New Delhi, Feb 9 (PTI) The Hero Indian Open golf returns later this month after a four-year hiatus with a bevy of national and international stars in action and a bigger prize purse as the organisers aim for normality to be restored to the premier event following the COVID-19 disruption.
The tournament, to be held at the DLF Golf and Country Club in Gurgaon from February 23 to 26, was last played at the same venue in 2019 after which it could not be held due to pandemic-related restrictions.
But with the situation normalising and air travel back to pre-pandemic days, a field of 120 national and international players, including several top-100 foreign and Indian stars such as Shubhankar Sharma and Shiv Kapur, will vie for the USD two million prize purse.
The tournament gains significance with its 2,750 ‘Race to Dubai’ ranking points and 2,000 Ryder Cup points on offer. And with the top-10 players from the DP World Tour, who are not otherwise exempt, also getting a card to the PGA Tour, there is an added incentive for players to compete here.
A total of 28 Indians, including Shubhankar, Manu Gandas — who earned a card in the DP World Tour because of the latest alliance between PGTI, DP World Tour and PGA Tour — and two-time Indian Open winner SSP Chawrasia — who has received a sponsor invite — will rub shoulders with the best in the world.
Shubhankar, who got off to a flying start at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship — the first strokeplay event of the year on the DP World Tour — will spearhead the Indian challenge and hope to bag his maiden Indian Open trophy.
The title triumph could provide the perfect motivation to the 26-year-old to compete in the 151st Open to be held at Royal Liverpool in July.
Among the international players, defending champion Stephen Gallacher of Scotland, 2018 Ryder Cup-winning captain Denmark’s Thomas Bjorn, his country-mate and fellow Ryder Cup team-mate Thorbjorn Olesen, besides top Scottish golfer Robert MacIntyre (OWGR rank 87) will vie for the top prize of USD 3,40,000 (Rs 2.80 crore approximately). The runner-up will be richer by USD 2,20,000 (Rs 1.80 crore).
Olesen, the winner of the British Masters in May 2022, will be one of the favourites for the top purse, given the 33-year-old’s current form and his tied-4th finish in the recent DP World Tour event at Ras Al Khaimah Championship.
Europe’s rising star, Nicolai Hojgaard, will make his maiden visit to India, as will Olesen. With two DP World Tour (originally European Tour) titles to his name, the 21-year-old Hojgaard will turn 22 a little over two weeks after the Indian Open and a win at the DLF Golf and Country Club will be an early birthday present for the Dane, currently ranked 133rd in the world.
Terming the Indian Open as the country’s flagship event, Indian Golf Union (IGU) president Brijinder Singh said it was time to get the bonhomie back to the event after four years of COVID-enforced break.
Source: PTI News
