Aditi Ashok (46) and Diksha Dagar (138) from India are gearing up for the Paris Olympics, with Shubhankar Sharma (197) and Gaganjit Bhullar (232) also eyeing participation depending on their performance.
This marks Aditi’s third Olympics, making her the most seasoned Indian golfer in Olympic history. Diksha, on the other hand, will be making her second appearance in the prestigious event. For Sharma and Bhullar, it will be their Olympic debut. Aditi’s impressive fourth-place finish at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics stands as India’s best performance in Olympic golf history.
The allocation of Olympic tickets is overseen by the Golf Association of India, with qualification contingent upon rankings in the Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR), limited to 60 players each for men and women.
The top 15 OWGR players automatically secure Olympic spots, with a maximum of four players per country permitted to participate. However, if a country has at least two golfers in the top 15, they both qualify.
Meanwhile, Indian-American golfers Sahit Thigala and Akshay Bhatia have recently made strides on the PGA Tour, achieving career-best rankings. Despite their commendable performances, the dominance of American golfers in the top 15 rankings poses a challenge to their Olympic aspirations. Thigala holds the 12th spot, whereas Bhatia is ranked 33rd, with eight American golfers occupying the top in the world rankings.
In the women’s category, although Aditi hasn’t had a stellar 2024, she maintains her position within the top 50. Diksha, displaying impressive form, has secured top-10 finishes thrice in five outings on the Ladies European Tour (LET) and has placed 26th or better in her two appearances on the Epson Tour.
Diksha’s ranking at 138th in the women’s world rankings marks her career-best. The next two Indian women golfers, Pranavi Urs and amateur Avni Prashant, hold rankings of 403rd and 531st, respectively.
Among Indian men, Sharma is the lone representative in the top 200 following his seventh-place finish in the Singapore Classic and 16th-place finish in the Dubai Desert Classic.
While Bhullar’s highlight in 2024 was a 43rd-place finish on the Asian Tour, he clinched victory at the Chandigarh Open on the Indian Tour, marking his second win in India within four months. Following Sharma and Bhullar are Vir Ahlawat at 380th and Karandeep Kochhar at 434th.
