Take part in the ‘Hero Swing Challenge’ for the chance to win a Pro-Am spot in the 2025 Hero Indian Open
The country’s flagship professional golf tournament, The $2.25 million (₹19.5 crore approx.) Hero Indian Open (HIO) is set to return to the DLF Golf & Country Club in Gurugram this month from March 27-30. As the second stop on the 2025 DP World (European) Tour’s Asian Swing, this prestigious event will feature some of the world’s top golfers, including past champions and rising Indian talent, competing for the title of National Open Champion.
For the first time, the organisers are offering ordinary golfers a chance to play alongside pro golfers in the Pro-Am event, which is played in the days prior to the start of the main 4-day event.
How to play in the Pro-Am: The Hero Swing Challenge
Ahead of the main event, amateur golfers have a chance to secure a spot in the highly coveted Pro-Am on March 26. For the first time ever, Hero MotoCorp—title sponsor of The Hero Indian Open since 2005—is offering 6 amateur golfers an all-expense paid trip to play in the HIO Pro-Am. The ‘Hero Swing Challenge’, running from March 9 onwards, invites amateur golfers to showcase their best ‘Hero swing’ by posting and sharing videos on social media. To participate, contestants must:
- Share their best ‘Hero Swing’ on Instagram, which is any quirky, funny, or innovative golf swing that they can pull off, and post it while tagging the designated Hero Golf page.
- Follow the Hero Golf page and send their video via direct message.
The 6 top entries will earn the exclusive opportunity to play alongside professional golfers in the Pro-Am.
Find out more here: Hero Swing – Terms & Conditions
Hero Golf Official Instagram Page: herogolfofficial
Stars in the 58th edition of HIO
The 2025 HIO has attracted a formidable field, featuring defending champion Keita Nakajima from Japan and 2023 winner Marcel Siem of Germany. Other notable international players include South African Jacques Kruyswijk, American Johannes Veerman, French players Julien Guerrier, Frederic Lacroix, and David Ravetto, Spain’s Ángel Hidalgo, Scotsman Ewen Ferguson, and Guido Migliozzi of Italy.
The country’s top golfers will lead the Indian challenge—last year’s runner-up Veer Ahlawat, who enjoys playing rights in Europe this year after topping the 2024 PGTI rankings, and 2-time DP World Tour winner Shubhankar Sharma are the tournament favourites. Local boy Manu Gandas, a former PGTI Rankings No. 1, and 15-year-old teenage sensation Kartik Singh with Top-10 finishes in his last three international amateur events in South Africa and Australia, will also be key contenders.
(L-R) SK Sharma – Hero Indian Open Committee Chairman from IGU, Sanjay Bhan – Hero MotoCorp Executive VP, Brijinder Singh – IGU President, and Tusch Daroga – DLF Golf & Country Club VP
The Hero Indian Open has played a crucial role in elevating Indian golf on the global stage since its inception. Speaking at the tournament launch in New Delhi on March 6, Sanjay Bhan, Executive Vice President of Hero MotoCorp, reaffirmed the brand’s commitment to the sport:
“This is more than a tournament; it is a testament to Hero MotoCorp’s leadership in promoting Indian golf on the global stage. We are proud to extend our two-decade-long partnership with India’s national Open and continue showcasing the world’s best golfers on Indian soil.”
Fans can enjoy world-class golf action with free entry across all four days of the event, making it an unmissable opportunity for golf aficionados in India.
