17-year-old amateur standout Mannat Brar from Pune left an indelible mark at the Hero Women’s Indian Open (HWIO), as the best-finishing Indian at T11 with a tournament score of 4-over 292. The talented teen showcased her resilience, despite tough course conditions that saw firm greens and fast speeds exceeding 12 on the stimp meter.
Indian pros disappointed as they failed to mount any challenge, with Mysore’s Pranavi Urs, now a Ladies European Tour regular, and Delhi’s Hitaashee Bakshi finishing tied 15th, thereby earning Best Indian Professionals honors. Tvesa Malik came in at T26, with Ridhima Dilawari and Vani Kapoor following at T31.
In contrast, Diksha Dagar had finished 3rd last year, but could only manage T38th this year. Her form has dipped since the last couple of months, owing to a weakening bout of Covid where she lost distance on her drives.
The absence of Aditi Ashok at her National Open was keenly felt, as the tournament needs to ensure a player like Aditi is in the field in order to attract crowds with a strong Indian challenge.
England’s Liz Young claimed the Title, finishing at 2-under-par 286 with a one-stroke edge over Manon De Roey, Shannon Tan, Agathe Sauzon, and Momoka Kobori, who finished T2 at 1-under-par 287. This victory marked the end of her birthday week with a winner’s cheque of $60,000, boosting her to 12th on the LET’s Order of Merit.
The winning score of 2-under-par, with only five players breaking par as their total score this year, reflects a stark contrast to the 15-under-par winning score of last year.