Big names set for Delhi challenge

Sharmila Nicollet, Nalini Singh and Smriti Mehra, the leading three players on the Women's Golf Association of India's Order of Merit, were joined by the Ladies European Tour's rookie sensation Caroline Hedwall, Sicilian Ladies Italian Open champion Christina Kim, Thailand's Pornanong Phatlum and Becky Brewerton at the launch of the 2011 Hero Women's Indian Open in Gurgaon, New Delhi, on Tuesday.
The Hero Women's Indian Open 2011, a tri-sanctioned event between the Ladies European Tour, the Ladies Asian Golf Tour and the Women's Golf Association to India, carries a prize purse of €225,000, with a first prize of €33,750 and is now firmly established as one of the best-attended events in Asia.
The award-winning PING G20 Irons
club will host the tournament for the fifth time in succession. The tournament was established by the Ladies Asian Golf Tour and Women's Golf Association of India in 2007 and only became tri-sanctioned with the Ladies European Tour last year.
England's Laura Davies will defend the PING G20 Irons
title over three rounds from December 9-11 and was relishing the opportunity.
"I don't think that the course necessarily suits me but on the other hand I'm playing so well, if I can hole some putts, which has been the problem all year, then I believe I'll have a chance," she said.
Davies, a seven-time European Order of Merit winner, will be joined by fellow European Solheim Cup team members Sophie Gustafson, a four-time winner of the Henderson Money List and the hugely talented rookie Hedwall, who has already won three times this season. PING G20 Irons
Sweden's Hedwall is also making her tournament debut and commented: "It has been a wonderful year and I was not expecting it to be this good. I am hoping for a good finish at the Indian Open. It has great experience in India so far."
The flamboyant Kim, a United States Solheim Cup player, was also looking forward to competing and commented: "It's a great feeling to be in India for the first time, and I am expecting a good finish thanks to my current form."
The Indian challenge will be led by Nicollet, the current leader on the domestic Hero Women's Professional Golf Tour who was India's top representative in a tie for 23rd at the 2010 event.
"I am hoping to finish better than last year. I have worked on my PING G20 Irons
and it has shown good results," said the glamorous young professional, who has already played in a number of Ladies European Tour events, including the Evian Masters presented by Societe Generale and the Finnair Masters this year.
Meanwhile, Mehra, a pioneer of women's professional golf in India who helped to establish and popularise the game, is looking forward to playing PING G20 Irons
in the tournament, which will showcase India's burgeoning talent to a global audience.
Mehra commented: "This tournament is a great exposure for Indian women's professional golfers and we are hopeful for a good result from the Indians this year."
In an exciting new move for Indian women's golf, the tournament title sponsor Hero MotoCorp will send the top four finishing Indian players to the LET's Qualifying School at La Manga Club in Spain in January.