Merit leader Chiara Tamburlini confirms Hero Women’s Indian Open spot

Ladies European Tour Order of Merit leader Chiara Tamburlini from Switzerland has confirmed her participation in the $400,000 Hero Women’s Indian Open 2024, to be played from October 24 to 27 at the DLF Golf and Country Club in Gurgaon.

The only LET tournament in South Asia marks the professional debut of the talented Avani Prashanth, who will play on a special invitation after several previous appearances at the Indian Open as an amateur, including a fifth-place finish in 2023.

The strong international field, including former champions Christine Wolf (2019), Camille Chevalier (2017) and Caroline Hedwall (2011), will face a strong Indian challenge from the likes of two-time Olympian Diksha Dagar, who finished third last year finished, and Gaurika Bishnoi, who finished eighth.

The international field will also include 2023 LET list winner Trichat Cheenglab of Thailand and 2010 Order of Merit winner Lee Anne Pace of South Africa, a statement from organizers said.

Swiss golfer Tamburlini is already a two-time winner in her rookie year at the LET, having lifted the Joburg Ladies Open in April and the Lacoste Open de France just two weeks ago. Most recently, the teenager showed her leadership skills by guiding her team to victory at the Aramco Team Series Shenzhen.

Other winners from the current LET season who will appear in the field include England’s Alice Hewson (winner of the VP Bank Swiss Ladies Open) and Amy Taylor (winner of the Ladies Italian Open), France’s Perrine Delacour (Dormy Open Helsingborg), Belgium’s Manon De Roey (Investec SA Women’s Open champion) and Singapore’s Shannon Tan (Magical Kenya Ladies Open champion).

Seven-time LET winner Caroline Hedwall, whose last title came at the Andalucia Costa Del Sol in Spain in 2022, won the Hero Women’s Indian Open in 2011, her rookie year. Since then, she has finished second three times: in 2012 (to Pornanong Phatlum), 2018 (tied with three others) and 2022 (tied for second with India’s Amandeep Drall).

Hedwall, who has also played the Solheim Cup, calls the Hero Women’s Indian Open one of her favorite events as it was one of her four wins as a rookie in 2011. Others in the field who have finished second in the past include Sara. Kjellker (2023), Drall (2022), Marianne Skarpnord (2019), Michelle Thompson (2017) and Hannah Burke (2014).