Women’s Indian Open | Confident Diksha Dagar spearheads Indian challenge 

Diksha Dagar spearheads the home challenge at the $400,000 Hero Women's Indian Open. She is up against contenders like Celine Bouter, Johannna Gustavsson and Ana Pelaez Trivino. Tvesa Malik, Amandeep Drall, Gaurika Bishnoi and Vani Kapoor are also in the title-run. Defending champion Olivia Cowan is absent, but two previous winners Becky Morgan and Christine Wolf are present.

With the Asian Games silver medallist Aditi Ashok busy playing in Korea, in-form Diksha Dagar spearheads the home challenge when the $400,000 Hero Women’s Indian Open tees off at the DLF Golf and Country Club here on Thursday.

Winner of the Czech Open and six top-10 finishes this season, the left-handed Diksha will be up against some serious contenders like the Ladies European Tour (LET) Order of Merit leader Celine Bouter (France), Johannna Gustavsson (Sweden) and Ana Pelaez Trivino (Spain) in the 120-player field.

“This season has been a good one for me, the best in my five years on the LET even though I started a bit slowly. Equipment changes were a factor but I have now settled on one supplier and that has been a big help. Also, I have worked hard on my short game which has been a big boost,” said Diksha on Wednesday.

Diksha’s compatriots Tvesa Malik, last year’s joint runner-up Amandeep Drall, Gaurika Bishnoi and Vani Kapoor could also be in the title-run.

Though the defending champion Olivia Cowan (Germany) is absent, two previous winners Becky Morgan (2018) and Christine Wolf (2019) are around.