By Rahul Banerji
Diksha Dagar and Gaurika Bishnoi (India 1) open their campaign in the Simone Asia Pacific Cup against Indonesia 2 in Jakarta on Thursday.
The inaugural edition of the $750,000 tournament that contains both an individual and a team component will be played at the Pondok Indah Golf Club over the next four days.
Sixteen teams will add to the Simone Asia Pacific Cup competition and all 44 competitors will be seen in action over 54 holes.
India 2 comprising Vani Kapoor and Amandeep Drall open against Singapore, with both matches teeing off on the back nine.
Headlining the field are major winners Lydia Ko of New Zealand, Korea’s Hyo Joo Kim and So Yeon Ryu, and Hinako Shibuno of Japan.
According to the event website, the field will compete for a $750,000 purse as part of the new Ladies Asian Tour Series, which kicked off in June with the Korea Women’s Open.
The LAT Series has seven tournaments across the Asia Pacific region in 2023, with plans to expand to 10 in 2024. The new tour was established by the Asian Golf Leaders Forum, the website added.
Healthy purse
The 54-hole Simone Asia Pacific Cup is a no-cut event. A tidy half million is up for grabs in the individual competition with another $250,000 posted for the team competition.
The individual winner will pocket $100,000 and the runner-up earns $57,500. Professional participants are guaranteed a minimum payout of $5,680 on playing all 54 holes.
The event is also a stage for the second tier of regional professional talent with the likes of Thailand’s Jaravee Boonchant, Australia’s Cassie Porter, Diksha, Chinese Taipei’s Cheng-Hsuan Shih and Malaysia’s Natasha Andrea Oon in the mix.
And earlier on Wednesday, event favourites Lydia Ko and Hyo Joo Kim brushed aside the idea that it would be down to just them, Shibuno Hinako and So Yeon Ryu.
The two are the highest ranked players in the field at world no. 4 and 8 respectively. Along with Hinako and Ryu they four own a total of 29 LPGA Tour titles.
Also read: Hero WPGT regulars invited to inaugural Simone Cup golf
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