Chiara Tamburlini Leads Hero Women’s Indian Open in Delhi

• Chiara Tamburlini leads the Hero Women’s Indian Open after an opening 67.
• Defending champion Shannon Tan and Magdalena Simmermacher are T2.
• Czechia’s Sara Kouskova is solo fourth on 3-under at DLF Golf & Country Club.

Chiara Tamburlini has not played a Ladies European Tour event since July. On Thursday she went out at DLF Golf & Country Club in Delhi, birdied three of her first four holes and finished the day leading the Hero Women’s Indian Open.

The Swiss shot a 5-under 67, with seven birdies and two bogeys, to sit one clear of defending champion Shannon Tan and Argentina’s Magdalena Simmermacher. Tamburlini birdied the 1st, 2nd and 4th early on and picked up another at the signature 17th on the way in. She finished T20 on this course in 2025.

Tamburlini delivers another birdie 🫡 #HWIO2026 https://t.co/UPKvClWqlX

— Ladies European Tour (@LETgolf) October 22, 2026

A different year for Tamburlini

The 26-year-old won the LET Order of Merit in 2024 and has three LET titles, but she has spent most of 2026 on the LPGA, where she sits 106th in the Race to CME Globe. This is only her sixth LET start of the season and her first at an event not co-sanctioned with the American circuit since February.

“I had a lot of fun, honestly,” Tamburlini said. “I’ve been having a lot of fun since I set foot on this golf course again on Monday. It’s been so nice to just be here and be in this environment again. I had two lovely playing partners [Jess Baker and Ridhima Dilawari]. We had a great time, and honestly, it was just simple golf again, which has been missing for a while. So that was really nice.”

Her afternoon round lifted her past Tan and Simmermacher, who had set the early pace with 68s.

“It’s been incredible [being back],” she added. “It’s been so much fun. I feel like I’ve been able to be myself in a way a lot more again. It’s been a different environment for me this whole year, with a lot of new learnings, and this has just been so nice. I don’t think I’ve stopped smiling because everybody’s so friendly and lovely. We’ve just been chatting the whole time, having dinners with different girls and having such a good time.”

Tan bogey-free in defence

Tan, the Singaporean who is also a three-time LET winner, made no bogeys in her opening 4-under round, with birdies at the 2nd, 6th, 15th and 16th.

“I hit it pretty well today off the tee and in regulation,” Tan said. “To be fair, I actually missed a few shots out there, like the putts that didn’t drop. But I think overall, I’m bogey-free, and I take that in with me anyday, especially on this course. I think I was quite consistent out there today.”

“I think it’s not just the media stuff, but also having kids and fans come up to me and saying that they watched me last year and thanking me for being here this year as well,” she said. “So I think it’s really nice to know that I have fans who support me.”

Simmermacher’s Phuket reset

Simmermacher matched Tan’s 68 by birdieing her last two holes, the 8th and 9th. The 30-year-old finished sixth at the Women’s Australian Open earlier this year but has made only two cuts since. After the Aramco Korea Championship she went to Thailand with some fellow LET players.

“We went to Thailand, to Phuket,” she said. “We did some sightseeing, went to the beach, had some good dinners and a lot of fun. I played some golf with Alice Hewson and Whitney Hillier. We had a lot of fun, and it was good competitive training for this week.”

“I just felt very comfortable out there,” Simmermacher said. “I hit some really good shots and had a very good strategy with my caddie. Overall, this course is a challenge to get around. It’s a patience game here, so I think we did a really good job.”

Kouskova keeps rolling

Sara Kouskova is alone in fourth place after a 3-under 69, played through fatigue. The Czech closed with a 63 to finish runner-up to Miyu Yamashita in Korea, a result that lifted her to eighth on the LET Order of Merit.

A shot further back on 2-under is a four-way tie for fifth: India’s Pranavi Urs and Avani Prashanth, Norway’s Dorthea Fobrigd and France’s Lois Lau.

Urs plays through illness

Urs, the 23-year-old Asian Games gold medallist and home favourite, was not feeling well.

“I’m feeling a bit under the weather,” Urs said. “My stomach’s not feeling good. That’s not good for this course considering how challenging it is. I just had to keep it all together and play, which I did very well.”

She played alongside Tan, a friend since junior golf.

“We go way back, I think 10 or 12 years,” Urs said. “We played junior golf and we’re now playing pro golf together which is pretty cool. I think to experience that with your childhood friend is amazing and not a lot of the girls get to do that. After I won my first event at the Asian Games, she said that she wanted me to win if not for her and I was there for her first win.”

Lignell to finish on Friday

Play was suspended for lack of light with one player still on the course. Sweden’s Andrea Lignell will return to the 18th fairway on Friday morning to complete her opening round, and the second round begins at 6:40 local time.

Related: Yuri Yoshida & Karis Davidson Share First-Round Lead at the 2026 BMW Ladies Championship

Both are chasing a first LPGA Tour title after opening 66s at Pine Beach Golf Links, one shot clear of world No. 3 Haeran Ryu.

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