The nation’s richest and the flagship golf occasion – the $2.25 million Hero Indian Open – awaits a homegrown champion since 2017.

This week, 27 professionals and 4 amateurs will current the house problem when the 57th version of the premier occasion tees off on the DLF Golf and Country Club on Thursday. They might be up towards powerful abroad challengers, together with 40 European Tour winners with near 90 titles amongst them.

After S. S. P. Chowrasia defended the title in 2017, solely three editions had been held whereas thrice in succession the occasion needed to be cancelled owing to the scenario pressured by the COVID-19 pandemic.

For the document, the highest prize is $382,500, the runner-up will get $247,500 and the third-placed will obtain $141,750.

World No. 78 Denmark’s Ras Hojgaard, a four-time winner on the Tour, is the very best ranked within the subject that features 20 gamers from the Top-200 record. Though defending champion Marcel Siem misses the occasion following a current hip-surgery, his German compatriot runner-up Yannik Paul is again.

READ | Indian Open: Focus on comeback man Lahiri ahead of Paris 2024 Olympics

Ranked 188, Shubhankar Sharma returns to his ‘home’ course as the very best positioned Indian. The presence of seasoned Anirban Lahiri additionally provides hope. However, prior to now, the ‘projected’ Indian favourites have seldom lived as much as the pre-event expectations. In all these years, solely Ali Sher, Jyoti Randhawa and Chowrasia have proved delightfully totally different.

Going by the current kind, Shubhankar, who was lately signed by Roundglass Sports, carries the arrogance of ending tied-seventh within the Porsche Singapore Classic final week.

Describing the DLF course as “one of the toughest that we play all year,” Shubhankar reiterated, “This is home for me, like my second home. I spent my teenage years here and all my evenings were spent practicing on the putting green, playing putting matches with friends.

“And every year I’ve become a better player and a better person. I have a better understanding of the game and something that I’m really proud of - the journey that I’ve taken till now,” stated Shubhankar, whose seek for a 3rd Tour title continues.

Lahiri, the 2015 winner and looking out so as to add one other Tour title since then, returns to his dwelling Open after 5 years. “I am desperate to win,” declared Lahiri, ranked 401 on the earth.

The two-time Olympian can be eager to lift his World rating in an effort to make it to the Paris Olympics. He is presently ranked behind Shubhankar (188) and Gaganjeet Bhullar (240). India, at finest, can get two entries within the males’s part.

This week, the circumstances are set to check the golfers with the Indians actually not getting any ‘home advantage’.