Hero Indian Open Preview: TV Times, Betting Tips

The European Tour heads to New Delhi this week for the Hero Indian Open: Here’s how to watch, and who to back

The European Tour stages it’s fifth Hero Indian Open this week on the Gary Player course at DLF Golf and Country Club.

The course, which is hosting for the third consecutive time, is by no means an easy task for players: last year, just 15 players were under par at the tournament’s conclusion. The toughest hole proved to be the 14th, averaging 4.44 and claiming 37 double bogeys or worse throughout the week, so there’s a premium on any player with accuracy. 

What is guaranteed is that a new champion will be crowned this year, as Matt Wallace won’t be defending his title – instead playing in his first WGC Dell Match Play event. 

Course: The Gary Player course, DLF G&CC | Par 72 | 7,379 yards
Race to Dubai Points: 2,750
Prize Fund: $1,750,000
Defending Champion: Matt Wallace (not playing)
Former Champions in the field: S.S.P Chawrasia (’17,’16), Anirban Lahiri (’15)

How to watch the Hero Indian Open in the UK

Thursday: 
Sky Sports Golf (05:30), Sky Sports Main Event (06:00), Sky Sports Golf (09:30), Sky Sports Main Event (09:30)

Friday
Sky Sports Golf (05:30), Sky Sports Main Event (06:00), Sky Sports Main Event (09:30), Sky Sports Golf (09:30)

Saturday
Sky Sports Golf (06:30), Sky Sports Main Event (06:30)

Sunday
Sky Sports Golf (07:30), Sky Sports Main Event (07:45)

Betting Tips: Hero Indian Open 

Anirban Lahiri: 14/1
Lahiri has been playing the majority of his golf on the PGA Tour, and despite a best finish of T30 this year at last week’s Valspar Championship, there’s a reason he’s the bookies favourite. In four starts here he has a victory, runner-up finish, T5 and T34. 

Jazz Janewattanond: 16/1
Finished 3rd at last week’s Maybank Championship, which was his sixth worldwide top-5 in his last eight starts – including a victory at the SMBC Singapore Open in January. MC here last year and has a best of T15, which he recorded in 2016. 

Jorge Campillo: 22/1
Followed up back-to-back runner-up finishes on the European Tour with a T20 last week, and is one of the most consistent players heading in to this event. MC here in his last start (2017), but was T10 the year before. Ranks 11th for GIR, 10th for Par-5 scoring and 23rd for par-4 scoring on the European Tour this season. 

Maximillian Kieffer: 22/1
Kieffer’s T5 last week preceded a T14 at the Qatar Masters and T2 in Oman, and with a best finish of T15 here in 2016, he’s definitely one to watch. Ranks 14th Driving accuracy and 17th for GIR, which could be real assets on the tough course this week. 

Shubhankar Sharma: 22/1
Sharma finished T30 at last week’s Maybank Championship, and will hope to come here and improve on the T7 he recorded in 2018. Ranks 24th SG: Putting. 

Nacho Elvira: 25/1
Elvira holed an astonishing last-gasp putt to force a play-off last week but was left with his second consecutive runner-up finish on Tour. Has a best of T27 here (’16).

Aaron Rai: 33/1
Rai claimed his first European Tour victory in Hong Kong at the end of last year, and despite back-to-back missed cuts, expect him to be a factor here. Was T9 in 2018, and ranks 25th for GIR, 28th for scoring average and 32nd for driving acccuracy this season. 

George Coetzee: 33/1
T48-T17-T2 for his last three outings on the European Tour. A top 10 in the Hero Indian Open in 2017. Ranks 14th for par-5 scoring, 30th for birdie average and 33rd for SG: Putting. 

Gavin Green: 35/1
In two starts at the Hero Indian Open Green has finished 2nd (2017) and T16 (2018), and comes in with two top 31s in his last two starts, with a best so far in 2019 of T11 at the Saudi international. Ranks 12th SG: Off the tee and 26th for GIR. 

Pablo Larrazabal: 40/1
A mixed bag of recent results for Larazabal includes two missed cuts, two top 10s and two top 30s in his last seven starts. However, he was 4th here in 2018. 

Christiaan Bezuidenhout: 45/1
Bezuidenhout was T36 last week but had two top 10s in Qatar and Oman, and is making his debut this week. Ranks 20th SG: Around the green. 

SSP Chawraisia: 55/1
Hard to rule out a man who has two victories and a runner-up in his last four starts, even if he did miss the cut last year. T41-T30 in his last two starts on Tour, and ranks 36th for driving accuracy.