India’s Aditi Ashok will look to retain her crown at the 2017 Hero Women’s Indian Open, which will take place at the picturesque DLF Golf and Country Club, Gurgaon from November 9 to 12.
The USD 400,000 event, now in its 11th year, will field previous champions and Order of Merit winners, who will battle for top honours.
Headlining the filed will be the likes of Emily Kristine Pedersen (winner of Hero Women’s Indian Open 2015), Beth Allen (winner, LET Order of Merit 2016) and Belen Mozo (runner-up at the Hero Women’s Indian Open 2016), besides defending champion Aditi.
The flagship event, co-sanctioned by the Ladies European Tour (LET) and the Women’s Golf Association of India (WGAI) will also feature World No. 21 Carlota Ciganda from Spain, who will be the top-ranked player in the field.
Emily Pedersen, currently ranked 23 on the LET OOM with total career earnings of 3,41,848.39 in seven appearances, will also be seen in action.
The winner of the Hero Women’s Indian Open 2015, Emily has competed in 16 LET tournaments and secured 6 top-15 finishes on the way to finishing the season in the seventh position on the LET order of merit in 2016.
She will be keen to move up the ladder with a strong performance in India this year.
Aditi will start as a firm favourite this year. After winning the Hero Women’s Indian Open, she went on to claim the Qatar Ladies Open 2016.
Another Indian player who will be keen to make a mark will be Vani Kapoor. She finished tied 36 at the Lalla Meryem Cup and is currently placed seventh in the Hero Order of Merit (WGAI) with total earnings of INR 5,21,000 and three victories in five appearances.
She will be playing on her home turf at the DLF Golf and Country Club alongside a strong Indian contingent, which includes Gaurika Bishnoi, Amandeep Drall, and Neha Tripathi.
The coveted tournament will be played on India’s only Gary Player course situated in Gurgaon.
The challenging signature ‘Black Knight’ course tested the mantle of the women professionals last year with its dramatic landforms, rock quarries, large lakes and extensive landscaping. It is now all set to play host to another memorable Hero Women’s Indian Open.