Hero Indian Open winner Alex Fitzpatrick of England underlined the value of perseverance, patience and dedication at the DLF Golf and Country Club on Sunday.
By Rahul Banerji
The Hero Indian Open that concluded on Sunday at the DLF Golf and Country Club saw three Indian professionals make the cut from 26 in the starting field.
The best finish was a share of 43rd place for two of the three.
At last October’s DP World India Championship at the Delhi Golf Club, five Indian professionals out of 26 progressed past the opening 36 holes.
The best finish was a tied 32nd place.
At the Indian Open in 2025, the picture was only slightly better with 12 professionals entering the money rounds from 29 starters.
No one in the top 10 or top 15. Veer Ahlawat’s joint runner-up placing in 2024 was the best result at the National Open for some time.
The last home win — by Shiv Shankar Prasad Chawrasia — came nine years ago.
These are puzzling numbers.
The Professional Golf Tour of India now has a major international backer in Dubai-based logistics giant DP World, and has also substantially increased prize purses and the number of events it presents annually.
Rich pickings
Institutionally, therefore, there is no lack of effort or opportunity.
In parallel, the breakaway Indian Golf Premier League said it had “secured a $100 million capital commitment from its 10 franchise partners across India”.
The 2026 season features 15 events, 10 in India across the franchises’ respective home cities, and five internationally including Mauritius, South Africa, and the Congo later this month playing for a prize pool of Rs 1.5 crore per tournament.
Contrast this to the women’s domestic professional game which has far less money available but sees a good proportion of its membership playing on international tours.
Some 15 Indian women ply their trade overseas between the LPGA, LET, its subsidiary series and other regional tours from a total number of less than 60.
That is by any standards an impressive strike rate.
So why are more Indian professional men golfers not being seen on international circuits?
Liberal presence
Japan, Korea, Thailand and now the Philippines and Malaysia have an ever-increasing presence internationally. Australian and South African golfers liberally sprinkle PGA Tour and the DP World Tour starting sheets.
LIV Golf also has solid representation from some of these countries besides the “traditional powers”.
Yet the only Indian mixing it up at that level, Anirban Lahiri, does not event find mention in the debate around a disappointing domestic performance at the 2026 National Open.
Are Indian golfers becoming too comfortable with rising prize money available to them at home and thus unwilling to undertake the hard grind of the international game with its attendant demands of expense, travel, planning and paperwork?
Or do Indian coaches need to step up by re-inventing their skill-sets and bringing in greater use of technology to steer their players through increasingly competitive waters?
Or are there other X factors at work here?
There is clearly a need for answers and it is up to every stakeholder in the game to help look for solutions. That is the least owed to Indian golf.
Also read: Breakthrough win at Hero Indian Open for England’s Fitzpatrick
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