Hero Women’s Indian Open called off over Covid-19 fears

By Rahul Banerji

The professional golf schedule in India suffered yet another body blow with Tuesday’s cancellation of October’s Hero Women’s Indian Open.

With both domestic tours already on ice because of the corona-virus and its ever-spreading fallout, the Women’s Indian Open and an Indian Swing by the men’s Asian Tour had kept home golfers’ hopes afloat.

Now, with the Ladies European Tour and Women’s Golf Association of India deciding to call off HWIO 2020, there is every chance the men’s events will face a similar fate as the timelines run quite close to each other.

Austria’s Christine Wolf, who earned a breakthrough win at the event last year, will this have to wait to defend her title till 2021 at least.

“Keeping health and safety as top priority in view of the Covid-19 pandemic, the Ladies European Tour today announced the cancellation of the Hero Women’s Indian Open, scheduled for October 1 to 4,” a statement said,

“The tournament will return to the Gary Player Course at DLF Golf and Country Club in Gurgaon for the 14^th edition in October 2021.”

‘Tough call’

“It was a very difficult decision, but the right one under the present circumstances,” WGAI president Kavita Singh said.

“With no likelihood of any respite in the foreseeable future, safeguarding the health and well being of all players, officials and spectators is of paramount importance.

“… we hope to return next year with another stellar edition of the Hero Women’s Indian Open in October, 2021.”

“It is incredibly disappointing to miss a year of the Hero Women’s Indian Open, one of the biggest professional women’s golf events of the Tour,” added LET chief executive Alexandra Armas.

“But we look forward to being back next year. This was a tough decision for everyone involved, but we feel it is the most responsible course of action following consultation with all stakeholders.

“I would like to personally thank WGAI president Kavita Singh and Dr Pawan Munjal (of Hero MotoCorp), the driving forces behind the growth of this event and the development of women’s professional golf in India, for their continued commitment.”

The Hero Women’s Indian Open has been held each year since 2007.

It was co-sanctioned by the LET in 2010 and has been held at the DLF Golf and Country Club each year except in 2013 and 2014, when the course was undergoing a re-design.

Indian Swing?

Meanwhile, the men’s Asian Tour was scheduled to see the Panasonic Open India (October 15 to 18), a likely new event at the Delhi Golf Club (October 22 to 25) and the Hero Indian Open (October 29 to November 1) on it’s planned Indian Swing.

Playing a heavily curtailed schedule, the Asian Tour is expected to resume with the Shinhan Donghae Open in Korea after the forced suspension in March.

It was thereafter to continue in Chinese Taipei and Japan for the Mercuries Taiwan Masters and Panasonic Open Golf Championship, a further event in South East Asia before the Indian Swing./

“We are targeting between 10 and 12 events from September to December,” Asian Tour commissioner and chief executive Cho Minn Thant was quoted as saying last month.

“There is a prospect of the Tour traveling to China and culminating with a stretch which includes the Hong Kong Open and Mauritius Open in the later part of the year.  

“During this period, if things go our way, there may also be a couple of new events that get added to the schedule,” he added then.

For now though, these plans must have been put on hold.

Also read: Corona-virus breaks through at PGA Tour despite safety protocols