Mexico’s Maria Fassi and Sweden’s Kajsa Arwefjäll are the latest exciting additions to the distinguished entry list of the Hero Women’s Indian Open to be held at the DLF Golf and Country Club from 24-27 October 2024.
Arwefjäll is one of the freshest talents to emerge on the Ladies European Tour (LET) and is excited about her maiden trip to India. Coming from the country that produced the legend Annika Sorenstam, the multi-talented 24-year-old Swede hails from a sporting family. In 2024 she set the LET Access Tour (LETAS) alight with two wins and six other top-10 finishes to top the Order of Merit and has earned herself an invite to one of the 2024 Hero Women’s Indian Open.
She will find herself among friends as there are as many 10 Swedes in the field for the 2024 HWIO. Caroline Hedwall, who is one of the contenders this year, is the only Swede to have won the HWIO, in 2011. She has also finished runner-up three times.
Apart from Arwefjäll, another player to watch will be the 26-year-old Mexican Maria Fassi, a former NCAA Division I winner and runner-up at the inaugural Augusta National Women Amateurs, who plays on the LPGA.
The field for HWIO includes the LET Order of Merit leader, Swiss Chiara Tamburlini, winner of three titles this season, Belgium’s Manon De Roey, England’s Alice Hewson and Amy Taylor, Frenchwoman Perrine Delacour and Singaporean Shannon Tan from Singapore, who are all current season winners.
The Indian challenge will be headed by two-time LET winner Diksha Dagar, Pranavi Urs, Tvesa Malik, Vani Kapoor, Gaurika Bishnoi, Hitaashee Bakshi among others.
Arwefjäll said, “India will be so much fun. I really thought Spain (last event on LETAS for 2024) was going to be the last one and then when I was in Spain, I found out that I got an invite. I’ve never been to India so it will be super exciting and a great opportunity to try my game against the LET players before I officially start my season there.”
Arwefjäll had an outstanding 2024 season and secured both the Order of Merit winner and Rookie of the Year prizes.
She impressed in her first start on LETAS 2024 with a top five at the Amundi Czech Ladies Challenge before placing runner-up at the Santander Golf Tour-Avila, where she finished one shot behind Helen Briem. A week later the expected win arrived as Arwefjall won the Moregolf Mastercard Open.
Overall, Arwefjäll finished the season with two wins and six Top-10s, and with that the San Jose State University graduate finished 175 points ahead of the rest of the field to win the coveted Order of Merit and propel herself into the LET for the 2025 season.
Then it got better with an invitation to India for the HWIO, where she gets a chance to compete on the big stage.
LPGA regular Maria Fassi first joined the tour in 2019 and also represented her country Mexico at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. In 2023, Fassi recorded three top-10 finishes including two sixth place results at the Dow Great Lakes Bay Invitational and the Dana Open. This year, her best finish has been T12 at the ShopRite LPGA Classic presented by Acer and she will be all geared up to show her class in India gunning for the coveted HWIO trophy.
A total of 114 players, including leading player from the current LET’s current Order of Merit, current season winners from both LET and LETAS will feature in the US$ 400,000 four-day 72-hole stroke play event with all top Indians in the fray, including Diksha Dagar, who was third last year, and Amandeep Drall, who was second in 2022.
Entry for fans will be free on the days of the event and a special Fan Zone with food stalls at various spots is being created. Professionals will also be conducting clinics for junior golfers during the week.
