- India’s Vani Kapoor leads the Hero Women’s Indian Open after 54 holes.
- Shannon Tan and Pornanong Phatlum share second place.
- Only one Indian, Aditi Ashok in 2016, has won the event in its 19-year history.
Vani Kapoor reckons this is her 14th or 15th Hero Women’s Indian Open as a professional. She has never gone into the final round in front.
The 32-year-old will do so on Sunday, at her own club. A third-round 69, her second in a row, took Kapoor to 5-under par at DLF Golf & Country Club in Delhi and a one-shot lead over Singapore’s Shannon Tan and Thailand’s Pornanong Phatlum.
That sets up a home member against the defending champion and a woman who won this title three times before most of the current field had turned professional.
Out in front on home turf! Vani Kapoor birdies the signature 17th to take the outright lead 🇮🇳 #HWIO2026 https://t.co/0Tt1hyRURn
— Ladies European Tour (@LETgolf) October 24, 2026
How Kapoor took control
The door opened early. Chiara Tamburlini, who had held the lead through 36 holes, dropped two shots in her opening two holes, and Kapoor moved in with birdies at the 2nd, 6th and 7th to claim a share of top spot.
Another birdie followed at the 11th before her first dropped shot of the day at the 15th. She answered at the signature 17th, setting up a birdie with a fine approach, before giving a shot back at the last.
“I enjoyed myself out there,” Kapoor said. “I think it was one the most fun rounds that I’ve ever had. I mean, of course it was a little up-and-down towards the end, but I’m glad that I kept it together. The game’s feeling good. I left a few putts out there which was quite frustrating, but I think given the state [of my game], hopefully things will just keep getting better.
“I think this is probably my 14th or 15th Hero Women’s Indian Open as a professional and I’ve played like a couple more before as an amateur and I think this is the most fun I’ve ever had out there. Just a little more belief than usual that I have. So yeah, keeping my fingers crossed and just following the process.”
On Friday she had produced the shot of the day, holing a 5-wood for eagle at the par-4 14th.
A home winner for India?
Ashok, now an LPGA regular, remains the only home champion. Kapoor is one of three Indians in the top-10, with Asian Games gold medallist Pranavi Urs two back in a tie for fourth and fellow DLF member Tvesa Malik tied eighth, four behind.
“I’m just going to trust my process,” Kapoor said when asked about the prospect of an Indian winner. “There would be no better place to get my maiden win – at DLF, my home course with my friends and family around. It’s definitely a dream and hopefully God will be kind enough to make that happen.
“It’s so good to see a few Indians in the top-10 again [heading into the final round]. Women’s golf is definitely growing in India, especially with the girls winning medals at the Asian Games too. There’s more eyeballs on us.”
Tan strapped up and going low
The biggest obstacle is Tan, defending champion and LET Order of Merit winner. Tan started on the 10th on Friday, and the course’s front nine, her back nine, cost her seven shots. On Saturday the same stretch went the other way. Despite a sore wrist, she went out in 31, 5-under, then added three more birdies on the back nine against three dropped shots for a 67, the round of the day among the contenders.
“To be fair, on the front nine today, all my putts just went in,” Tan said. “I think when you’re playing well on this course, you can actually go quite low. But if your ball-striking is a bit off, it can go the other way. There is a lot of difference this course can make on your score and it can get quite extreme.”
“Yesterday, I started well, but towards the back nine, my wrist started flaring up a little,” she said. “With my wrist, I was a bit scared of missing it right. I would either flip it over or move it out right. I saw the physio yesterday, who did a lot of work on it and then I iced it to be game ready. I’m basically just trying to ice it and tape it.”
Tan is chasing a fourth LET title and would be the first player this season to defend one. The last to manage it was Alice Hewson at the 2025 VP Bank Swiss Ladies Open.
“I’ll go ahead with the same game plan I had today and just try to hit fairways and greens, which I think is quite important on this course,” Tan said. “Of course, it would be nice to win, but at the same time, I’ll just focus on what I can do. I can’t control what everyone else does, so I’ll focus on my game, myself.”
