Ridhima Dilawari Triumphs in Exciting Golf Contest with $10,000 Prize Pool
Ridhima Dilawari Claims Victory
In a thrilling knockout tournament featuring a total prize pool of $10,000, Ridhima Dilawari emerged as the champion, securing the top prize of $4,000. She achieved this by defeating Pranavi Urs, an Asian Games gold medalist and brand ambassador for Hero MotoCorp, who received $2,000 for her efforts.
The semi-finalists included defending champion Shannon Tan and Chiara Tamburlini. Notable players such as Vani Kapoor, Liz Young, and Diksha Dagar, also a Hero MotoCorp ambassador, reached the quarter-finals.
Tournament Format and Rules
The quarter-finals were played from a distance of 90 yards from the hole, with each participant allowed 60 seconds to take up to nine shots for points. In the semi-finals, players shot from 100 yards, needing six shots to qualify for points without a time constraint. The final round required six shots from 110 yards, again without a time limit.
Hero Pro-Am Highlights
Finnish golfer Sanaa Nuutinen set a remarkable pace at the HWIO by winning the Hero Pro-Am event. Partnered with amateurs Devendar Pal Singh, Satnam Arora, and Gurnam Arora, Sanaa led her team to victory with a combined score of 34-under.
Diksha Dagar, a two-time LET champion and a key contender at the DLF Golf and Country Club this week, secured second place alongside Hero MotoCorp CEO Harshavardhan Chitale, Veenu Bansal, and Inderjit Singh, finishing at 30-under.
The team of Chiara Tamburlini, the 2024 LET order of merit winner, along with Naresh Kumar, Raj Arora, and Anish Sharma, also ended at 30-under but lost to Diksha's team on countback.
Spot Prizes and Highlights
Throughout the day, various spot prizes were awarded. Kundan Kumar won the straight drive on Hole 1, landing his shot perfectly on line. Sachin Anand took home the closest to the pin prize on Hole 5, landing his ball at 12 feet, 3 inches.
On Hole 16, Kabul Chawla won the closest to the pin contest, with his ball landing within 8 feet. The Kingfisher Long Drive on Hole 15 attracted significant attention, with Nandita Kumar achieving the best drive among women at 201 yards, while Saurabh Uppal won among men with a drive of 259 yards.