History is on the line for Diksha Dagar this week as she looks to fulfil a lifelong dream and win her home event at the Hero Women’s Indian Open.
The left-handed star has won twice on the Ladies European Tour (LET), picking up silverware in South Africa and the Czech Republic, but admits winning in her birthplace remains top of the “bucket list”.
The 23-year-old said: “I’m pretty excited to be back here. Every year when I play here it brings back wonderful memories.
“It would mean a lot to win. It is on my bucket list. It is one of my biggest goals. I have wanted to win this [forever]. It would be amazing to win this at my home. I would love it to happen.”
Dagar has a solid record in her home event, staged once again at DLF Golf & Country Club in Gurugram, having finished solo third last time out in 2023.
Only one Indian has won the prestigious event, Aditi Ashok in 2016, with Dagar one of 26 home players teeing up this week in Delhi.
“It feels amazing to be here,” she continued. “Familiar ground and familiar crowds. My friends and family will be here. I’m going to try and do the same thing as last year. Just stayed focused.”
Dagar is currently 22nd in the LET Order of Merit with three top-10 finishes to her name. Last year the talented left-hander finished third in the year-long rankings.
“I would say this season has been lots of ups and downs,” she said. “But it’s alright, it’s part of the sport. I’m looking forward to finishing the season strong. We have three tournaments left.”
With friends and family in attendance, Dagar has already made a fantastic start to the week winning the Hero Skills Challenge on Tuesday followed by the pro-am alongside her father, Colonel Narinder Dagar, on Wednesday.
“I played with my dad today,” she continued. “He played good golf today and made some long putts! The pro-am today was so fun.”
While she also has a few recommendations for those in town for the event…
“In Delhi you should go to the market and experience the culture. You must try street food like pani puri!
Dagar gets her “bucket list” campaign under way at 11:21am on Thursday playing alongside OOM number one Chiara Tamburlini and Belgium’s Manon De Roey.
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