Indian Open cancelled over Covid threat for second year running

By Rahul Banerji

India’s blue riband golf event, the Hero Indian Open, stands cancelled for the second year in a row over Covid-19 related issues, it was confirmed on Friday.

The tournament, tri-sanctioned by the Indian Golf Union, Asian Tour and European Tour, was last held in March of 2019 with Scotland’s Stephen Gallacher the winner.

The genial Gallacher will continue as defending for a third straight year now without hitting a ball at the DLF Golf and Country Club, venue of the Open in recent years.

It is also more than likely now that the Women’s Indian Open, scheduled to be played from September 30 to October 3 this year will also be called off now for the pandemic.

Tour statement

“The European Tour today confirms that the Hero Indian Open, scheduled to take place from October 28-31, has been cancelled due to the ongoing threat in the country posed by the COVID-19 pandemic,” a statement said.

“With the safety of everyone involved in the tournament being the main priority and travel to and from India remaining challenging, the decision has been taken following consultation with the Indian Golf Union, the Asian Tour and the tournament title sponsor Hero MotoCorp.

“The European Tour will look to schedule a replacement tournament in the final week of October but there are no definitive plans as to where that will be at this stage.”

This is only the third time in the national Open’s 57-year history that it is not being held after 2014 (schedule change) and 2020 (Covid).

It became part of the European Tour in 2015 after being an Asian Tour in different avatars event since 1970.

Lack of consistent travel restrictions across Asia proved to be a key factor in the making the decision for the European Tour, which has successfully managed to hold events in Europe and West Asia of late.

Also read: Gallacher survives heat, quadruple bogey to walk away the winner