Kavita Singh, Chairperson, Organizing Committee, DLF Women’s Indian Open hosted a welcome dinner for all participating women golfers at The Patio Main Club, The DLF Golf and Country Club, DLF City, Gurgaon. On this occasion Veteran golfer,Simi Mehra, Golfer; Irina Brar, Seema Sobti, Nikki Ponappa, Kavita Singh, Rishi Narain (Event Director), Promila Bahri, Preeti Sardana, International golfers; Jenny Suosa (Finland), Sabina Imboden (Switzerland), Sunny Park (Australia), Nicole Liu (Singapore), Bing Lim (Malaysia), Fame More (Great Britain) & Li Wenlin (Taipen), Champika Sayal were present there.

An interesting blend of youth and experience is all set to take stage at the $ 120,000 DLF Women's Indian Open on Wednesday. Spearheading the field will be India's best known women's professional Simi Mehra, an LPGA player, besides the leading lights of Asia and the teen brigade from the host country, India.

The venue is the lush DLF Golf and Country Club, which recently hosted the world's best at the Johnnie Walker Classic.

Though India's own Simi Mehra, a long-time LPGA regular is hogging the pre-tournament headlines, the likes of Phatlum Pornanong, one of the rising stars of Thai and Asian women's golf and winner of this season's first event, the Thailand Ladies Open, and Sunny Park, an Australian of Korean origin, will be the others to watch out for.

Simi, once the longest hitter on the LPGA Tour, is slowly hitting her form once again. She was tenth at the Thailand Ladies Open and after the DLF Women's Indian Open, she plans to play on the LPGA where she has a special exemption.

Simi said: "My confidence this time will definitely be on a high."

On her preparation Simi said: "I treat every event the same, so the preparation I put for the Women's Indian Open will be the same as the LPGA event. I am sure Indian players will make a big impact during this event. I know I am capable of winning the event. I also feel the chances of an Indian winning are very high. Even last year we had a couple Indians in the top five, of which one being an amateur. This year we have a stronger field from the quality of players participating, so the results will be very interesting."

Thailand's prodigious talent Phatlum Pornanong, who won this year's first event on the LAGT, The Thailand Open 2008, has also confirmed for the field. Phatlum had announced her arrival with a win while still being an amateur at the 2006 LAGT Hong Kong Open and has now begun fulfill her promise.

Sunny Park, who turned professional, won Australian Women's Amateur Open last year. Park started 2008 with a big bang as she captured the Australian Ladies Professional Golf-sanctioned Kangaroo Valley Peugeot Classic to register her first win as a professional.

Other leading internationals include the Japan-based Brazilian Iida Maria Priscila, who played the World Cup in 2007, China's Wang Chun represented her country in 2008, and the Japanese duo Shiraki Rie, a champion at the 2007 Guam Governer's Cup in USA Guam, and Sakurai Yuki, a rookie who was in 5th of 2008 MFS Womens Australian Open held in January.

Apart from Simi, India's other big challenger will be the talented Irina Brar, who was fourth last year. Irina, who has been straddling academics and golf at the same time, is capable of upsetting the best of players on her day. Other prominent Indian pros include Shalini Malik. Parneeta Grewal and Vandana Aggarwal.

India's teen brigade includes Tanya Wadhwa, who trains in the United States, Sharmila Nicollet, the All India amateur champion, and Meher Atwal, is capable of bringing in some stunning results.

Interestingly Simi hinted that if there were any player other than her who could surprise the field, it would be teenager Tanya Wadhwa. "I feel that she has the game and maturity to win the Women's Indian Open," she said.

The DLF Women's Indian Open, carrying a purse of US $ 120,000, has grown in stature as one of the premier events on the Ladies Asian Golf Tour (LAGT).

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