Mixed golf event a big boost for Indian women golfers

The Kapil Dev-Grant Thornton Invitational tournament marked a special moment in Indian golf where, for the first time, women pros stood shoulder to shoulder with their male counterparts in a domestic event of this scale.

Bengaluru: Twelve of India’s top women professional golfers went head-to-head with 60 male pros in a landmark tournament that is set to the rewrite the rules of the game. Seventy-two competitors, one coveted trophy, and a handsome Rs 2 crore prize purse -- the stakes had never been higher in a domestic event for the women. Hosted at the Prestige Golfshire Club, the only concession made for the women was the yardage: 6000–6200 yards versus over 7000 for men.

This wasn’t just another tournament. It marked a special moment in Indian golf where, for the first time, women pros stood shoulder to shoulder with their male counterparts in a domestic event of this scale. 

So when the Kapil Dev-Grant Thornton Invitational teed off at the par-72 course on the outskirts of Bengaluru last week, it was more than just a game. For the women, it was a rare opportunity to challenge the status quo, to measure themselves against the best and to make a statement that echoed far beyond the fairways.

“I grew up playing with the boys. But competing with them at such a high level was a great experience,” said Mysuru’s Pranavi Urs who finished the best lady professional with a three-day total of eight-under for an overall tied-18th place. The event was won by Chandigarh’s Angad Cheema who shot a winning total of 20-under.   “It shows that even the women can shoot low scores and be on par with the best male golfers on the tour. They (the boys) were better this week. If we have come so far, we are capable of getting closer to the top soon,” assured the 22-year-old who competes on the Ladies European Tour (LET). 

While Pranavi carded rounds of 71-65-72, the second best among the women - Delhi’s Hitaashee Bakshi - scored 69-65-76 for a total of 6-under 210 to finish tied-26th. Both their 7-unders on the second day were the lowest rounds by the women in fray. 

Speaking about learnings and the biggest difference in style of play between the two genders, Hitaashee, who also competes on the LET, observed: “Take the 8th hole at Prestige for example. It is a short par-4. As a woman pro, if I hit my driver off the tee I could get 20 yards behind the green. Whereas the men pros get a 50-60 yard approach shot even if they hit their 4-iron.  

“But these guys, go for the green (hit drivers off the tee box), they are not scared. You get to see a fearless mentality in situations we tend to be more conservative. This is the main difference in them scoring 20-under or more as opposed to us finishing 10-under or so.”

If the better approach to the game is an insight gathered, Pranavi and Hitashee acknowledge that the prize money also plays as a motivating factor.

“Such a big prize money will only encourage more girls to pick up a golf club. That’s a huge incentive,” offered Pranavi while Hitaashee added: “I felt that the prize money validated the efforts we women golfers put in. It’s not that we don’t work as hard as the boys. We finally felt we deserve it and belong here.” 

With a different mixed format added as a third medal event apart from the usual men’s and women’s individual events at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, the players hope more such tournaments get introduced to the domestic calendar. 

Hitaashee Bakshi.