A galaxy of top international golfers is scheduled to compete in the 45th edition of the Hero Honda Indian Open 2008, to be played from October 9 to 12. The star attraction promises to be US PGA Tour star Daniel Chopra, who will bemaking his first appearance in his National Open since 2001 and is sure to draw huge galleries.

The field this year will also comprise New Zealand’s Mark Brown, the current number one player on the Asian Tour, Liang Wen-Chong from China – last year’s top ranked player, twice defending champion and three time Indian Open winner Jyoti Randhawa and second ranked golfer on the current Order of Merit Shiv Shankar Prasad Chowrasia.

 

Announcing this here today, Mr. Pawan Munjal, MD & CEO, Hero Honda Motors Ltd, said, “Our long-term commitment for the promotion of Golf in India is amply evident from the way the Hero Honda Indian Open golf has progressed since we took up its sponsorship in 2005. Daniel Chopra’s participation in this year’s edition is reflective of the growing stature of this tournament in the international arena. In the coming years, the prize purse will only go up further, ensuring the passage of this tournament into the elite league. Undoubtedly, these are exciting times for golf fans in India, and Hero Honda is happy to have played a catalyst role in the evolution of the game in the country.”

 

Thirty-four-year-old Chopra, son of an Indian father and Swedish mother, claimed the Mercedes-Benz Championship in Hawaii on the US PGA Tour at the start of this year for his second victory on that Tour. Last year he claimed the Ginn sur Mer Classic at Tesoro.

 

Brown will certainly relish returning to India having won twice here this year. He won the inaugural SAIL Open at Jaypee Greens by four strokes and then went on to win the prestigious Johnnie Walker Classic.

 

Liang, one of Asia’s great golfing prospects, claimed the Singapore Masters last year for his breakthrough win. He then went on to become the first Chinese player to win the Asian Tour’s Order of Merit following a superb season which also saw him secure eight other top-10s.

 

Like the previous years, the main event will be preceded by the pro-am event on October 8. The Indian Open is India’s oldest running international sporting competition and has been staged at the Delhi Golf Club for the past six years.

 

Last year, India’s Jyoti Randhawa became only the second player to lift the trophy three times. He was the defending champion having beaten compatriots S.S.P Chowrasia and Vijay Kumar in 2006, while he first won the tournament in 2000. The only other player to achieve the ‘threepeat’ is Australian legend Peter Thomson, who also claimed the inaugural Indian Open in 1964. 

 

Hero Honda’s support of the Indian Open is an extension of the company’s golf sponsorship programme. The two-wheeler major has been at the forefront of professional golf in India for a number of years through sponsorship of the domestic tour, the Hero Honda Masters and the Indian Open.

 

“Everything is taking shape for another memorable Hero Honda Indian Open. The prize money increase is a wonderful boost for golf in India and I think we are all excited about seeing Daniel Chopra come back and play here again,” said Mr. TT Jagannathan, President, Indian Golf Union.

 

Asian Tour Executive Chairman Kyi Hla Han said, “Our talented players are looking forward to the Hero Honda Indian Open, especially with so much to play for this year following the prize money increase to US$ 1 million.”

 

“With the prestigious Order of Merit crown still up for grabs, it promises to be an exciting week of golf and I am delighted that our current number one Mark Brown and Liang Wen-Chong will compete in Delhi this year,” Mr Han added.

 

World Sport Group will promote the event for the fourth consecutive year as part of a six-year agreement with the Asian Tour. The group is responsible for the sponsorship, event management and media affairs of the tournament.

 

“A lot of hard work has been put into the Hero Honda Indian Open to ensure we deliver a world class golf tournament. The tournament improves every year and we would like to thank Hero Honda, the Indian Golf Union and Delhi Golf Club for all their efforts,” said Mr. Chris Jordan, Senior Vice President - Golf, World Sport Group.