Kolkata: Kiran Matharu will look to defend her title in the 3rd Leg of the Hero Women’s Professional Golf Tour at the historic Royal Calcutta Golf Club. She would like to draw inspiration from the fact that she registered her maiden win on the Tour at the same venue last year. The INR 6,00,000 event featuring 16 professionals and lone amateur Tvesa Malik will be played from 3rd to 5th February.

Overseas player Kiran Matharu has been in good form and is currently placed second in the 2016 Hero Order of Merit with total earnings of INR 2,38,000 in two appearances. She finished runner-up behind Delhi youngster Vani Kapoor in both the events at Ahmedabad, and will be the firm favourite at RCGC in Vani’s absence. Vani Kapoor and Amandeep Drall are both currently playing in Australia.

Kiran will be up against a strong field, and will face a stiff challenge from the likes of Smriti Mehra, Saaniya Sharma and Gursimar Badwal. Kapurthala’s Gursimar Badwal is currently placed fourth in the money list with total earnings of INR 1,61,000, followed by Chandigarh’s Saaniya Sharma in fifth place with total earnings of INR 1,47,000. Both players are expected to push hard for a victory at the event. Kolkata’s Smriti Mehra is currently placed eighth on the money list with total earnings of INR 1,08,500, and would like to see her name move up in the Order of Merit.

Hero Motocorp sponsored Bengaluru golfer Sharmila Nicollet will be making a comeback to the Tour and will be playing in her first event this year. She did not participate in the first two events, and will look to make an instant impact at RCGC. Other players to look out for are Kolkata’s Neha Tripathi, Pune’s Shweta Galande and the Delhi duo of Mehar Atwal and Ankita Tiwana.

The historic Royal Calcutta Golf Club is the second oldest golf course in the world, and the par 72 course is all set to host some of the best women players in the country.