Hero Women's Indian Open 2025: Indian Stars Ready to Shine Despite Unprecedented Wet Conditions

Gurugram, Oct 8: Persistent rain in the National Capital Region has made the build-up to the Hero Women's Indian Open 2025 unlike any other in recent memory. The DLF Golf & Country Club, drenched by days

of showers, presents a very different challenge this year - softer fairways, receptive greens, and a test of patience rather than power.

The ground staff at the iconic Gary Player Course, worked hard to make the course ready for the competition. Yet, amid damp fairways and softened greens, India's top golfers remain upbeat and determined to make the most of home advantage.

But if there's one group ready to take on the wet and unpredictable conditions, it's the Indian contingent, led by Diksha Dagar, Tvesa Malik, and Hitaashee Bakshi. The trio, who have each walked the DLF layout countless times, are confident that local experience and home comfort will work in their favor as they prepare to face the strongest-ever field in tournament history.

Tvesa Malik: "It's always exciting to come back here"

For Tvesa Malik, a seasoned LET player and one of India's most consistent performers, the Hero Women's Indian Open is more than just another stop on the calendar - it's home.

"It's always exciting to come back here. I think the golf course is always so challenging," said Tvesa in an exclusive chat with MyKhel.

The 29-year-old Gurugram born, further said, "This year it's quite different from how it's played in the past, but still challenging nevertheless. So I think it's just going to be playing very different from what I'm used to.

"I've played here a lot growing up, so it'll almost, I think, be the challenge to rethink the holes and play it in a different way than I'm used to playing. "

Her familiarity with the course may be an advantage, but with the wet conditions changing bounce and run, even veterans like Tvesa must adapt and rethink their approach. In the 2019 HWIO, she finished T-6, her best result at India's flagship LET event.

Diksha Dagar: "I just need to believe in myself"

For Diksha Dagar, India's top-ranked golfer and a two-time LET winner, the Hero Women's Indian Open presents both an opportunity and a homecoming. After a strong mid-season surge, including making the cut at the AIG Women's Open, the 23-year-old is looking to rediscover her winning rhythm.

"In June and July, I was playing my best golf. I was confident I could win the Indian Open. I took a month off because I was tired, but now I'm getting back to my rhythm," she told MyKhel. "I'm not overthinking. My game is still the same, I just need to believe in myself. "

"Making the cut at the British Open this year was a dream come true. It made me believe that I'm on the right path," she added. "I just try to stay consistent and play my own game. "

Diksha, who finished third in the 2023 edition, remains India's best hope to end a long wait for a home champion - the last being Aditi Ashok's triumph in 2016.

Hitaashee Bakshi: "Nine years is a good number - maybe it's time for India again"

Playing on her home course, Hitaashee Bakshi has perhaps the most intimate knowledge of the DLF layout - and she plans to make that familiarity count. In her rookie season on the LET, the 20-year-old is drawing strength from being back among her people, her food, and her comfort zone.

"Now I play on LET, it's my rookie season, so I have become more familiar with the field. And my home course is more comfortable - my own people, my own food. I will make this my strength and move forward," she told MyKhel.

"I feel a majority of our Indian players are playing on LET themselves. So they are also gradually getting familiar with this field. That's why they will be a little less nervous and more excited. Everyone's language is the same.

In 2016, Aditi won the tournament here. We have been waiting for nine years. Nine is a good number. When it's a good number for our country, maybe someone from our country will come. "

Bakshi's confidence captures the mood of the Indian camp - quiet belief that the timing may finally be right for another tricolour moment on home soil.

A test of patience and adaptability

The wet fairways have added an unpredictable dimension to the championship. Players have reported slower roll, heavier lies, and soft greens - conditions that reward precision and course management over raw distance.

For the Indians, that could be the leveller. DLF is their backyard, and as the fairways glisten under overcast skies, the trio of Diksha, Tvesa, and Hitaashee carry not just familiarity - but expectation.

Hero MotoCorp and WGAI reaffirm support

At the press conference, Mr. Sanjay Bhan, Executive Vice President of Hero MotoCorp, reaffirmed the company's long-standing commitment to women's golf:

"We have a field which is perhaps one of the best we've ever had - players from 31 nationalities are here. Our commitment to golf remains deep and genuine, and we're proud to support the sport's growth in India. "

Ms. Kavita Singh, President of the Women's Golf Association of India (WGAI), praised the DLF team's preparation and the evolving course conditions, saying,

"The course is playing very differently from last year. The greens are holding true, and we're looking forward to a great week of golf. "

Strongest-ever field for a milestone edition

The Hero Women's Indian Open 2025 boasts a US $500,000 prize purse, with $75,000 for the winner. With four events remaining in the LET season, the Gurugram tournament is pivotal in shaping the Order of Merit race, adding extra intensity to an already star-studded week.

This year's edition is set to feature 110 players from 31 nationalities, including defending champion Liz Young, LET Order of Merit leader Mimi Rhodes, and world-class competitors like Chiara Tamburlini and Sara Kouskova. Yet amid the global star power, India's homegrown heroes are ready to script their own story.

The star-studded line-up also includes the 2017 HWIO champion Camille Chevalier of France, as well as Shannon Tan (Singapore), also in the top five on the Order of Merit.