GURUGRAM: Diksha Dagar has long admired Novak Djokovic, drawing lessons from the superhuman Serb’s resilience, and following his takes on dietary discipline. A fresh interest may be Rory McIlroy as her friends have dialled in to share the excitement of catching the current Masters champion on the DGC greens next week.
Been there, done that? She smiled.
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“I told Rory when I met him at the Paris Olympics last year to visit India because it’s a beautiful place. And he said, ‘yes, of course I will try to come when this opportunity arises’. Yes, he did listen to me, didn’t he? I picked on Rory’s brain and he told me to focus on my strength and keep sharpening it. I am following his advice.”
Diksha, only 24, already seems a veteran on the Ladies European Tour.
Six years ago in 2019, she made a grand debut winning the South African Women’s Open in only her fourth pro start. Her second triumph would come four years later in the Czech Republic. It was also in 2023 when she came close to winning her home Open. The aim is to try again this week and tick this goal on her bucket list.
“I can’t believe it’s been nine years since an Indian won it (Aditi Ashok in 2016). It feels like two years. I was an amateur then but there were times when local hopes were almost able to sniff it.
It’s natural that you feel the pressure here but those years of experience hopefully won’t come down to nothing for me. ”
Diksha comes off a 46th-place finish at the Ladies Open de France and a missed cut in Spain. The stop at La Sella came after more than a month of convalescence as she was waylaid by a virus that landed her in hospital. “I needed to rest and recover, and prepare for the tournaments at the tail end of the season,” she said.
No event is more important than the Hero Women’s Indian Open which has upped its prize purse to $500,000 this year. And although she has not had the best of competition prep, Diksha is keenly eyeing the DLF G&CC course with confidence. “Because of the rains, the course is behaving much better than the last two years. It is always a challenge and you can’t get ahead of yourself. But the softer condition will afford us better control,” she explained.
Overall, it has been a satisfying year. “I had a very good start in the Morocco season-opener, where I lost in a playoff. I missed only three cuts in 19 tournaments, and earned money even on the LPGA and Majors. I am getting closer,” said the World No. 219, who is hoping to improve on her 21st position on the European Order of Merit.
A couple of hiccups here and there doesn’t bother the Delhi Cantt golfer, who has benefitted from the support of a close-knit family. “My father will be on the bag, and we will focus on one shot at a time,” she promised.
Catch Lovlina Borgohain’s inspiring story on Game On, Episode 5. Watch Here
