Vani returns to the domestic Tour as top stars tune up for Indian Open

Gurugram, October 23: The top stars of the Indian women's domestic Tour will be back in action as a final tune-up for the upcoming Hero Women's Indian Open. But for this week, the women golfers will tee up for the 14th Leg of the Hero Women's Pro Golf Tour.

The importance of this week's event cannot be emphasized more than the fact that this week the women will play the same course, which will host the Hero Women's Indian Open. The challenging Gary Player layout has been the venue for the HWIO for last two years.

Vani Kapoor, who has won three times in the five events she has played this season, will return to the domestic Tour after a gap of four events. In this period she was unwell for sometime and also played abroad on the Ladies European Tour.

Also in the field are Amandeep Drall, Gursimar Badwal, Neha Tripathi and Saaniya Sharma, who have all been playing off and on in Europe.

Smriti Mehra, the most experienced of Indian women professionals, will be back in action to seek her first title of the year.

This season, the previous 13 legs have produced seven different winners, with Vani leading the way with three wins. Amandeep Drall, Gursimar Badwal, Neha Tripathi and Tvesa Malik have won twice each, while Gaurika Bishnoi and Saaniya Sharma have won once.

On Tuesday (October 24), the last group will see Vani Kapoor go out with Trisha Sunil and Tvesa Malik, while Siddhi Kapoor, amateur Pranavi Urs and Anisha Padukone will feature in the second last group.

Order of Merit leader Gaurika Bishnoi has been paired with Amandeep Drall and Afshan Fatima. Saaniya Sharma, amateur Ananya Barthakur and Ayesha Kapur will play together, while Neha Tripathi and Gursimar Badwal are in one of the two-balls. The other two-ball will comprise Smriti Mehra and Mehar Atwal.