Phatlum’s return after 14 years
Phatlum won this title in 2008, 2009 and 2012, and this is her first trip back to India in 14 years. All three wins came on DLF’s Arnold Palmer course, which has since been converted into a nine-hole layout, so this week is the 36-year-old’s first look at the Gary Player Championship Course.
She played alongside Kapoor on Saturday and matched her 69, with birdies at the 4th, 7th, 11th, 13th and 16th.
“I’ve never played this course before and I try to focus every shot because it’s a really, really tough course,” Phatlum said. “I think I did pretty good for last three rounds. I’m very happy to be back here and I feel like [all of] Asia is like my home. I feel very comfortable and everyone welcomes me and makes me feel like very comfortable and it’s easy to focus on my game.
“It will be a big challenge tomorrow because I played with Vani [Kapoor] today and she played very good. I tried to keep up with her and tried to make more birdies. Also Shannon [Tan], she is a very good player. I saw at her some tournaments on the LPGA and she is a very good player. Tomorrow can be very fun.”
The chasing pack
Urs, who battled a stomach bug early in the week, is tied fourth on 3-under with Argentina’s Magdalena Simmermacher.
One further back on 2-under are another former champion, France’s Camille Chevalier, who won here in 2017, and Czechia’s Sara Kouskova, who arrived in Delhi on the back of a closing 63 and runner-up finish in Korea.
With seven players within three shots and a course that both Tan and Phatlum describe as capable of extreme swings, Kapoor’s one-shot cushion is a slim one going into Sunday.
Related: Haeran Ryu Leading into Final Day at BMW Ladies Championship
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Hero Women’s Indian Open Leaderboard
| Pos. | Player | To Par | Thru | R1 | R2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chiara Tamburlini (SUI) | -6 | F | 67 | 71 |
| 2 | Pranavi Urs (IND) | -4 | F | 70 | 70 |
| 2 | Magdalena Simmermacher (ARG) | -4 | F | 68 | 72 |
| 4 | Sara Kouskova (CZE) | -3 | F | 69 | 72 |
| 4 | Dorthea Forbrigd (NOR) | -3 | F | 70 | 71 |
| 4 | Camille Chevalier (FRA) | -3 | F | 71 | 70 |
| 7 | Vani Kapoor (IND) | -2 | F | 73 | 69 |
| 7 | Ariane Klotz (FRA) | -2 | F | 72 | 70 |
| 9 | Pornanong Phatlum (THA) | -1 | F | 72 | 71 |
| 9 | Sara Byrne (IRL) | -1 | F | 72 | 71 |
| 9 | Ursula Wikstrom (FIN) | -1 | F | 71 | 72 |
| 12 | Tvesa Malik (IND) | Par | F | 71 | 73 |
| 12 | Georgia Iziemgbe Oboh (NGR) | Par | F | 72 | 72 |
| 12 | April Angurasaranee (THA) | Par | F | 71 | 73 |
| 15 | Emma Spitz (AUT) | +1 | F | 71 | 74 |
