Gurugram (Haryana)[India], October 18 : Led by Diksha Dagar and Johanna Gustavsson, two of the leading contenders this week for the Women's Indian Open 2023, the star players got off to a fine start for the $ 400,000 event.
Competing in the Skills Challenge, two teams - Europe and Rest of the World - comprising four players each, got a 'competitive' taste of things to come at the DLF Golf and Country Club on Tuesday.
Europe and the Rest of the World shared the honours for the second straight year, winning two Skills each.
The European foursome comprised Christine Wolf (the HWIO 2019 winner), Johanna Gustavsson (winner of Open de France), Nuria Iturrioz (winner of La Sella Open); and Meghan MacLaren (winner of Australian Women's 2022), while the Rest of the World had Tvesa Malik (WGAI OOM winner 2019), Diksha Dagar (Winner Czech Ladies Open and Olympian), Trichat Cheenglab (Winner Big Green Egg Open) and Magdalena Simmermacher (Olympian).
Europe, through Christine Wolf and Nuria Iturrioz, won the 120-yard pitch and 'Hit the Hero Bike' respectively. Christine, the 2019 winner of this tournament, hit her pitch shot to five feet one inch and then Nuria twice hit the 'Hero Bike' placed on a platform in the middle of the Lake adjoining the 18th Green to put Team Europe 2-0 up.
The Rest of the World hit back quickly as Diksha Dagar and Trichat Cheenglab both hit their bunker shots to five feet of the flag.
Then in the final Skill, which was the "Long Putt", Tvesa Malik found her way to within seven inches from 40 feet on the contoured 18th Green to force a 2-2 tie. Both teams received Rs. 1,68,000 each for winning two Skills each as Ram Kuppuswamy, Chief Procurement Officer, Hero MotoCorp, gave away the prizes to the teams.
Interestingly, Christine Wolf and Meghan MacLaren were in the European side a year ago, as were Diksha and Tvesa on the Rest of the World team.
On Wednesday, the Hero Women's Indian Open will have its customary Pro-Am with some celebrities playing alongside the top professionals and a day later on October 19, the first round of the $ 400,000 event will get underway with the champion being crowned on Sunday.
A total of 120 professionals will tee off on Thursday with the 36-hole cut coming in after two rounds and the final round will be played on Sunday.
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