Gaganjeet Bhullar was one of 3 Indians at 17th place
Indians disappoint
For the first time in nearly 30 years, no Indian player at the Hero Indian Open managed a top-15 finish. The best Indian performances came from Veer Ahlawat—who was the runner-up last year, former European Tour winner Gaganjeet Bhullar, and 2023 PGTI Rankings #1 Om Prakash Chouhan, all of whom finished tied-17th. This marks the worst showing by the Indian contingent at the tournament since 1997.
Other Indian finishes:
- T-31st: Ajeetesh Sandhu
- T-43rd: Shubhankar Sharma
- T-54th: Shaurya Bhattacharya
- T-60th: Shiv Kapur, Kshitij Naveed Kaul
- 64th: Sachin Baisoya
- 65th: Jairaj Singh Sandhu
- 66th: Saptak Talwar
- 67th: Aman Raj
A total of 30 Indian players started the tournament, with only 12 making the cut. This trend reflects the increasing difficulty Indian players have faced at the DLF Golf & Country Club since the tournament moved there in 2017.
The stark contrast between past Indian victories at the Hero Indian Open—such as Anirban Lahiri’s and S.S.P. Chawrasia’s wins in 2015 & 2016 respectively at the Delhi Golf Club (DGC)—versus the struggles at DLF G&CC underscores the shift in course difficulty. Chawrasia’s 2nd HIO win in 2017 at the DLF G&CC has proven to be an anomaly since then.
INDIAN PERFORMANCES AT THE HIO – DLF G&CC
|
YEAR |
BEST INDIAN FINISH | NO. OF INDIANS STARTED | NO. OF INDIANS MAKING CUT | WINNING SCORE |
|
2017 |
1st | 41 | 15 | 10-under 278 |
|
2018 |
Tied-7th | 39 | 8 | 11-under 277 |
|
2019 |
Tied-10th | 39 | 8 |
9-under 279 |
| 2023 | Tied-13th | 32 | 16 |
14-under 274 |
| 2024 | Tied-2nd | 31 | 8 |
17-under 271 |
| 2025 | Tied-17th | 30 | 12 |
4-under 284 |
The 2025 Hero Indian Open highlighted the growing challenges Indian golfers face at the elite level, particularly on demanding layouts like DLF G&CC. With the tournament increasingly favoring international winners, Indian players will need to adapt to the course’s demands to reclaim the dominance once seen in earlier decades.
Indian pros are used to playing on flat courses with very little undulation compared to DLF, which does not offer a flat stance anywhere. The firm greens at DLF required a very high ball flight on approach shots that is easily achievable only with shorter irons, which translates to the need for more power off the tee. The super-fast greens required a different type of putting stroke than the usual slow greens encountered in India where PGTI plays. Deep bunkers and windy conditions at DLF all meant that the Indians had no home advantage, as they encountered conditions alien to them, while the Europeans play on such courses and conditions frequently.
The winner’s stroke average at DLF G&CC stood at 71.00, compared to the DP World Tour season average of 68.25. The cut line was set at 6-over 150, which is the highest on tour so far this season, and the winning score of 4-under 284 marked the highest winning total as well.
While this year’s results may have been disappointing for Indian golf, they also serve as a wake-up call for the next generation of Indian players aiming to make a mark globally.