Liz Young Wins Hero Women’s Indian Open in Dramatic Finish
Liz Young, a 42-year-old English golfer, triumphed at the 16th edition of the $400,000 Hero Women’s Indian Open, held at the DLF Golf and Country Club in Gurugram. Young’s victory marks the second time an English player has won the event, following Laura Davies’ triumph in 2010.
Young’s journey to victory was not without its challenges. She started the tournament in 17th place, but gradually climbed the leaderboard, finishing third on Saturday. On the final day, she shared the lead with Manon De Roey of Belgium after a birdie on the 15th hole.
However, the drama unfolded on the par-5 18th hole. Young’s third shot found the water, but she calmly hit a wedge from the drop zone and holed the putt for a bogey. De Roey, who needed a par to force a playoff, overhit her chip and finished with a bogey, handing Young the victory.
Young’s winning total of 2-under par 286 is the highest since 2007, highlighting the difficulty of the DLF course. “Making pars is as important as birdies on such a course,” said Young. “I don’t think I made bogeys on bad shots. It’s that kind of a course.”
Among the Indian players, amateur Mannat Brar finished as the highest-placed Indian at T11, while Pranavi Urs and Hitaashee Bakshi tied for 15th. Diksha Dagar finished T38 after a disappointing third round.
The tournament also raised questions about the difficulty of the DLF course. Only five players finished with a sub-par aggregate, and the cut was applied at 10-over, unprecedented in the tournament’s history. “This course has always played tough,” said tournament director Joao Pinto. “We’ve been watering the course every morning, but the course’s character is to play tough.”