LPGA star Maria Fassi joins line-up for Hero Women’s Indian Open

Ladies PGA regular Maria Fassi of Mexico and Sweden’s Kajsa Arwefjäll have confirmed their entries for the 2024 Hero Women’s Indian Open at the DLF Golf and Country Club from October 24, making this one of the most heavyweight fields in recent years.

Fassi, 26, is a former NCAA Division I winner and runner-up at the inaugural Augusta National Women Amateurs, who first qualified for the LPGA in 2019 and also represented Mexico at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. 

In 2023, Fassi had three top-10 finishes including taking sixth place at both the Dow Great Lakes Bay Invitational and the Dana Open. This year, her best finish has been a share of 12th at the ShopRite LPGA Classic presented by Acer, a statement from the event organisers said.

Arwefjäll is one of the freshest talents to emerge on the Ladies European Tour and is excited about her maiden trip to India. Coming from the country that produced the legendary Annika Sorenstam, she hails from a sporting family. In 2024 she recorded two wins on the LET Access Tour (LETAS) besides six other top 10 finishes to win the Order of Merit and earned herself an invitation to this edition of the Hero Women’s Indian Open.

The multi-talented 24-year-old will find herself in familiar company with as many 10 compatriots in the field including Caroline Hedwall, who is the only Swede to have won the HWIO, in 2011 besides finishing runner-up thrice.

“India will be so much fun,” Arwefjäll said. “I really thought Spain (the final LETAS event for 2024) was going to be the last one and then when I was in Spain, I found out that I got an invite. I’ve never been to India so it will be super exciting and a great opportunity to try my game against the LET players before I officially start my season there.”

The young Swede had an outstanding 2024 season and secured both the Order of Merit and Rookie of the Year prizes. She impressed in her very first LETAS start with a top five placing at the Amundi Czech Ladies Challenge before finishing second at the Santander Golf Tour-Avila one shot behind Helen Briem. A week later, she won the Moregolf Mastercard Open.

Overall, Arwefjäll finished the season 175 points ahead of the rest of the field to propel herself into the LET for the 2025 season. That got better with an invitation to the Women’s Indian Open, giving her an early taste of LET competition.

The field includes another rookie and LET Order of Merit leader, Chiara Tamburlini of Switzerland, Belgium’s Manon De Roey, England’s Alice Hewson and Amy Taylor, Frenchwoman Perrine Delacour and Singaporean Shannon Tan from Singapore, who are all winners in the current season.

The Indian challenge will include two-time LET winner Diksha Dagar, besides the consistent Pranavi Urs, Tvesa Malik, Vani Kapoor, Gaurika Bishnoi, and current domestic Order of Merit leader Hitaashee Bakshi.

A field of 114 will feature in the $400,000 72-hole stroke play event with all top Indians in the fray, including Dagar, who was third last year, and Drall, who was second in 2022.