OLD FRIENDS SHUBHANKAR AND VEER LOOK FORWARD TO HERO INDIAN OPEN

Rakesh Thapliyal

Gurugram: Shubhankar Sharma has played Hero Indian Open every year since it came onto the DP World Tour in 2015, and has ensured weekend action each time. Sharma, who turned pro at 16, has also succeeded in keeping his playing rights on the tour since 2017.

Keeping Sharma company on the DP World Tour is Veer Ahlawat, who by virtue of winning the PGTI Order of Merit earned a DP World Tour card for this season. While the DLF Golf and Country Club is the home course for last year’s runners-up Ahlawat, and it used to be the same for Sharma when he lived here.

The two will be among the 30 Indians, which includes 4 amateurs, who will hope to bring back the million Hero Indian Open to India at the DLF Golf and Country Club when play gets underway on Thursday morning. The event carries a prize purse of US$ 2.25 million.

Apart from Sharma and Ahlawat, the only Indians on the DPWT currently, the field also has the last Indian winner of the tournament, SSP Chawrasia (winner in 2016 and 2017), Dubai-based Indian Rayhan Thomas, who now plays on Korn Ferry Tour in the United States, and Hero Brand Ambassador Shiv Kapur.

Sharma and Ahlawat have known each other for a long time. Sharma said, “We play a lot together as much as possible. But I know it’s Veer’s first year, so he’s very focused. He is a very good player. He’s in bed by 9.30 every day. So every time we organize dinners, he has early tee times and he’s in bed, which is very good and inspiring for me because I need to follow that timetable as well. But it’s fun because we grew up playing together, we are the same age. So I’m really happy someone that I’ve known for a long time is on tour with me.”

Veer smiled and returned the compliment and said, “Yeah for sure, he’s a really good player and I did ask him (Sharma) a few times how to go around on the golf course and he’s a really experienced player. I really look forward to playing practice rounds with him and trying to learn as much as possible from him.”

Sharma will be teeing up at the HIO for the eighth time in his career and he has made the cut each time with T-7 in 2018 as his best. He added, “Really looking forward to the Hero Indian Open. Of course this is our fifth major. It’s always fun coming back home. This used to be my home course back in the day. I used to live here. So, I have a lot of friends here and this is always homecoming for me.

“Winning here would mean the world. Growing up in India, watching the Hero Indian Open, was the first tournament that I ever went to and seeing all the international players play. That’s what inspired me to become a professional as well. this is obviously like I said, this is the fifth major and winning this would be great in front of friends and family.”

Veer, who is also excited about playing the HIO, added, “The Hero Indian Open is good for golf in India. Especially the kids here, a lot of kids play golf here and for them to come out and see such good players play out here.”

This will be Ahlawat’s fifth start at the event and his best was Tied-second last year and he will be hoping to go one better.

Chawrasia, the last player to win back-to-back HIO, was happy to be back at the event, where he has had so much success. Returning to the HIO he said, “First of all, I would like to say, “Thank you, Pawan Munjal ji’. He gave me a spot this week. And, I would like to say thanks because he’s been sponsoring the HIO for so many years.”

“The golf course is playing great. And, of course, I have some good memories. So I’m trying to use those good memories this week.”

Rayhan Thomas, who plays on the Korn Ferry Tour in the United States, was thrilled to return to India. In the past he has emerged as the best amateur and now he has a chance to have a shot as a pro. He said, “The Hero Indian Open means a lot to me. It’s an event I’ve watched growing up, Being from India it’s a privilege to be able to play here and I’ve done it as an amateur and (am) excited to do it as a pro.”

Shiv Kapur, a Hero Brand Ambassador, added, “The Hero Indian Open for us Indians is like our fifth major. You know, every kid growing up in India dreams of winning their national title, and, obviously, it’s one title that’s eluded me through my career. I’ve come close in the past but not been able to close.”

Play in the first round begins at 6:25 am in the morning. The key groups in the morning and afternoon sessions will be:

Morning groups to watch on Day 1

Tee 1:

7.10 am: Bernd Wiesberger, Gavin Green, Manu Gandas

7.40 am: Casey Jarvis, Om Prakash Chouhan, Eugenio Chacarra

Tee 10:

7.15 am: Rayhan Thomas, Rafa Cabrera Bello, Andreas Halvorsen

7.35 am: Angel Hidalgo, John Parry, Shubhankar Sharma

7.45 am: Richard Mansell, Johannes Veerman, Keita Nakajima

7.55 am: Jorge Campillo, Veer Ahlawat, Adrien Saddier

Afternoon groups to watch on Day 1

Tee 1:

12.15 pm: Pablo Larrazabal, Callum Hill, Ewen Ferguson

12.25 pm: Marcel Siem, Romain Langasque, Matthew Jordan

12.45 pm: Brandon Robinson Thompson, Jayden Schaper, SSP Chawrasia

Tee 10:

11.50 am: K Aphibarnrat, Fabrizio Zanotti, Matthew Baldwin.