By Rahul Banerji
The $2 million Hero Indian Open teed off at the DLF Golf and Country Club in Gurgaon in perfect conditions under bright bluw skies and a light breeze thrown in for good measure.
With 32 Indians including DP World (European) Tour card holders Shubhankar Sharma and Manu Gandas, the event will be keenly followed after a near four-year break.
Speaking ahead of the tee-off, former Asian number one Shubhankar Sharma said he was pleased to have Gandas alongside as the two had played together for years as juniors.
The two 26-year-olds since then gone down different paths icne their days as 10-year-olds on the junior circuit and Shubhankar is pleased to have his friend for company on the Tour.
“It will be great to have him around at the events,” he said.
“I have a lot of friends on the Tour, but it will be nice to have someone I know so well. It is also a great opportunity for him, just as it is for all of us, already on the Tour.”
Sharma turned pro ten years ago at age 16 and graduated to the international stage, first in Asia and thereafter Europe – on the DP World Tour (where he has won twice) – and has even played on the PGA Tour.
Record run
Gandas turned pro in 2015, but did not find much success till last year when he won on the domestic PGTI a record six times, topped the Order of Merit, earned a pahbreaking sum and was handed a DP World Tour card.
He last played the Hero Indian Open in 2018.
Gandas is keen to make the most of the improvement in his game since his last DP World Tour appearance on home soil.
After missing the cut in his first two starts of the 2023 Tour season, Gandas impressed on his way to finishing in a share of 28th place at last week’s Thailand Classic.
“I have been feeling good,” he said.
“My game has been progressing bit by bit and I am looking forward to the week. I have been working on the shortcomings that I have had for a while and that has borne fruit for me.
“I feel at the end of the day that the increased attention doesn’t change anything because what I can control is my own game. If I keep doing that, I will be happy.
“This is basically my second home. I have grown up here and to have a national Open over here is a proud thing for us.
“The conditions are impeccable right now. The fairways are pristine, and the greens are rolling quite good so overall it is in great shape.
“For the DP World Tour to have this event back on their schedule will definitely help the sport grow in India and that is a good thing.”
Groups to watch for in opening two rounds
Kazuki Higa (Jpn), Renato Paratore (Ita), Shiv Kapur (Ind)
Angel Hidalgo (Esp), Alex Fitzpatrick (Eng), Gaganjeet Bhullar (Ind)
Shubhankar Sharma (Ind), Gavin Green (Mas), David Law (Sco)
Jorge Campillo (Esp), Manu Gandas (Ind), Stephen Gallacher (Sco)
Yannik Paul (Ger), Sachin Baisoya (Ind), Thorbjørn Olesen (Den)
Jeunghun Wang (Kor), Kalle Samooja (Fin), S.S.P. Chawrasia (Ind)
Derek Ackerman (USA), Shamim Khan (Ind), Jyoti Randhawa (Ind)
Also read: Two-time champion Chawrasia has plans for Hero Indian Open
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