Teenager Diksha Dagar finished as the leading amateur at the Hero Women’s Indian Open in her first appearance on the Ladies European Tour and the 15-year-old from Haryana will be one to watch in future.
Dagar, who has overcome a hearing impairment to win multiple amateur tournaments, including three in 2016, now hopes to emulate the success of fellow Indian player Aditi Ashok, who won the championship at DLF Golf and Country Club in her sixth appearance.
Having played golf with Aditi as an amateur, she said: “It’s great to see Aditi win and very nice that she’s the first Indian to win the tournament. I will take a lot of motivation from this and her performance on the LET this year has instilled a lot of confidence in all Indian players of all ages.”
Dagar took up golf at the age of seven after being introduced to the game by her father, Col. Narinder Dagar, a former scratch golfer who also acts as her coach and caddie. She plays at the Army Golf Course in Haryana.
Colonel Narinder said: “I’m convinced that Diksha has a lot of raw talent as she is effectively self-taught. She’s also a leftie, so she’s more crafty. She also has great ball striking but will need some technical support at a high level.”
The next two objectives for Dagar are to win a gold medal for India at the Asian Games in 2018 and to represent India at the 2020 Olympic Games and perform well. Currently in Class 10, she has two-and-a-half years of schooling to complete before deciding on her next steps and whether to try college golf or turn professional.
