NEW DELHI: Returning after a three-year coronavirus-induced break, the Hero Indian Open is all set to offer the biggest prize purse ever seen in the history of the game in India when the world’s leading golfers will tee off at the DLF Golf & Country Club in Gurugram for what promises to be a power-packed four days of some high-quality sporting action. The tournament, the DP World Tour event, will be played from February 23 to 26.
Some star golfers who have confirmed their participation include defending champion Stephen Gallacher, 2018 Ryder Cup-winning captain Thomas Bjørn, his fellow Ryder Cup teammate Thorbjørn Olesen, Scotland’s Robert MacIntyre and Nicolai Højgaard from Denmark.
Indian challenge will be spearheaded by Shubhankar Sharma, who got off to a flying start at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship – the first stroke play event of 2023 on the DP World Tour.
Others include Shiv Kapur and two-time Indian Open winner, SSP Chawrasia. Manu Gandas, who earned a card into the DP World Tour because of the latest alliance between the PGTI, DP World Tour and PGA Tour, will also be seen in action.
Gandas had an outstanding season in 2022, when he won six domestic Tour events and topped the Order of Merit to earn a card to the DP World Tour.
This year, the tournament will touch the landmark figure of $2 million as prize purse for the first time and host a field of 120 players from over 20 countries. The winner will receive a handsome amount of $340,000, while the runner-up will pick up $220,000. The third-place finisher will pocket $126,000 and the fourth-place holder $100,000.
The tournament gains immense significance with its 2750 ‘Race to Dubai’ ranking points and 2,000 ‘Ryder Cup’ points. With the top 10 players from the DP World Tour, who are not otherwise exempted, also getting a card to the PGA Tour, there is an added incentive for the players.
