It will be interesting to watch the Indians' progress in the star-studded field of the $300,000 Hero women's Indian Open 2011, starting at the DLF Golf and Country Club here on Friday.
In contrast to the mere presence of Indians in the last edition of the event, where only one professional (Sharmila Nicollet) could make the cut, this year the home challenge appears to be more solid.
Thanks to the busy domestic tour of the Women's Golf Association of India (WGAI), several young players like Order of Merit leader Sharmila, second-placed Nalini Singh Siwach, Neha Tripathi and Saaniya Sharma have shown improvement and are raring to go.
Nalini, who gave a glimpse of her immaculate short game in the ‘skills challenge' the other day, was bubbling with confidence. She said the main factor responsible for the rise in standard of the Indian players was the well-organised domestic competitions.
Need to be focussed
Veteran pro Smriti Mehra said the youngsters should show the courage to go out and perform alongside the top players.
About her personal goal, she said, “I need to be more focussed to attain some good results to celebrate the end of 2011.”
Sharmila wanted to give a better performance this time. “There has been a big improvement in my swing and accuracy. It has helped me enjoy playing the game,” she said.
Other than 12 home pros, seven Indian amateurs have got a chance to prove their mettle. Amateurs like Vani Kapoor and Gurbani Singh have made their mark in WGAI events and have shown that age is no bar if there is talent and dedication.
Davies to defend title
The legendary Laura Davies will defend her title among a formidable field, which features some top players from the Ladies European Tour (LET) and the Ladies Asian Golf Tour (LAGT).
“I don't think that the course necessarily suits me, but on the other hand I am playing so well. If I can hole some putts, which has been the problem all year, then I believe I will have a chance,” said Laura, the winner of 79 titles.
Laura's Solheim Cup-winning partners Sophie Gustafson, a four-time winner of the Henderson Money List, and star rookie Caroline Hedwall besides two-time champion Phatlum Pornanong of Thailand are some of the elite players who can make the title race quite thrilling.
Altogether 108 players from 26 countries are taking part in the tournament, the penultimate event on the LET schedule.
