Indian golfers scent Indian Open glory

Edited by Anand Datla

February 07, 2015: Indian golfers will be a major force to be reckoned with at the Hero Indian Open at the Delhi Golf Club, which will host the event for the 27th time in 51 editions.  In 2014, Rashid Khan and Anirban Lahiri secured two Asian Tour titles while S.S.P. Chawrasia and Arjun Atwal won on home soil and in Dubai respectively.

So, it is the home golfers, who will be among the firm favourites when they tee up at the Hero Indian Open from February 19 to 22.

Jyoti Randhawa won two of his three Indian Opens at DGC besides two Hero Masters events, Chowrasia has won one co-sanctioned and one Asian Tour event at this venue; Lahiri won his first three Asian Tour events at DGC and Rashid Khan broke through for his win at the DGC last year. Atwal won the Hero Masters at DGC in 2000.

In the past 16 Hero Indian Opens since 1998, Indians have won seven times. Barring only one edition in 2003, every Indian Open has seen at least one Indian in the top five.

Shiv Kapur, who has two top-four results at the Indian Open said, “The Hero Indian Open is undoubtedly the biggest event for any Indian and for me to win it will bring me three times as much joy – it is the National Open, it is my sponsor’s event and it is also being hosted at my home club DGC where I grew up playing. So it means a lot to me.”

Lahiri, whose first three wins on Asian Tour came at the DGC said, “The DGC is always special as it gave my first three wins and last year I came within a sniffing distance of the Hero Indian Open and I desperately want to add it to my collection and I feel very comfortable at this venue.”

Singh, a two-time Order of Merit champion, and Bhullar have won five times in Asia, but neither has an Asian or European Tour win at the DGC. “I have come so close to winning the Indian Open so many times. I have won the National Open of many other countries like Scotland, Singapore, China and Austria, but it is the Indian Open I want most”, said Singh.

Bhullar echoes, “All my wins have come outside India and nothing would please me more than winning at home and at the Hero Indian Open, because the sponsors have also backed me over the years.”

This year the DGC will play to a par-71 as compared to previous years.