Indian Open golf: Familiarity with course no guarantee for success for home contingent | Golf News

Tricky conditions at India’s national golf open have always made it an unpredictable tournament.The Hero Indian Open, a DP World Tour (formerly ‘European Tour’) event, kicks off at the DLF Golf and Country Club on Thursday with its strongest field yet. The tight course demands accuracy and punishes errors, and so it’s not easy to call a winner, or even favourites.
The narrow fairways on six holes where water comes into play require precise driving; the undulating greens not only make putting challenging, but also put pressure on approach shots.
Story continues below this ad

After players from across the world complained about the difficulty over several tournaments – in 2018, former World No. 33 Eddie Pepperell said this course was “designed Satan” – last year, it suddenly opened up for aggressive shotmaking. Japan’s Keita Nakajima, who will defend his title this week, won nine strokes last year after shooting an impressive aggregate of 17-under par.
Last month, the International Series event here – which featured a strong field including two-time Major winner Bryson DeChambeau – saw Ollie Schniederjans victorious with a score of 10-under par, meaning he needed seven more strokes than Nakajima to win the title.
Last year, the halfway cut came at one-under par. Shubhankar Sharma, India no.1 golfer who is ranked 264th in the world, believes that score will result in a top-10 finish this time.
Sharma attributes last year’s low scores to the course playing soft – rain and the resultant moure allowing the ball to stop on the fairways, making the conditions more forgiving – as well as the rough being a bit less penal. It was an anomaly which, he believes, will correct itself this year.Story continues below this ad
“The greens are quite hard this time and the rough is up, so it will be a good challenge for everyone once again,” Sharma said on Wednesday. “The same shots we were hitting last year were dropping and stopping but now you have to be a lot more accurate. There are no easy holes here. No taking it easy.”
No home advantage
With conditions being so challenging, the Indians who play on the layout regularly may fancy their chances. But Shubhankar shoots down the idea.
“It’s a tough course, sure. But we play many tough courses,” he says. “Knowing the conditions may be a small advantage but the top players perform on matchdays. Tournament play is very different. So I don’t think just knowing the conditions will make the key difference.”
Indians have done well at their national open in the past, with SSP Chawrasia, in the field this year, having won this tournament back-to-back in 2016 and 2017, the latter being at this course. Last year, Veer Ahlawat shot 13-under par to finish tied second.Story continues below this ad
But past hory doesn’t suggest that familiarity with conditions is a boon; five of the last eight winners here, across different Tour events, have been debutants.
“You actually have to hit it long and straight so you can actually see the all-around game of a player here,” Ahlawat – who alongside Chawrasia and Sharma – will be among the local favourites to watch here, told a news conference on Wednesday.
The 29-year-old was the Order of Merit topper of the Professional Golf Tour of India (PGTI) last year, which gained him a card on the DP World Tour.
“The only thing that changed (after his experience on the DP World Tour) was how strong the field is. You actually have to play really well to be in the top 10 or top 5,” he said.
Story continues below this ad
Home comforts are no guarantee for Ahlawat to replicate the most impressive performance of his career. Nor should they be for anyone else.