The Hero Women’s Indian Open 2022 got off to a ‘skilful’ start as Team Europe and Team Rest of the World shared the honours in the Hero Skills Challenge, the traditional forerunner to the main tournament.
As the tournament made a welcome return after a break due to the pandemic in 2020 and 2021, four players from each side competed in an entertaining contest that had four segments – a 120-yard chip shot, a shot aimed at a Hero MotoCorp motorbike stationed in the centre of a lake, a bunker shot 45 yards from the pin and a 45-foot putt.
Team Europe comprised Camille Chevalier, Christine Wolf, Anne Van Dam and Meghan MacLaren, while Team Rest of the World had three Indians – Tvesa Malik, Pranavi Urs and Diksha Dagar and Moroccan Maha Haddioui.
With two players from each team competing in each segment, the 2017 HWIO champion Chevalier emerged as the best in the 120-yard shot landing her shot seven feet eight inches from the pin.
In the ‘Bike Shot’ Diksha hit the bike once but her teammate Maha struck the target twice and won.
Christine Wolf was the best in the ‘Bunker Challenge’ and landed her shot seven feet four inches from the pin.
Finally, Tvesa Malik got back that final point for Team Rest of the World by stroking the 45-footer to one foot nine inches.
With the teams tied with two ‘Skill wins’ each, they received Rs. 1,60,000 each.
