European storm awaits Indian Open

Edited by Anand Datla

February 01, 2015: A strong contingent from Europe, which has more than 60 titles on European Tour in their collective kitty, besides another strong field inclusive of Asian Tour players, who have won more than 100 titles on the Region’s main professional golf Tour, have entered for the 2015 Hero Indian Open, which becomes a co-sanctioned event between European and Asian Tours for the first time. In addition, the players in the field have won another 40-odd titles on other recognised Tours around the world.

With entries from 16 players from Top-100 on European Tour’s 2014 Race to Dubai (Order of Merit) rankings, and 27 from the Top-30 of the Asian Tour’s 2014 Order of Merit, the field is set to become one of the strongest ever assembled in India. The field also includes five players in world’s Top-100 rankings, including India’s Anirban Lahiri.

From the European contingent, as many as five players accounted for seven titles on the 2014 European Tour schedule, with Alexander Levy and the seasoned Miguel Angel Jimenez winning twice each. Dane Thorbjorn Olesen, Australian Scott Hend and Swede Mikael Lundberg are the other 2014 winners to send their entries for what will be the 51st edition of the historic Indian Open, one of the flagship events of the Asian Tour.

The 2015 Hero Indian Open will be held from February 19 to 22, 2015 at the par-71 Delhi Golf Club. Also making it interesting for the growing legion of Indian golf fans, every single top Indian player has entered the event and it includes the famed ‘Big Three’ of Indian golf – Jeev Milkha Singh, Arjun Atwal and Jyoti Randhawa, who between them have won more than 30 titles on Asian, European, US and Japan Tours.

Besides them, the current crop of stars led by Anirban Lahiri, Gaganjeet Bhullar, Shiv Kapur, SSP Chowrasia and the latest super star, 23-year-old Rashid Khan will also be seen in action. Indian golf had a great year in 2014, as Indians won no less than six titles on Asian Tour – the most by any country during the season – in 2014. The 27-year-old Lahiri, now the highest ranked Indian in the world rankings, and Rashid won two titles each in 2014, while Chowrasia and Atwal won once each. Another title came on the Asian Development Tour from the promising youngster S Chikkarangappa, who is mentored by former India cricket captain and legend Rahul Dravid. Talking of current form, the entries from 31 countries across the region and the world, also sees 12 winners, who between them won 15 events on the Asian Tour’s 2014 schedule.

The star cast includes Asia’s most successful winner of all time, Thaworn Wiratchant, who has 18 titles on Asian Tour, and Miguel Angel Jimenez of Spain, who has 21 European Tour titles, and figures 10th on the all-time list of most successful players on European Tour. The field has also all the Hero Indian Open champions from 2004 onwards and five players who have won the Asian Tour Order of Merit seven times since 2002 including Jeev Milkha Singh and Thaworn Wiratchant, who have won the OOM twice each.