Diksha Dagar sets India’s golfing standard

A specially challenged athlete emerged as India’s best golfer in 2025. Diksha Dagar, born with a hearing impairment, was the most consistent Indian professional during the year. Of the 22 events she competed in on the Ladies European Tour (LET), she made the cut on 19 occasions.

The 25-year-old from Haryana finished among the top 10 five times, with her best performance coming at the Lalla Meryem Cup in Morocco, where she finished runner-up to England’s Cara Gainer in a play-off.

Diksha’s other notable performances in 2025 included a tied eighth finish at the Amundi German Masters and a tied 10th spot at the PIF London Championship. She finished 25th on the LET Order of Merit — the best performance by an Indian golfer in 2025.

The other highlight of Diksha’s year was winning her second Deaflympics gold medal, by a massive 14-stroke margin, in November in Tokyo. She also has a silver medal at the Deaflympics.

Having joined the LET in 2017, Diksha is set to enjoy her fully exempt status this year, thanks to her performances in 2025.

Top male performer

Among the Indian men, Anirban Lahiri was the top performer. He entered 12 events and recorded two top-10 finishes, with his best performance coming at LIV Golf Virginia in June, where he finished tied second. A former Indian Open champion, his other top-10 finish came at LIV Golf Adelaide, where he ended up tied seventh.

The 38-year-old eventually finished 25th in the individual standings and is now looking to do better in the new year.

“I am looking forward to 2026. I would really like to build on my momentum from last year. I’ll definitely aim to play a major championship after coming very close to qualifying a few times in the past couple years and, hopefully, contend on the weekend,” Lahiri told Patriot.

“Also, it would be nice to win on LIV after coming so close on multiple occasions. Those would be my primary goals for the year,” he said.

Another standout

Aditi Ashok was the other Indian woman golfer to do well in the year gone by. She competed in 20 events and made the cut in 12. The 27-year-old finished among the top 10 twice. Her best results were a sixth-place finish at The Standard Portland Classic and a tied ninth at the Riviera Maya Open in Mayakoba, Mexico.

Overall, however, Aditi finished a 75th in the Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) rankings, one rung above the LET. This was slightly better than her 2024 finish of 84th. The year 2023, however, remained her best, as she finished 41st, won two titles on the European Tour, and ended the season fourth overall.

Credit is, however, due to Aditi for retaining her LPGA Tour playing rights for the 10th consecutive year in 2026, having earned her first card in 2017.

Rookie impresses

Rookie Avani Prashanth, 19, impressed in her maiden LET season, finishing a creditable 26th overall. This earned her a full LET card for 2026. She came closest to winning a title at the Hulencourt Women’s Open, where she finished tied fifth — her first top-10 finish on the LET.

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She entered the final day as the leader, having carded three consecutive sub-70 rounds, before fading. She also finished tied fifth at the Hero Women’s Indian Open in October.

Among the other Indian women golfers, Pranavi Urs made 13 cuts from 18 starts, with her best finish being fourth at the Hero Women’s Indian Open.