Indian golfer Pranavi Urs returns to competitive action this week, aiming to translate her recent success at the Asian Games into a maiden title at the 2026 Hero Women’s Indian Open. The 23-year-old, who made history by becoming the first Indian woman to secure a gold medal at the Asian Games with a final-shot victory, enters the $500,000 tournament as one of the home crowd's primary hopefuls. The event, held at the challenging DLF Golf and Country Club in Gurugram, commences this week and will span four days of intense competition.
The tournament field is notably deep, featuring five former champions who are eager to secure another victory in one of the most prestigious events on the golfing calendar. Among the notable participants is the defending champion, Singapore’s Shannon Tan, who earned a hard-fought one-stroke win against Alice Hewson last year. Tan, who also secured a third-place finish at the recent Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, is expected to be a formidable challenger on the demanding Gurugram course.
Joining the field are several other high-profile international players. These include England’s Liz Young, who claimed the title in 2024, and Germany’s Olivia Cowan, the 2022 winner. Camille Chevalier, who triumphed in 2017, and Thai veteran Pornanong Phatlum—a three-time winner of the event and a recipient of a sponsor invitation—round out a list of past champions aiming to regain their form. Additionally, former Ladies European Tour (LET) Order of Merit winners Chiara Tamburlini of Switzerland and Trichat Cheenglab of Thailand have also entered the fray, alongside other seasonal winners such as Leonie Harm and Agathe Laisné.
For India, the tournament represents a significant opportunity for local talent to shine on home soil. Pranavi Urs, who finished in fourth place at this event last year, will be looking to carry her recent momentum forward. She is joined by fellow Asian Games team-bronze medalists Aditi Ashok and Diksha Dagar. Aditi remains the only Indian golfer to have won this tournament, a feat she achieved back in 2016. Hitaashee Bakshi, who performed strongly last year before a final-day slip, is also back in contention.
The competition is expected to be fierce, with a total of four Indians competing from the Ladies European Tour. Both Avani Prashanth and Vani Kapoor are also participating, looking to build upon their top-10 finishes from the previous edition, which was widely considered one of the strongest overall performances by an Indian contingent in recent history. The tactical difficulty of the DLF course remains a significant factor that all players must navigate to remain in the hunt for the trophy.
As the tournament begins, the spotlight rests on the pairing of Pranavi, defending champion Tan, and Chevalier for the opening two days. This grouping is likely to draw significant attention as fans monitor whether the confidence gained from the Asian Games will propel the young Indian golfer to her first LET title. The event continues to hold its reputation as a cornerstone of Indian golf, and organizers are hopeful that the current field will provide a high level of competition throughout the four-day schedule.
Comments