A decade after Aditi Ashok became the first Indian to win the Hero Women’s Indian Open, a strong home contingent will return to DLF Golf & Country Club looking to end the country’s long wait for a second champion.
The US$500,000 Ladies European Tour event will be played at DLF Golf & Country Club from October 22 to 25, with Hitaashee Bakshi carrying unfinished business from an impressive campaign last year.
Bakshi led during the final round in 2025 before eventually finishing third at five-under, just two strokes behind champion Shannon Tan. Pranavi Urs placed fourth, Avani Prashanth shared fifth and Vani Kapoor tied for 10th, giving India four Top-10 finishers for the first time in tournament history.
Diksha Dagar adds further strength to the home challenge. The two-time LET winner finished third at DLF in 2023 and recently played a domestic event at the same venue as part of her preparation. Dagar and Urs will arrive after representing India at the Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan.
Standing between the Indians and the trophy is a field rich in recent champions.
Defending champion Tan returns after producing one of the tournament’s finest final-round comebacks last year. Starting Sunday five shots behind, the Singapore golfer closed with a 67 to finish at seven-under 281, one ahead of Alice Hewson.
Tan, who also shared second place in 2024, will be joined by 2024 champion Liz Young, 2022 winner Olivia Cowan and 2017 champion Camille Chevalier.
The entry list also features three successive LET Order of Merit winners—Tan, Switzerland’s Chiara Tamburlini and Thailand’s Trichat Cheenglab. Current-season champions Agathe Laisné, Eleanor Givens, Aunchisa Utama and Leonie Harm further strengthen the field.
Hewson also returns in good form after sharing second place at the La Sella Open in September.
The DLF layout is expected to remain the tournament’s defining test. It will host the championship for the 16th time in 18 editions and has regularly produced demanding conditions and tight finishes. Only three shots separated Tan, Hewson and Bakshi last year.
“Indian players can compete with the very best,” said Women’s Golf Association of India president Kavita Singh, who expects another strong home challenge alongside the international field.
From left to right: Golfers Vidhatri Urs, Hitaashee Bakshi, Vani Kapoor, Jasmine Shekar with the Hero Women’s Indian Open trophy
For Bakshi and her compatriots, the objective is now clear: improve on India’s finest collective performance by bringing the trophy home for the first time in 10 years.
Main Photo – Golfers Vidhatri Urs, Hitaashee Bakshi, Vani Kapoor, Jasmine Shekar with Sanjay Bhan from Hero MotoCorp and Kavita Singh from WGAI
