(Professional Golf)
Gurugram: The largest field ever in a Hero Women’s Pro Golf Tour event is gathered for Leg 13 at the DLF Golf & Country Club, which has become a dress rehearsal of sorts for next month’s Hero Women’s Indian Open, an event on the Ladies European Tour.
The field of 60 players comprising 53 professionals and seven amateurs is the highest ever number in the field for a domestic event, which carries a purse of Rs.17 lakhs.
Adding further interest to the event is the venue, DLF Golf & Country Club, Gurugram, which will also host the Hero Women’s Indian Open. This week will be a great opportunity for the Indians to get a taste of what is one of the most challenging courses in India and also on the LET.
The Indian women golfers, who have next month's marquee event in their sights, will be led by the top star, Diksha Dagar, who has taken a week off the LET to play the event and get a feel of the course. She has in the past finished third, but now wants to win the Indian Open, and become only the second Indian to do so after Aditi Ashok.
Diksha, who has been working towards the National Open for many months, will be making a rare appearance on the domestic Tour. Diksha is also in preparation for the Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya later this month. She will return from the Asian Games and then tee up at the Hero Women’s Indian Open.
Also making an appearance at the 13th Leg of Hero WPGT is Gaurika Bishnoi, now married to PGA Champion, Aaron Rai, an English golfer of Indian origin. Gaurika, a former Top-10 finisher in HWIO is also in preparation for the National Open.
Some of the other stars, taking time off their international commitments include the Hero Order of Merit leader, Ridhima Dilawari, the prolific Vani Kapoor, former HWIO runner-up Amandeep Drall, Tvesa Malik, Sneha Singh and Jasmine Shekar.
The younger lot which has been seeking valuable experience on other international events and coming over this week include Saanvi Somu, Mannat Brar, Heena Kang and Nayanika Sanga among others.
Tee times for Round 1 of the Hero Women’s Pro Golf Tour, Leg 13 at DLF Golf & Country Club, Gurugram:
Draw: Round 1
9:00 AM: Agrima Manral, Durga Nitur, Anaggha Venkatesh
9:10 AM: Diksha Dagar, Ananya Datar, Seher Atwal
9:20 AM: Anvvi Dahhiya, Chitrangada Singh
9:30 AM: Amandeep Drall, Esther Lobo, Eti Chaudhary
9:40 AM: Khushi Khanijau, Anushka Gupta (A), Tvesa Malik
9:55 AM: Hazel Chauhan, Heena Kang, Jahaanvie Walia
10:05 AM: Jahnavi Prakhya, Janneya Dasanniee, Yaalisai Verma
10:15 AM: Nayanika Sanga, Jia Kochhar, Ridhima Dilawari
10:25 AM: Karishma Govind, Kashika Misra, Sneha Singh
10:35 AM: Saanvi Somu, Lavanya Jadon, Mannat Brar
10:50 AM: Jasmine Shekar, Anahita Singh, Oviya Reddi
11:00 AM: Ravjot Dosanjh, Shweta Mansingh, Rhea Purvi
11:10 AM: Shrestha Shukla, Anuradha Chaudhuri (A), Gaurika Bishnoi
11:20 AM: Anvitha Narender, Shagun Narain, Shinjini Mukherjee
11:30 AM: Jiah Kang, Rhea Jha, Sifat Sagoo
11:45 AM: Smriti Bhargav, Alysha Dutt (A), Snigdha Goswami
11:55 AM: Yogya Bhalla (A), Vani Kapoor, Vidhatri Urs
12:05 PM: Jasmandeep Kaur, Yashita Raghav, Ahaana Tewari (A)
12:15 PM: Ayesha Gupta (A), Riya Jadon, Geetika Ahuja
12:25 PM: Ketaki Sood, Mehak Lohan (A), Gourabi Bhowmick
Vani Kapoor receiving winner's cheque and trophy from Mr. Sunil Chandran, DGM-DLF G&CC