USA’s Ollie Schniederjans has overcome numerous health issues to emerge a winner again
Even force-of-nature professional golfers are no match for Mother Nature. Heavy fog and weather delays characteristically shrouded the Asian Tour and LIV Golf-funded US$2 million prize money International Series India hosted by DLF at the DLF Golf & Country Club (G&CC) in Gurugram last week. With 27 holes being played on Sunday, the final day, tournament officials expertly managed to conclude the event as per schedule. The backlog was a result of long delays every day caused by thick fog each morning. In order to complete 72 holes, the organisers switched to shotgun starts for rounds three and four, with players staying in the same pairings.
USA’s Ollie Schniederjans completed a fairytale comeback victory with a final tournament score of 10-under 278, four clear of fellow American and 2-time U.S. Open Champion Bryson DeChambeau, his nearest challenger at 6-under 282. Bryson pulled out all stops with a bogey-free seven-under 65 in the final round, but it wasn’t enough to cover an eight-shot gap that Schniederjans had built up over him heading into Round 4.
(L-R) Tusch Daroga – Vice President, DLF Golf & Country Club, Cho Minn Thant – CEO and MD, Asian Tour, Ollie Schniederjans – The International Series India Winner, Greg Norman – LIV Golf Board Member, and Rahul Singh – Head of the International Series at LIV Golf and Asian Tour
In 2014, Schneiderjans held the world’s top amateur ranking for 41 consecutive weeks, later claiming victory on the Korn Ferry Tour in 2016. However, his ascent was abruptly halted in 2022 when dual hip replacement surgeries sidelined him for over a year.
“It means a lot to me,” said the 31-year-old Schniederjans, ably supported by his middle brother Ben as caddie this week. “This golf course is very challenging, and back in the day I would have had a hard time out here, so to come out and shoot those scores now, with everything I have been through, my game is a lot better than it ever was. This was proof this week.”
Bryson DeChambeau was the star attraction
As the curtains fall on the whirlwind International Series India, the echoes of a transformative week still reverberate across the Indian golfing community. But it wasn’t just the tournament’s conclusion that had fans dialed in—it was the electric presence of Bryson DeChambeau. His athleticism, charisma, and showmanship left an indelible impression on Indian golf, igniting a new wave of excitement and ambition among young fans and aspiring golfers alike.
Unprecedented crowds came out to watch Bryson DeChambeau
Interestingly, the top 4 were all LIV Golf players – the only ones to finish 72 holes with under-par total scores. Schneiderjans was the only LIV Golf Reserve player among them.
Mexico’s Abraham Ancer finished joint third on two-under 286, alongside reigning International Series Rankings champion and last year’s LIV Golf Individual Champion Joaquín Niemann of Chile.
Undisputedly, the silent star this week was local hero and LIV Golf’s Anirban Lahiri, who was the unofficial host of the first-ever International Series event in India, and played a key role in bringing his fellow LIV Golf stars to India.
Lahiri finished tied-10th with five other players, despite a hectic week as host.
11-time Asian Tour champion Gaganjeet Bhullar finished T24 on seven-over 295, ahead of Chandigarh’s Karandeep Kochhar at T39 (+7), and Yuvraj Sandhu at T45 (+11).
2-time European Tour winner Shubhankar Sharma rounded off his week at 12-over 300 and finished T48.
Adding his name to the history books, 15-year-old Amateur star Kartik Singh became the youngest Indian and 4th-youngest player ever to make the cut on the Asian Tour, signing off with a 75 to finish T53, just behind 2-time Indian Open Champion SSP Chawrasia.
The next event on the Asian Tour is the New Zealand Open from February 27-March 2, which will be followed by the International Series Macau from March 20-23–the second elevated event of 10 that offers a pathway onto the LIV Golf League.