With the arrival of the month of March, the DP World Tour is gearing up for its Asian Swing! The Hero Indian Open is the second stop on its calendar. In 2023, the tournament made a comeback after a 5-year hiatus. After last year’s success, the event is once again back at the DLF Golf Country Club with an increased prize purse of a whopping $2.25 million. Amidst all the grandeur and glory, the tournament’s schedule will be brushing shoulders with the Masters. In an exclusive interview with EssentiallySports, the crucial question was raised: Will such proximity to one of the majors negatively impact the tournament? Will the Indian Open become Icarus, who flew too close to the sun?

During the recent Hero Indian Open’s press release at the Lodhi in an EssentiallySports Exclusive, the executives were questioned about the scheduling conflicts that may arise for the DPWT golfers. The event, scheduled from March 28–31, comes merely a week before the Masters. In the previous edition, nearly 40 days separated the two tournaments.

However, as per the execs, it looks like the event being closer to the Masters would act more like a boon than a bane. Speaking about the impact of being scheduled so close to the Masters, the spokesperson stated, “There is a week gap between the Hero India Open and the Masters, so we don’t see anything there, but this has given an opportunity to increase the field.”

Last year, the event took place during the last week of February, from the 22nd to the 26th. The daylight hours were shorter, thus limiting the field to only 120–124 players, but this time around there will be more availability of the daylight hours, resulting in a bigger field. Well, rightly so, as this year, the event boasts a field of 144 players, which will include 33 Indians and 4 amateurs.

Another important aspect brought to light in the exclusive interview with EssentiallySports was the inclusion of the Hero Indian Open in the ‘Asian Swing,’ one of the Five Global Swings introduced by the DP World Tour for the 2024 season, and how it played a crucial role in scheduling the event.

Further, it was emphasized that not being a stand-alone event would prove beneficial for the Indian Open. This time around, the event is scheduled just after the Singapore Open, which will allow the golfers to play in a swing of two tournaments. Thus, encourage the player to participate in the tournament. The upcoming event will also see the return of one of its past winners, Anirban Lahiri, who’s since defected to LIV Golf.

Anirban Lahiri will be competing at home again at the Hero Indian Open

Lahiri will be returning to the Hero Indian Open after five years. The 36-year-old has already tasted victory on the Gurgaon greens at the Hero Indian Open back in 2015. The LIV Golfer also expressed his elation through a video in which he stated, “I am really looking forward to play at the Indian Open this year. It has been five years since I had the opportunity to compete in my national open. Winning the title in 2015 remains one of my most cherished memories.

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Apart from Lahiri, the 57th edition of the tournament will feature other big golfers like Manu Gandas, Shiv Kapur, Aman Raj, and three-time DP World Tour winner Nicolas Colsaerts teeing it off on the Gary Player Course. Which other golfer would you like to see take on the Hero Indian Open? Let us know your pick in the comments below!

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