Champs out to regain Hero Women’s Indian Open glory

By Rahul Banerji

Christine Wolf has waited three years to defend her Hero Women’s Indian Open title and she is up and ready for the challenge at the DLF Golf and Country Club.

The $400,000 Ladies European Tour returns to the Gurgaon venue for the first time since 2019 when the Austrian emerged a comfortable winner.

“It’s really nice to be back,” Wolf said at a pre-event interaction on Tuesday. “I got to hold the title for the last three years, so I enjoyed that.

“It was very special for me to be back and walk past the 18 again. I’m just very excited to be back.”

After a disastrous end to her 2018 campaign when she faltered at the very end, Wolf made sure she would not be caught napping again.

“I played the 18th only once yesterday, but my caddie might have put a few balls for that third shot over the water. He doesn’t let me forget about. I for sure paid my respects to the lake.”

Aditi Ashok, whose maiden LET victory here in 2016 was the breakout result that has seen her graduate to the prestigious LPGA, is keen to assess her growth as a golfer over the last six-odd years

“I think as a golfer, obviously I’ve changed a lot, since I last played here in 2017.
“I felt I had a great short game when I used to play in India and then when I got to the LPGA, I realised everyone has a great short game.

Hard slog

“So, I had to work at being even better at something that I was already good at and same with putting and same with driving accuracy and so many other things.”

All of that came together at the Tokyo Olympic Games last year where her fourth-place finish was celebrated just as much as a gold medal would have been.

“I think just the level, the skills I have, I feel like I’ve made them tighter and so, as a golfer, definitely better.”
For compatriot Tvesa Malik, 2022 has not been a kind year and she is keen to revive the form that saw her score some notable results in 2021.

“The first year I came out on the tour, the Hero Women’s Indian Open was probably the first experience that I had playing with players from the LET.

“I was then playing full time on the WGAI and it was interesting to see how many different ways there are to do it.

“I’ve learned a lot over the last few years and now I’m coming back here to play again and I’m very excited to play at home, so I’m looking forward to it.

Under pressure

“You feel the pressure playing here but it’s not that different from every week. I feel pressure every week to play the best that I can play and do as good as I believe that I can do.”

Frenchwoman Camille Chevalier, who spent a few years in the wilderness after her 2017 triumph here, said her game and mind were both in a better place now.

“I went through a very interesting period after my win here in 2017, through which I learned a lot. I’m actually happy I went through this tough time because I’m now a much wiser person.

“I’m back to playing the game because I was working on technique and I lost myself a little bit in there. Now I am really playing with my strengths. I’m really enjoying the game, Camille added.

I really love this track. It really fits my game. Two, you have to play your shots, you have to be wise, which I think is very interesting.

Favoured track

England’s Meghan MacLaren, winner this year at the Australian Women’s Classic said she was happy to be back at an event she loves.

“This has been an event I’ve loved ever since I first came in 2017. And I don’t know, just somewhere that has always fit my eye and just very different to anything else we play.
“I just think it’s one of my favourite events of the year and whenever I decided to come back and play the LET this year, this was one of the events that I kind of had circled as somewhere I wanted to be.

“This event has been one that I’ve enjoyed ever since I first came. I know a lot of people find this course very challenging and I do as well.

“But I really love this track. It really fits my game. Two, you have to play your shots, you have to be wise, which I think is very interesting.”

Meanwhile, Hero Women’s Indian Open 2022 will see as any as 29 home entrants, led by Aditi, Diksha Dagar and Tvesa. In all, 23 professionals and six amateurs including the best-placed home finisher in 2019, Anika Varma, will tee it up on Thursday.

Indian entries

Indian entries

Professionals: Sneha Singh, Gaurika Bishnoi, Neha Tripathi, Rhea Saravanan, Ridhima Dilawari, Jyotsana Singh, Lakhmehar Pardesi, Saaniya Sharma, Afshan Fatima, Seher Atwal, Agrima Manral, Ishwari Prasanna, Oviya Reddi, Khushi Khanjau, Nishtha Madan, Vani Kapoor, Amandeep Drall, Hitaashee Bakshi, Jahanvi Bakshi, Pranavi Urs, Aditi Ashok, Tvesa Malik, and Diksha Dagar.

Amateurs: Anika Varma, Avani Prashant, Kriti Chowhan, Mannat Brar, Keya Badugu, and Vidhatri Urs.

Also read: Aditi to lead home challenge at Hero Women’s Indian Open