| 15 | Sofie Kibsgaard (DEN) | +1 | F | 74 | 71 |
| 15 | Shannon Tan (SIN) | +1 | F | 68 | 77 |
| 18 | Avani Prashanth (IND) | +2 | F | 70 | 76 |
| 18 | Liz Young (ENG) | +2 | F | 75 | 71 |
| 18 | Eleanor Givens (ENG) | +2 | F | 71 | 75 |
| 18 | Roberta Liti (ITA) | +2 | F | 72 | 74 |
| 22 | Kajsa Arwefjall (SWE) | +3 | F | 75 | 72 |
| 22 | Anna Zanusso (ITA) | +3 | F | 74 | 73 |
| 22 | Ridhima Dilawari (IND) | +3 | F | 76 | 71 |
| 22 | Tereza Kazar Melecka (CZE) | +3 | F | 75 | 72 |
| 26 | Patricia Isabel Schmidt (GER) | +4 | F | 75 | 73 |
| 26 | Trichat Cheenglab (THA) | +4 | F | 77 | 71 |
| 26 | Harang Lee (ESP) | +4 | F | 75 | 73 |
| 26 | Blanca Fernandez (ESP) | +4 | F | 73 | 75 |
| 26 | Chloe Williams (WAL) | +4 | F | 77 | 71 |
| 26 | Ojaswini Saraswat (IND) (a) | +4 | F | 79 | 69 |
| 26 | Vanessa Knecht (SUI) | +4 | F | 75 | 73 |
| 33 | Jana Melichova (CZE) | +5 | F | 74 | 75 |
| 33 | Belinda Ji (AUS) | +5 | F | 73 | 76 |
| 33 | Maddison Hinson-Tolchard (AUS) | +5 | F | 72 | 77 |
| 33 | Dorota Zalewska (POL) | +5 | F | 78 | 71 |
| 33 | Amy Taylor (ENG) | +5 | F | 77 | 72 |
| 33 | Saanvi Somu (IND) | +5 | F | 72 | 77 |
| 39 | Katharina Muehlbauer (AUT) | +6 | F | 76 | 74 |
| 39 | Agathe Laisne (FRA) | +6 | F | 76 | 74 |
| 39 | Aunchisa Utama (THA) | +6 | F | 74 | 76 |
| 42 | Lianna Bailey (ENG) | +7 | F | 75 | 76 |
| 42 | Anvvi Dahhiya (IND) | +7 | F | 74 | 77 |
| 42 | Celina Sattelkau (GER) | +7 | F | 73 | 78 |
| 42 | Ginnie Ding (HKG) | +7 | F | 76 | 75 |
| 42 | Lavanya Jadon (IND) | +7 | F | 78 | 73 |
| 42 | Annika Borrelli (USA) | +7 | F | 74 | 77 |
| 42 | Lois Lau (FRA) | +7 | F | 70 | 81 |
| 49 | Aloysa Atienza (SIN) | +8 | F | 79 | 73 |
| 49 | Leonie Harm (GER) | +8 | F | 77 | 75 |
| 49 | Justice Bosio (AUS) | +8 | F | 77 | 75 |
| 49 | Agathe Sauzon (FRA) | +8 | F | 75 | 77 |
| 49 | Momoka Kobori (NZL) | +8 | F | 75 | 77 |
| 49 | Lily May Humphreys (ENG) | +8 | F | 77 | 75 |
| 49 | Kristyna Napoleaova (CZE) | +8 | F | 78 | 74 |
| 49 | Alejandra Llaneza (MEX) | +8 | F | 77 | 75 |
| 49 | Anna Foster (IRL) | +8 | F | 76 | 76 |
| 58 | Anna Morgan (USA) | +9 | F | 75 | 78 |
| 58 | Lavanya Gupta (IND) (a) | +9 | F | 76 | 77 |
| 58 | Verena Gimmy (GER) | +9 | F | 76 | 77 |
| 58 | Gemma Clews (ENG) | +9 | F | 78 | 75 |
| 58 | Ana Dawson (IMN) | +9 | F | 79 | 74 |
| 58 | Alexandra Swayne (ISV) | +9 | 17 | 77 | (+4) |
| Projected Cut | |||||
| 64 | Patricie Mackova (CZE) | +10 | F | 76 | 78 |
| 64 | Amandeep Drall (IND) | +10 | F | 77 | 77 |
| 64 | Louise Rydqvist (SWE) | +10 | F | 75 | 79 |
| 64 | Ananyaa Sood (IND) (a) | +10 | F | 73 | 81 |
| 64 | Kashika Misra (IND) | +10 | F | 76 | 78 |
