New Delhi, September 29, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
The 18th edition of the Hero Women’s Indian Open will be held from October 22 to 25 at DLF Golf & Country Club in Gurugram, with three of the tournament’s last four champions set to return for the 2026 edition.
Defending champion Shannon Tan of Singapore, 2024 winner Liz Young of England and 2022 champion Olivia Cowan of Germany will be among the leading contenders at the US$500,000 Ladies European Tour (LET) event. The tournament will begin on October 22, with the final round scheduled for October 25.
Tan claimed the title last year after producing a strong final-round performance to overcome a five-shot deficit. She carded a 67 in the final round to finish at seven-under 281, one stroke ahead of England’s Alice Hewson, while India’s Hitaashee Bakshi secured third place at five-under.
Tan’s victory was her third LET title. She had finished runner-up to Young in the 2024 edition before returning to win the tournament in 2025.
The early entries include three past LET Order of Merit winners: Tan, who topped the rankings in 2025; Switzerland’s Chiara Tamburlini, the 2024 winner; and Thailand’s Trichat Cheenglab, who claimed the honour in 2023.
The field will also feature four players who have won on the LET this season: England’s Eleanor Givens, winner of the Swiss Ladies Open; Thailand’s Aunchisa Utama, champion at the Dutch Ladies Open; Germany’s Leonie Harm, winner of the German Masters; and France’s Agathe Laisné, who has claimed both the Joburg Ladies Open and the Women’s NSW Open.
Hewson, last year’s runner-up, will also arrive in strong form after finishing tied for second at the La Sella Open in September with a score of eight-under 208.
Indian Golfers Target Long-Awaited Home Victory
The Indian contingent will aim to end a decade-long wait for a home winner, with Aditi Ashok the last Indian golfer to lift the trophy in 2016.
India recorded its strongest collective performance in the tournament’s history in 2025, with four players finishing inside the top 10. Hitaashee Bakshi secured third place after leading on the final day, while Pranavi Urs finished fourth, Avani Prashanth was tied fifth and Vani Kapoor shared 10th place.
Diksha Dagar, who finished tied 41st last year, will also be among India’s contenders. A two-time LET winner, Dagar finished third at the Women’s Indian Open in 2023 and recently competed in a domestic tour event at DLF to prepare for the tournament.
Dagar and Urs will enter the event after representing India at the Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan. Alongside Avani Prashanth, Hitaashee Bakshi and Vani Kapoor, they have been competing regularly on the Ladies European Tour.
Kavita Singh, President of the Women’s Golf Association of India (WGAI), said the 18th edition of the tournament would once again be hosted at DLF Golf & Country Club, which she described as a state-of-the-art venue associated with golfing excellence.
She said the partnership between WGAI and the Ladies European Tour had strengthened over the years and played a key role in raising the stature of the Hero Women’s Indian Open and supporting the growth of women’s golf in India.
Singh said the organisers expected a strong international field alongside Indian players capable of competing at the highest level. She also welcomed the players, officials, sponsors and media to the tournament.
Tom Phillips, CEO of the Ladies European Tour, said the Hero Women’s Indian Open had become a regular fixture on the LET schedule and was held at an important point in the season, when players were looking to consolidate or improve their positions in the Order of Merit.
Phillips said players looked forward to returning each year to the DLF Golf & Country Club, praising the quality of the course.
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