Cape Town, May 12: Indian golfer Tvesa Malik is all set for her first event of the year on the Ladies European Tour at the Investec South African Women’s Open this week.
The event, the first of this season’s LET schedule, has special significance as it offers four spots at the US Women’s Open.
Malik had a good season in 2020 as he negotiated her way through COVID-19 tests and tense flights to Europe.
She has been paired with two local players, Cassidy Williams and Nadia Van der Westhuizen in the tournament at the Westlake Golf Club.
The SA Women’s Open has good memories for Indian players, as the 2019 edition produced an Indian winner in Diksha Dagar, who is, however, not in the field this week.
Malik left for Dubai just before the lockdown in India and she trained in the Middle East from where getting to Cape Town was easier.
“I was practicing in Dubai to be ready for and SA. Yes, there were the usual tests. I had so many last year and again while coming from India to Dubai that I have lost count. Now I am focussed on the event,” said Malik, who hopes to get a breakthrough win this year.
“The goal for this season is to build on the last couple of seasons, even though last season felt incomplete. It will be nice to play to my potential. I want to play as many events as I can and I hope the tournaments go through and it will be nice to get a full season to play.”
She is familiar with many of the stars in the field as she has played with them at the Hero Indian Women’s Open.
Three of the winners are in the field in South Africa — Christine Wolf, Caroline Hedwall and Camille Chevalier. Other contenders could be Lee Ann Pace, who was runner-up to Diksha Dagar in 2019, Florentyna Parker and Maha Haddioui. (PTI)
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