Out of the Rough: Hero Indian Open (2026)

The DP World Tour will play its final tournament before a near month-long hiatus, including a break for the Masters tournament, with this week’s Hero Indian Open.

The Gary Player Course at the DLF Golf and Country Club in Gurgaon, India will take center-stage this week, just as it has since 2017.

Outside of a three year hiatus due to COVID, this event has been in existence since 1964 and up until 2000, was held exclusively at either the Delhi Golf Club or Royal Calcutta Golf Club.

It has been a part of the DP World Tour Schedule since 2015.

The Field

Much of who we saw playing in last week’s Hainan Classic will also tee it up this week in India.

Along with a slew of DP World tour regulars, 2026 Arnold Palmer Invitational winner and Hero brand ambassador, Akshay Bhatia will headline this week’s field.

Additionally, with LIV Golf now off until post-Masters Tournament, David Puig and Elvis Smylie will be playing this week as well.

Joining Puig as winners on the season playing this week are Dan Bradbury, Casey Jarvis, Freddy Schott and Nacho Elvira.

Eugenio Chacarra comes in as the defending champion, having topped Keita Nakajima by two strokes a season ago.

The Course

As previously mentioned, The Gary Player Course at the DLF Golf and Country Club in Gurgaon, India is regarded as one of the most challenging tracks in the world of professional golf.

It plays as a Par 72 at roughly 7,293 yards. The yardage is hard to pin down as it is listed at as much as 7,600 in previous years but has played more to the tune of 7,200 yards.

The fairways are narrow with some undulation. Water is also in play on seven holes this week - one, five, six, eight, nine, 16 and 18.

The course is wall-to-wall Bermuda, including the greens. These greens are large and undulating.

Eddie Pepperell once suggested the course had been designed by Satan. “Literally every shot, something can go wrong,” said Pepperell. “It’s quite a walk and mentally it will be very draining to stay up there, if you’re up there the whole week in contention.”

Matt Wallace, the 2018 victor, said, “Every hole is a double-bogey waiting to happen.”

In all, this will be a true test of not only a complete golf game, but can fare to play more to the mental side of things than not. Golfers will need to accept that they’ll have some bad holes this week but it’ll be those who can bounce back on the very next hole that will have a chance this week.

The Weather

As of the time of writing this, there is a five-percent chance of precipitation on Thursday, a ten-percent chance on Friday, a five-percent chance on Saturday and a 15-percent chance on Sunday. Temperatures will begin the week at 84-degrees across both Thursday and Friday before increasing to 86-degrees on Saturday and peaking at 87-degrees on Sunday. Winds are set for ten miles-per-hour for all of Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Winds will decrease to nine miles-per-hour on Sunday.

Key Stats

• Strokes Gained: Tee to Green (SG: TTG)

• Strokes Gained: Approach (SG: APP)

• Greens in Regulation Percentage (GIR%)

• Scrambling

• Bogey Avoidance

• Strokes Gained: Putting (SG: PUTT)

• Strokes Gained: Off the Tee (SG: OTT) / Total Driving

Betting Card

Angel Ayora (+2000)

In full transparency, I used a boost to get Ayora to 20/1 from 16/1. I never thought I would be betting Ayora this season on the DP World Tour given the numbers he’s opened at but with Akshay Bhatia and David Puig in the field, plus the boost, I was fine pulling the trigger on the guy who topped my stats-based model this week. On the season, Ayora is currently fifth on Tour in SG: TTG, sixth in SG: OTT, ninth in both scrambling and SG: PUTT, 11th in SG: APP, 19th in bogey avoidance, 31st in total driving and 60th in GIR%. Over his last five outings, Ayora has placed 28th at the Hainan Classic, 18th at the Joburg Open, ninth at the Investec South African Open Championship, eighth at the Magical Kenya Open and fifth at the Qatar Masters. He also placed 52nd at this event a season ago. 

Ewen Ferguson (+4200)

Ol’ trusty. Ferguson has been a staple of DP World Tour cards for a long time, and that’s for good reason. He is currently 17th on Tour in GIR%, 18th in SG: PUTT, 30th in bogey avoidance, 33rd in total driving, 34th in SG: APP, 35th in SG: TTG, 43rd in SG: OTT and 71st in scrambling. He last played the Joburg Open where he placed 57th. Prior to that he placed ninth at the Investec South African Open Championship. He also placed 17th here a season ago and 47th in 2024. 

Francesco Molinari (+6800)

The 43-year-old three-time PGA Tour winner comes in with some decent results across his limited action on the DP World Tour this season. He placed 34th last week at the Hainan Classic. Earlier in the season he placed fourth at the Hero Dubai Desert Classic, 47th at the Dubai Invitational and tenth at the Nedbank Golf Challenge. He is currently 13th on Tour in SG: APP, 19th in SG: TTG, 28th in both bogey avoidance and total driving, 50th in SG: PUTT, 51st in scrambling, 57th in SG: OTT and 63rd in GIR%. This is one of the hardest courses, if not the hardest courses, that the DP World Tour will see this season. A seasoned veteran who can keep his cool can be the key this week. 

Daniel Rodrigues (+18000)

The first of my two long shots this week, Rodrigues comes in with some great form. He placed sixth last week at the Hainan Classic. Prior to that he placed 43rd at the Investec South African Open Championship, 29th at the Magical Kenya Open, 65th at the Qatar Masters and 31st at the Bapco Energies Bahrain Championship. He is currently 12th on Tour in GIR%, 20th in bogey avoidance, 33rd in SG: PUTT, 37th in SG: OTT, 38th in SG: TTG, 49th in scrambling, 60th in total driving and 64th in SG: APP.

Tobias Jonsson (+25000)

A big number for one of the best putters on Tour. Jonsson is currently second on Tour in SG: PUTT. He is also 17th in total driving, 24th in GIR%, 25th in SG: OTT, 50th in SG: TTG, 66th in scrambling, 70th in SG: APP and 87th in bogey avoidance. This is one of those venues where putting could be the difference in a lower scoring affair. He placed 34th last week at the Hainan Classic. Prior to that he missed the cut at the Joburg Open but placed 42nd at the Magical Kenya Open, 48th at the Qatar Masters, 34th at the Bapco Energies Bahrain Championship and 18th at the AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open.

2025 Betting Card

• Francesco Laporta (+3300) - MC

• Brandon Thompson-Robinson (+4000) - T17th

• John Parry (+4500) - T29th

• Marcel Schneider (+6000) - MC

• Marcus Armitage (+9000) - T43rd

2024 Betting Card

• Jordan Smith (+1800) - T37th

• Bernd Wiesberger (+3300) - MC

• Frederic LaCroix (+4000) - T21st

• Daniel Hillier (+6000) - W/D

• Darius van Driel (+15000) - T31st