They say you need idols to seek inspiration! But this doesn’t seem to be the case for the Indian golfer, Diksha Dagar. Dagar, a member of the Ladies European Tour, indeed wants to be part of the LPGA Tour. However, she doesn’t have any inspiration on the circuit. It’s surprising, isn’t it?

Weeks before teeing off alongside Aditi Ashok at the Paris Olympics, Dagar humbly talked with Essentially Sports’s Tushhita Barua exclusively. When asked about her future career plans about joining the LPGA Tour and where she envisions herself in her life, the 23-year-old very politely expressed, “Yes, that is my main goal. I want to be on the LPGA Tour; it’s one of my biggest dreams,” she said while revealing how close she came to making it onto the tour last year, missing it by one shot.

It was heartbreaking for her, especially after finishing 3rd in the 2023 LET season rankings and then missing out on a top 45 finish in the LPGA Qualifier by just one stroke in Alabama, USA. The 23-year-old shot rounds of 72-70-64-68-75-74 in a difficult 6-round qualifying event, but a bogey on the final hole dropped her to 51st place, costing her the chance to play on the LPGA Tour.

Although Dagar isn’t currently competing on the LPGA Tour, the golfer has played with the likes of Nelly Korda, Charley Hull, and more at the Scottish Open, but they failed to inspire her. When questioned about her inspiration on the LPGA tour, Diksha Dagar answered surprisingly and simply, “So far, I don’t have any.” 

Despite that, the golfer plans on competing on the LPGA Tour and defeating some of the best golfers. Dagar and her brother, Yogesh Dagar, were both born profoundly deaf and rely on sign language and lip-reading to communicate. Despite the challenges, their father, Narinder Dagar was determined for his children to lead a normal life and encouraged them to participate in sports so that they could grow up confident.

Although Diksha Dagar was interested in tennis while growing up her fate changed when she met the national coach for the Indian golf team Amandeep Johl. Before competing in the Paris Olympics, she had already won two Deaflympic medals, including a gold in 2021. Though the golfer doesn’t have inspiration on the LPGA Tour, she sure has it somewhere else.

Who inspires Diksha Dagar if not the LPGA pros?

Not in the exclusive interview, but on her personal Instagram, Dagar has talked about her inspiration. Surprisingly, it’s none other than Scottie Scheffler. The only golfer to play on both the Deaflympics and the Olympics shared, “I am going to play aggressive for the medal because it’s a very rare opportunity. I have to be aggressive and take a chance. like Scottie Scheffler on the final day to clinch a medal I have to be like him.” Before the tournament started, Diksha Dagar also shared a few pictures with Scheffler, Xander Schauffele, and Rory McIlroy on her Instagram.

The 23-year-old is also fond of McIlroy’s ball striking, as one of her X posts read, “I am in Paris @OlympicGolf and met THE @McIlroyRory…The King of ball striking.” She also admires Tiger Woods’s concentration, “his attitude is to focus on the game and not to be put off by anyone,”  she said.

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