Hero Indian Open

The Hero Indian Open is a golf tournament on the Asian Tour that has been held for several years at the Delhi Golf Club.

The inaugural event was held in 1964 and won by Peter Thomson of Australia, who was the inspiration behind the event. Thomson used to stop off in India whilst travelling worldwide to play and soon realised the potential for golf and that the best way to promote it would be an international tournament. It was this insight that persuaded the Indian Golf Union to establish the Indian Open. Thompson continued to play in the event and won again in 1966 and 1976 a record. His three wins has only been equalled by Jyoti Randhawa in 2007.

The first home-bred winner was amateur Prem Gopal (Billoo) Sethi, who in 1965 won by seven strokes, and still remains the only amateur winner. It was not until 1991, when Ali Sher became champion, that India had another winner; he won again in 1993. Since then Indians Firoz Ali (1998), Arjun Atwal (1999), Jyoti Randhawa (2000, 2006, and 2007) and Vijay Kumar (2002) have all won.

In 1970 the Indian Open became part of the Asia Golf Circuit and as a result the field increased in strength with notable winners such as three time major champion Payne Stewart.

There have been a number of sponsors over the years, with Hero Honda Motors Ltd taking over sponsorship in 2005. The prize fund for 2009 increased to US$1.25 million. It and the Iskandar Johor Open in Malaysia, which has the same prize fund, were as of 2011 the events with the largest prizes sanctioned solely by the Asian Tour. The Singapore Open had held the distinction with a US$5 million purse, but it became co-sanctioned by the European Tour from 2009.

Winners

Year Winner Country Score Venue First prize (US$)
2011 David Gleeson  Australia 268 Delhi Golf Club 198,125
2010 Rikard Karlberg  Sweden 277 Delhi Golf Club 198,125
2009 Chinnaswamy Muniyappa  India 276 DLF Golf and Country Club 198,125
2008 Liang Wen-Chong  China 272 Delhi Golf Club 158,500
2007 Jyoti Randhawa  India 275 Delhi Golf Club 79,250
2006 Jyoti Randhawa  India 270 Delhi Golf Club 63,400
2005 Thaworn Wiratchant  Thailand 272 Delhi Golf Club 47,250
2004 Mardan Mamat  Singapore 270 Delhi Golf Club 50,000
2003 Mike Cunning  United States 270 Delhi Golf Club 50,000
2002 Vijay Kumar  India 275 Delhi Golf Club 50,000
2001 Thongchai Jaidee  Thailand 271 Classic Golf Resort, Gurgaon 50,010
2000 Jyoti Randhawa  India 273 Classic Golf Resort, Gurgaon 50,010
1999 Arjun Atwal  India 276 Royal Calcutta Golf Club 50,010
1998 Firoz Ali  India 274 Royal Calcutta Golf Club
1997 Ed Fryatt  England 272 Royal Calcutta Golf Club
1996 Hidezumi Shirataka  Japan 277 Royal Calcutta Golf Club
1995 Jim Rutledge  Canada 280 Delhi Golf Club
1994 Emlyn Aubrey  United States 285 Royal Calcutta Golf Club
1993 Ali Sher  India 288 Delhi Golf Club
1992 Stewart Ginn  Australia 284 Royal Calcutta Golf Club
1991 Ali Sher  India 283 Delhi Golf Club
1990 Andrew Debusk  United States 288 Royal Calcutta Golf Club
1989 Remi Bouchard  Canada 279 Delhi Golf Club 19,992
1988 Lu Chien-soon  Taiwan 281 Royal Calcutta Golf Club 16,660
1987 Brian Tennyson  United States 280 Delhi Golf Club
1986 Lu Hsi-chuen  Taiwan 279 Royal Calcutta Golf Club
1985 Tony Grimes  New Zealand 279 Delhi Golf Club
1984 Rafael Alarcon  Mexico 279 Royal Calcutta Golf Club 16,660
1983 J. Takahashi  Japan 285 Delhi Golf Club 12,495
1982 Hsu Sheng-san  Taiwan 277 Royal Calcutta Golf Club
1981 Payne Stewart  United States 284 Delhi Golf Club
1980 Kurt Cox  United States 286 Royal Calcutta Golf Club
1979 Gaylord Burrows  United States 284 Delhi Golf Club
1978 Bill Brask  United States 284 Royal Calcutta Golf Club
1977 Brian Jones  Australia 284 Delhi Golf Club
1976 Peter Thomson  Australia 288 Royal Calcutta Golf Club
1975 Ted Ball  Australia 282 Delhi Golf Club
1974 Kuo Chie-Hsiung  Taiwan 287 Royal Calcutta Golf Club
1973 Graham Marsh  Australia 280 Delhi Golf Club
1972 Brian Jones  Australia 282 Delhi Golf Club
1971 Graham Marsh  Australia 275 Delhi Golf Club
1970 Chen Chien Chung  Taiwan 279 Royal Calcutta Golf Club
1969 Ben Arda  Philippines 291 Royal Calcutta Golf Club
1968 Kenji Hosoishi  Japan 285 Delhi Golf Club
1967 Kenji Hosoishi  Japan 287 Royal Calcutta Golf Club
1966 Peter Thomson  Australia 284 Delhi Golf Club
1965 P.G. Sethi (amateur)  India 282 Royal Calcutta Golf Club
1964 Peter Thomson  Australia 292 Delhi Golf Club

External links