India’s two most successful golfers Arjun Atwal and Jeev Milkha Singh will head home to compete in next month’s Hero Honda Indian Open - which is making a popular return to Delhi Golf Club.
The US$1.25 million tournament will be played from December 2 to 5 and is the joint richest full-field event on this year’s Asian Tour. The duo will also be joined by compatriots Jyoti Randhawa, one of only two players to win the event on three occasions, and Shiv Kapur.
Atwal will be fresh from becoming the first Indian to win on the US PGA Tour while Singh will be looking for a confidence boosting week after a year troubled by a nagging shoulder injury.
In August, Atwal made history for his country by winning the Wyndham Championship on the US PGA Tour. The 37 year old also finished third in the McGladrey Classic in America three weeks ago.
His name is already on the Indian Open trophy as he claimed the title in 1999 and he will return this year bidding for his eighth Asian Tour victory.
“It will obviously be special playing in the Hero Honda Indian Open this year after winning in the States. That was an incredible moment and victory for me. My confidence is high and what better way to end the year than by winning my national Open for the second time,” said Atwal, who topped the Asian Tour Order of Merit in 2003 before furthering his career in the United States.
Atwal, a regular practice partner of Tiger Woods, last won in Asia when he triumphed in the Maybank Malaysian Open in 2008.
“My win in the United States has given me a lot of confidence and I am hungry for more victories,” added the Indian, who finished joint 33rd in last year’s Hero Honda Indian Open.
His triumph in the Wyndham Championship could not have come at a better time as he had lost his US PGA Tour card in July because he was too low on the Money List when his minor medical exemption ran out.
As well as becoming the first Indian to win on the US PGA Tour, he was the first Monday qualifier to triumph since Fred Wadsworth at the 1986 Southern Open.
The first prize of US$918,000 bumped up his season’s winnings to US$1,507,143 ranking him 55th on the Money List.
Singh last played in the Hero Honda Indian Open in 2008, when he finished in fourth place at Delhi Golf Club. He will be relishing a return to his homeland after a frustrating year. His injury has resulted in just one top-10 finish in 17 starts in the States. The Indian’s last victory came in the Barclays Singapore Open in 2008, which was his sixth win on the Asian Tour. The 38 year old won the Asian Tour Order of Merit title in 2006 and 2008 and has lifted two trophies in Europe and three in Japan.
“The Hero Honda Indian Open is slightly later in the season this year and promises to provide a wonderful crescendo to 2010. With Arjun Atwal and Jeev Milkha Singh competing at Delhi Golf Club we can expect some large crowds while fans can also tune in from around the region to watch all four days live on television,” said Mr. Pawan Munjal, Managing Director & CEO, Hero Honda Motors Ltd.
“Hero Honda have been the proud title sponsor of the Indian Open since 2005 and it is has been a memorable experience being able to watch the event grow into one of the most highly regarded and lucrative golf tournaments in Asia,” added Munjal.
Indian C. Muniyappa’s dream became a reality last year when he triumphed in the Hero Honda Indian Open after beating Lee Sung from Korea on the first extra hole. The former caddie from Bangalore drained a 10 foot birdie putt on the par five 18th to win at DLF Golf and Country Club.
This year will mark the 47th staging of the event and the 23rd occasion it has been held at Delhi Golf Club. The inaugural Indian Open was staged at Delhi Golf Club in 1964 when Australian Peter Thomson took the title.
"It is with great enthusiasm that we look forward to this year’s national Open. This will be an exceptional year for the tournament thanks to the support of Hero Honda. The Indian Open boasts a wealth of great memories and with the tournament continuing to build in stature we are sure many more great chapters will be written about the event in the future,” said Rohit Amin, President, Indian Golf Union.
The Hero Honda Indian Open was staged at Delhi Golf Club for seven successive seasons before being held at DLF in 2009.
Vijay Dhawan, Captain of Delhi Golf Club said: “Delhi Golf Club is the traditional home of the Indian Open and we look forward to its return in December. We have witnessed many great finishes on our famous 18th hole and I am sure this year will be no exception.”
Asian Tour Executive Chairman Kyi Hla Han said: “Our talented members are looking forward to the Hero Honda Indian Open, especially when there is a lucrative prize fund of US$1.25 million to play for. As the championship is slated towards the end of our season, it will shape the race for the prestigious Order of Merit crown which is being contested keenly by our top stars. The Indian Open has grown tremendously over the years and on behalf of the Tour, I would like to extend our fullest appreciation to our title sponsor Hero Honda and also the Indian Golf Union, who are the guardians of the Indian Open.”
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