File photo of Ladies European Tour Order of Merit leader Mimi Rhodes of England who will be among the title favourites at the Hero Womens Indian Open in Gurgaon this week. Image courtesy LET.
By Rahul Banerji
Three of the top four on the Ladies European Tour’s Order of Merit are at the 17th Hero Women’s Indian Open and a good result could see them take a significant step towards topping the season-long race.
As it stands, England’s rookie Mimi Rhodes tops the OoM with three wins. Close on her heels are Singapore’s Shannon Tan and Sara Kouskova of the Czech Republic, giving the DLF Golf and Country Club event in Gurgaon some extra needle.
Rhodes won the Ford Women’s NSW Open, the Joburg Ladies Open besides the Dutch Ladies Open, and leads Tan by 209.54 points while Kouskova is 498.76 points adrift of the Englishwoman who also tops the rookies’ standings.
A haul of 500 points are on offer for the winner here this week.
“This is my first time in India, so it’s been a nice new adventure and a new culture for me to experience,” Rhodes told reporters on Tuesday.
“The course is looking really nice and every hole is different, so it’s nice challenge. There’s a lot of different holes to play in different ways, so I’m looking forward to that.”
Crucial week
With just four events remaining on the LET schedule, it is also a crucial week for those looking to retain their playing rights, restricted to the top 70 on the Order of Merit.
The following two events — in Taiwan and China — have restricted fields meaning the Hero Women’s Indian Open is as good as a final opportunity to add points to the kitty.
In all, 29 Indians will start at the sole LET event on home soil, led by two-time winner Diksha Dagar besides tour regulars Tvesa Malik, Pranavi Urs and Avani Prashanth.
For Dagar, it is a chance to improve on her current 21st place on the Order of Merit, while the others have a good opportunity to pick up valuable points going into the tail end of the 2025 season.
“This golf course is in great condition,” Dagar said on Tuesday
“It has got much better than the last year and I’m very excited to play on this course and I’m just going to play my game.
Maiden show
This is Rhodes’ first appearance in India, while Tan, Kouskova and defending champoon Liz Young of England are familiar with the course and conditions — an advantage that could prove crucial on Sunday.
Said Young on Tuesday, “It’s been a challenging year for me but I’m happy to be back here.
“The course is playing very different to last year (following heavy rains over the capital region recently). So, we’re going to have to play some different shots but I’m really excited to get back out there.
For Tan, the Amundi German Masters champion, a top-three finish here could see lead the season’s standings, especially if Rhodes finishes outside the top 35.
Kouskova could also overtake Rhodes with victory at the DKF course, should Rhodes miss the cut.
Singaporean Tan can overtake Rhodes if she finishes within the top-three in India and Rhodes ends the week outside the top-35.
Extra incentive
An additional incentive lies in the fact that the top 10 on the Order of Merit get entry to the LPGA Q-Series Final Qualifying in December.
Among the Indians, Dagar (21st), Avani Prashanth (50th) and Pranavi Urs (58th) are currently well-placed to retain their full cards.
For the DLF-based Hitaashee Bakshi (108th) and Vani Kapoor (110th), it is an opportunity to capitalise on home advantage and make a late surge up the rankings.
Said Hitaashee, “A lot of people are saying that it’s been playing different but I think for me it’s different altogether because I’ve played all seasons over here 365 days literally.
“So nothing’s different for me. I’m really comfortable here. I’m looking forward for this week. “
Also read: Young wins Hero Women’s Indian Open, Mannat is top Indian
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