Longtime friends and DP World Tour cardholders Veer Ahlawat (left) and Shubhankar Sharma speak about their hopes from the 58th Hero Indian Open which tees off at the DLF Golf and Country Club in Gurgaon on Thursday. Image courtesy HIO.
By Rahul Banerji
The strongest field in the history of the $2.25 million Hero Indian Open lines up for the 58th edition which gets under way at the DLF Golf and Country Club on Thursday with the search continuing for a first home champion since 2017.
Shubhankar Sharma will once again carry Indian hopes of a winner to follow in the footsteps of 2016 and 2017 champion Shiv Shankar Prasad Chawrasia with the likes of fellow DP World Tour winner Gaganjeet Bhullar and Veer Ahlawat also among the 30 home players in the 138-strong field.
Four of them are amateurs including DLF Academy trainee Kartik Singh, who turned heads by making the cut at January’s International Series India tournament.
In the field are a dozen winners from 2024, including defending champion Keita Nakajima of Japan and 2023 winner Marcel Siem of Germany, while there are five champions from the current season.
They include England’s John Parry, countryman Richard Mansell, Ryggs Johnston and Johannes Veerman of the US and Scotland’s Calum Hill.
Flying largely under the radar are the likes of former LIV Golf member Eugenio Chacarra, Dubai-based Indian Rayhan Thomas and Chandigarh’s Yuvraj Sandhu, who started the domestic PGTI season with back to back titles.
Since winning his only start on the PGTI at the Coimbatore Open last year, Thomas has been playing on the PGA Tour’s subsidiary Korn Ferry Tour. He was best amateur earlier and is now back as a full-fledged professional.
“The Hero Indian Open means a lot to me. It’s an event I’ve watched growing up, Being from India it’s a privilege to be able to play here and I’ve done it as an amateur and (am) excited to do it as a pro.”
Asian Swing
The Indian Open is the second of four events on the DP World Tour’s Asian Swing and Mansell will be out to extend his lead at the top after racking up 585 points with his maiden victory at the Porsche Singapore Classic last week.
Nakajima finished second behind Mansell and will be eyeing more points on a course he won running away last year before the Swing takes a two-week break with the Masters at Augusta in the middle.
Ranking points earned from the Asian Swing will earn the top three a berth at the year’s second major – the US Open from May 15 to 18 at Quail Hollow – and a $200,000 bonus for the player finishing on top.
On Wednesday, Shubhankar Sharma said, “Really looking forward to the Hero Indian Open. Of course this is our fifth major.
“The course is one of the toughest courses we play all year, and it’s not really me, I think all players agree. Under par this week will be good enough to get a top ten finish, especially If the course plays the way it is playing now,
Signal honour
“Winning here would mean the world. The Hero Indian Open was the first tournament that I ever went to. That’s what inspired me to become a professional as well. This is obviously like I said, this is the fifth major and winning this would be great in front of friends and family.”
Ahlawat, now a DP World Tour card-holder having topped the PGTI Order of Merit last year, was a worthy runner-up last year with a dramatic eagle finish, and he too is keen to try and go one better this time.
“I had a really good run here last year at the Hero Indian Open, and to finish second on such a big stage, my first, top-five finish on the DP World Tour meant a lot for me and especially in front of my home ground, it was a big confidence boost.
“I’ve had a 27th place finish I think on the DP World Tour so far. The good thing is the game is feeling good and I think I have lot in store for me and I can do better than that here.”
Speaking to journalists on Tuesday, popular 2023 champion Siem noted, ““The win in 2023 was very special. I had a long stretch where I didn’t win a tournament and the Hero Indian Open kickstarted my career again in a way. So I’m very, very happy to be back.
“I know the golf course. I have my strategy all ready. I can remember literally every shot from two years ago. My caddie walked the course today, checked out the grain on the greens because I think this is key this week.
“The greens look very firm and the grain change is very important when you hit irons into it. If it’s down grain or into the grain so you know the ball will spin or not.”
Play in Thursday’s first round begins at 6:25 am.
Also read: Bhullar says he has unfinished business at Hero Indian Open
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