| 64 | Sophie Hausmann (GER) | +10 | F | 80 | 74 |
| 64 | Romy Meekers (NED) | +10 | F | 76 | 78 |
| 71 | Maha Haddioui (MAR) | +11 | F | 75 | 80 |
| 71 | Alice Hewson (ENG) | +11 | F | 75 | 80 |
| 71 | Aine Donegan (IRL) | +11 | F | 80 | 75 |
| 71 | Corinne Viden (SWE) | +11 | F | 81 | 74 |
| 71 | Ayako Uehara (JPN) | +11 | F | 79 | 76 |
| 76 | Vidhatri Urs (IND) | +12 | F | 77 | 79 |
| 76 | Caitlyn Macnab (RSA) | +12 | F | 79 | 77 |
| 76 | Whitney Hillier (AUS) | +12 | F | 74 | 82 |
| 76 | Jasmine Shekar (IND) | +12 | F | 81 | 75 |
| 76 | Ananya Datar (IND) | +12 | F | 80 | 76 |
| 76 | Marta Sanz Barrio (ESP) | +12 | F | 83 | 73 |
| 76 | Sanna Nuutinen (FIN) | +12 | F | 74 | 82 |
| 76 | Anvitha Narender (USA) | +12 | F | 79 | 77 |
| 76 | Florentyna Parker (ENG) | +12 | F | 76 | 80 |
| 85 | Diksha Dagar (IND) | +13 | F | 77 | 80 |
| 85 | Hitaashee Bakshi (IND) | +13 | F | 78 | 79 |
| 85 | Durga Nittur (IND) | +13 | F | 79 | 78 |
| 85 | Marianne Skarpnord (NOR) | +13 | F | 80 | 77 |
| 89 | Mannat Brar (IND) | +14 | F | 76 | 82 |
| 89 | Tina Mazarino (NOR) | +14 | F | 76 | 82 |
| 89 | Jess Baker (ENG) | +14 | F | 79 | 79 |
| 89 | Andrea Lignell (SWE) | +14 | F | 77 | 81 |
| 89 | Nayanika Sanga (IND) | +14 | F | 82 | 76 |
| 89 | Daniela Darquea (ECU) | +14 | F | 81 | 77 |
| 89 | Neha Tripathi (IND) | +14 | F | 78 | 80 |
| 89 | Gaurika Bishnoi (IND) | +14 | F | 78 | 80 |
| 89 | Khushi Khanijau (IND) | +14 | F | 82 | 76 |
| 98 | Alessia Nobilio (ITA) | +15 | F | 78 | 81 |
| 99 | Fernanda Lira (MEX) | +16 | F | 83 | 77 |
| 99 | Moa Folke (SWE) | +16 | F | 80 | 80 |
| 99 | Elina Nummenpaa (FIN) | +16 | F | 77 | 83 |
| 102 | Kelsey MacDonald (SCO) | +17 | F | 79 | 82 |
| 102 | Cecilie Finne-Ipsen (DEN) | +17 | F | 80 | 81 |
| 102 | Riya Jadon (IND) | +17 | F | 81 | 80 |
| 102 | Sophie Witt (GER) | +17 | F | 81 | 80 |
| 102 | Amy Lee (USA) | +17 | F | 80 | 81 |
| 107 | Heena Kang (IND) | +18 | F | 81 | 81 |
| 107 | Kaiyuree Moodley (RSA) | +18 | F | 78 | 84 |
| 109 | Leticia Ras-Anderica (GER) | +20 | F | 88 | 76 |
| 110 | Karishma Govind (IND) | +23 | F | 83 | 84 |
| 111 | Shagun Narain (IND) | +24 | F | 80 | 88 |
| W/D | Sneha Singh (IND) | - | - | - | - |
| W/D | Guntas K Sandhu (IND) (a) | - | - | 78 | - |
| W/D | Meghan MacLaren (ENG) | - | - | 82 | - |
Simon Bale
Simon Bale is the publisher of Golf Today. A low single-figure handicap golfer, he was previously a major shareholder and course reviewer for Top100GolfCourses.com for over a decade, starting in 2010. Through this role, he developed extensive knowledge of golf course design and architecture while playing more than 300 courses worldwide.