400. A competitive race is expected among Diksha Dagar, Pranavi Urs, Avani Prashanth, and Hitashee Bakshi as they vie for Olympic qualification, with the final rankings set to be determined in June 2028.
The HWPGT will resume in June with its South India leg, moving to cooler venues in Bengaluru and Mysuru to avoid the peak summer heat. It will be interesting to see whether participation records-currently standing at 57 players-are surpassed during these events.
On the international amateur front, the 46th Queen Sirikit Cup (Asia-Pacific Women’s Invitational Team Championship) is underway in Indonesia, featuring 14 competing nations.
With global travel returning to near normalcy and improved playing conditions ahead, all eyes are now on the upcoming South Swing.
Champika N. Sayal
4 May 2026
