The Hero Women’s Indian Open got off to an exciting start with a prominent Indian presence on the leaderboard after the first round. Diksha Dagar and Vani Kapoor, both highly anticipated pre-tournament favorites, showcased their prowess on the golf course, occupying two of the top three places.

 

 

Diksha Dagar, after overcoming an early bogey, made a strong comeback with six birdies, finishing the day just one shot behind the leader, Norwegian golfer Madalene Stavnar, who carded an impressive 66. Stavnar is in search of her maiden win on the Ladies European Tour.

 

 

Vani Kapoor

 

 

Vani Kapoor, playing at her home course, delighted the local fans by shooting a 4-under 68, putting her firmly in contention.

 

Amateur golfer Vidhatri Urs proved that Indian women could be a force to reckon with as she posted a commendable 2-under 70, securing her position at T-6. Another amateur, Avani Prashanth, who was the best amateur in the previous year's tournament, finished T-10 with a 1-under 71, despite facing three bogeys in the last eight holes. Avani boasts an impressive resume, including winning the prestigious Queen Sirikit Cup for amateurs and the Ahlsell Final in Sweden on the LET Access Tour for professionals in August.

 

 

Gaurika Bishnoi, another Indian in the competition, carded a 72 to secure the T-17 position after a round that featured three birdies against a bogey and a double bogey.

 

 

Diksha Dagar

 

 

Diksha Dagar, with the potential to lead the Race to Costa Del Sol standings with a win this week, expressed her thoughts on the round, saying, “It was a slow start for me today because on the 11th hole, I was confused with the club selection. So I wasn't confident about the tee shot. Never mind, I could have made an up and down. But it was alright, afterwards I hit six birdies and I had a solid round." Diksha highlighted her strong putting performance as a key factor in her success.

 

 

Looking ahead to the second round, Diksha mentioned her preference for morning rounds, explaining, “For the round tomorrow, I love morning rounds. I prefer to play in the morning because I feel nice. Also, you don't have to play under the sun because in the afternoon it can get hot.”

 

 

The tournament leader, Madalene Stavnar, played a flawless round with six birdies and no bogeys, finishing with a 66. She expressed her happiness with her performance, stating, “It’s one of those days where golf feels a little bit easier than others. This course is not easy, so a 66 will do very nicely to begin with.”

 

 

Madalene Stavnar

 

 

Vani Kapoor, who needs a strong finish this week to secure a spot in the Top-60 for the next LET event in Spain, started with three pars and then went on a birdie spree with four consecutive birdies from the 13th to the 16th. Vani emphasized the importance of patience in her game.

 

 

Amateurs Vidhatri and Avani had impressive under-par rounds in the morning wave. Vidhatri mentioned her strategy, stating, “I knew the course was going to be a little tight today, and in the front nine, the pin positions were a bit tight. So I just wanted to finish it in pars. And then in the back nine, a few holes were pretty easy. So I just went for it.”

 

 

Avani Prashanth started strongly with four birdies in the first 10 holes but mentioned that it took some time to adjust to the greens' pace in the morning. She executed her game plan perfectly, and her putts started dropping as she got used to the greens.