The 2011 Hero Women’s Indian Open champion, Caroline Hedwall, has a familiar face at her side this week. Her non-identical twin sister, Jacqueline, who is training to become a police officer, will be caddying for the first time in three years.
Hedwall’s mother, Yvonne, caddied for her when she won the Hero Women’s Indian Open on the Arnold Palmer Course at DLF Golf and Country Club seven years ago, in her rookie season, although Jacqueline was Hedwall’s regular caddie back then.
“She hasn’t caddied for three years, so I’ll do the yardages,” said Hedwall, who will make her second appearance on the Gary Player Course at DLF G&CC this week.
Since her last visit in 2016, the tournament has made huge strides. These include an increase in prize money to US$500,000, the expansion of the tournament to 72 holes and four days’ of live international television coverage for the first time this year.
“I was here two years ago, but walking around today, I was really amazed by what has been done to the place. It’s looking incredible, the changes. It’s a really good looking course and a great challenge, so I’m excited to play,” she said.
Hedwall was an instant success after winning LET Q School in 2010. She won four tournaments in 2011 and also topped the rankings for the Rookie and Player of the Year. She clinched another LET title in 2012, but since then, suffered a string of injuries amid flashes of brilliance. However, she is high on confidence after shooting two 62s in a three week spell in September – the first without a caddie – going on to win her sixth LET title at the Lacoste Ladies Open de France and finish second in the Estrella Damm Mediterranean Ladies Open a fortnight later. She is now looking to finish the year as she started: on a high.
She explained: “I had a good start to the year in Australia but struggled a bit after that, but my game has felt really good. It’s just been fine margins most of the year and I missed cuts by one or two shots, but then coming out and winning in France, that was just huge for my confidence. I had a good finish in Spain, too, so I’m just really excited.
“I love playing on the LET. It’s a very friendly tour and I have a lot of good friends out here so I’m very excited to be playing the last two events.”
Caroline will start the penultimate tournament of the 2018 Ladies European Tour season at 11.10am local time on Thursday, playing in a group with the former Order of Merit winner Beth Allen and Tvesa Malik, who leads the rankings on the WGAI, the Indian domestic tour.
Fans can catch all the action, with live international television coverage in most countries and live streaming available on the LET’s Website and Facebook pages in Belgium, Ireland, the Netherlands, Portugal and the UK for the first time.
