Season-ending battle looms for Let Order of Merit Crown

File photo of Ladies European Tour Order of Merit Leader Mimi Rhodes from England, who will be among the title favorites this week at the Hero Womens Indian Open in Gurgaon. Image Courteousness late.

By Rahul Banerji

Three of the top four of the Ladies European Tour’s Order of Merit are open at the 17th Hero Women’s Indian and a good result could see them take an important step in the direction of the race of the season.

As it looks now, the English Rookie Mimi Rhodes is at the top of the uncle with three victories. Close his heels his Shannon Tan and Sara Kouskova from Singapore of the Czech Republic, giving the DLF Golf and Country Club event in Gurgaon an extra needle.

Rhodes won the Ford Women’s NSW Open, the Jobburg -Dames open next to the Dutch ladies and leads Tan by 209.54 points, while Kouskova is 498.76 points on the drift of the English woman who is also at the top of the rankies rankings.

A trek of 500 points are offered here this week for the winner.

“This is my first time in India, so it was a nice new adventure and a new culture for me to experience,” Rhodes told reporters on Tuesday.

“The course looks really nice and every hole is different, so it’s a nice challenge. There are many different holes to play in different ways, so I’m looking forward to that.”

Crucial

With four more events about the Let scheme, it is also a crucial week for those who want to retain their playing rights, limited to the top 70 in the order of merit.

The following two events – in Taiwan and China – have limited fields, which means that the Hero Women’s Indian Open is just as good as a last chance to add points to the Kitty.

A total of 29 Indians will start at the only Let event on the home floor, led by two-time winner Diksha Dagar next to Touresa Malik, Pranavi Urs and Avani Prashanth.

For Dagar it is an opportunity to improve its current 21st place in the order of merit, while the others have a good opportunity to tackle valuable points that will enter the end of the 2025 season.

“This golf course is in good condition,” said Dagar Tuesday

“It has become much better than the past year and I am very excited to play on this course and I will just play my game.

Maiden Show

This is the first performance of Rhodes in India, while Tan, Kouskova and defensive champion Liz Young of England are familiar with the course and the circumstances – an advantage that can be crucial on Sunday.

Young said Tuesday: ‘It has been a challenging year for me, but I am happy that I am here again.

“The course plays very differently than last year (after heavy rainfall in the capital recently). So we will have to play a number of different photos, but I am really enthusiastic to come back.

For Tan, the Amundi German Masters Champion, a top three finish here, the classification of the season could lead, especially if Rhodes ends outside the top 35.

Kouskova could also overtake Rhodes with victory on the DKF lane, if Rhodes miss the cut.

Singaporean Tan can overtake Rhodes if she ends in the top three in India and Rhodes ends the week outside the top 35.

Extra incentive

An extra incentive lies in the fact that the top 10 in the order of merit will have access to the final qualification of LPGA Q series in December.

Among the Indians, Dagar (21st), Avani Prashanth (50th) and Pranavi Urs (58th) are currently well placed to keep their full cards.

For the DLF -based Hitashee Bakshi (108th) and Vani Kapoor (110th), it is an opportunity to take advantage of home advantage and make the ranking.

Hitashhee said: “Many people say it is playing differently, but I think it is very different for me because I literally played all the seasons here for 365 days.

“So nothing is different for me. I feel really comfortable here. I am looking forward to this week.”

Also read: Young Wins Hero Women’s Indian Open, Mannat is Top Indian

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