Mention golf in India, and prominent names like Jeev Milkha Singh, Anirban Lahiri, and Jyoti Randhawa often come to mind.
However, the past decade has seen several Indian women golfers make their mark. Notably, Aditi Ashok, Diksha Dagar, and Tvesa Malik all competed at the same major event, the 2020 Women’s Open at Royal Troon—a milestone not yet achieved by their male counterparts.
Women’s golf in India gained further prominence when Aditi Ashok nearly secured a medal at Tokyo 2020.
In celebration of these achievements, let’s look at some of the top Indian female golfers.
Aditi Ashok
Despite being in her 20s, Aditi Ashok is already a well-known name in golf.
Taking up the sport at age five, the Bengaluru native qualified for the Ladies European Tour (LET) in 2016.
At 18, Aditi represented India when golf returned to the Olympic Games at Rio 2016. She was the youngest golfer—man or woman—in Rio, briefly leading during the second round before finishing 41st behind gold medallist Inbee Park.
In November of that year, Aditi Ashok achieved a major milestone by becoming the first Indian to win an LET Tour title at the Women’s Indian Open, earning her front-page headlines.
Two weeks later, she triumphed again at the Qatar Ladies Open and was awarded the LET Rookie of the Year.
Aditi also secured an LPGA Tour card, making her the first Indian to compete on the prestigious American tour in 2017.
She claimed her third LET victory in Abu Dhabi in November 2017, and her performances on both sides of the Atlantic have garnered global attention.
Her fame grew further at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, where she maintained a top-three position during the first three rounds and narrowly missed an Olympic medal, finishing fourth.
Over the years, Aditi Ashok has gained valuable experience and is a regular contender on the LET and LPGA Tours. Her achievements include winning a silver medal at the 2023 Asian Games in Hangzhou.
Sharmila Nicollet
A keen athlete in her childhood, Sharmila Nicollet was a swimming prodigy before being introduced to golf by her cousin at the age of 11.
What began as a fun outing to the golf course soon turned serious as the Bengaluru-born golfer developed a commendable amateur career.
Sharmila enjoyed significant success on the amateur circuit, winning titles including the 2008 All-India Ladies Amateur Championship and representing India at the 2006 Asian Games.
At just 16, she partnered with British star Laura Davies ahead of the 2007 Indian Open during a special challenge match. Davies remarked, “She has the potential to be a good player,” after observing the young Indian golfer up close.
Although it took some time for Nicollet to establish herself in the professional ranks, she proved her talent in 2012 by becoming the second Indian and the youngest Indian golfer to secure a full tour card for the Ladies European Tour.
Diksha Dagar
Born almost completely deaf, Diksha Dagar’s journey to success is one of courage and determination.
Introduced to golf by her father, Col. Narinder Dagar, Diksha has become known for her clean ball-striking and classy play.
She began her amateur career at 12 and gained attention when she was the best-placed amateur in the 2015 Indian Open.
In 2016, she broke into the world’s top 500 for Under-18s and won her first professional event on the 2017 Hero Women’s Pro Golf Tour.
Diksha earned a silver medal at the 2017 Deaflympics and represented India at the 2018 Asian Games in both individual and team events.
Turning professional in 2019, she won the LET’s South African Women’s Open, finishing one stroke ahead of home favorite and three-time champion Lee-Anne Pace.
Diksha made her Olympic debut at Tokyo 2020, finishing tied-50th after receiving a late entry.
In 2021, she secured a gold medal at the Deaflympics held in Brazil.
Tvesa Malik Tvesa
Malik had a unique introduction to golf. At just 11 years old, she regularly visited the Karnataka Golf Association’s course in Bengaluru with her sister and volunteered at the 2007 Women’s Indian Open.
This experience ignited her passion for golf and provided her with both determination and a collection of golf balls as keepsakes.
Over the years, Malik progressed through the domestic ranks, turning professional in 2017 and topping the 2018 Women’s Golf Association of India Order of Merit.
She secured her LET card at qualifying school that year, but her debut season had a slow start.
With experience, Malik improved, making the cut in eight out of 12 events, highlighted by her tied-sixth finish at the Women’s Indian Open.