Gurugram: On Wednesday, the temperature soared to nearly 40 degrees Celsius in the early afternoon, but that didn’t stop players from warming up at the DLF Golf and Country Club for this week’s $2.25 million Hero Indian Open.

The course, designed by Gary Player, has proven to be a challenge even for the best, with its tough rough and tricky greens making it hard to get close to the pin. Indian fans are hoping for a local champion by Sunday.

It’s been a while since an Indian has claimed victory—since 2017, to be exact, with four tournaments held since then due to Covid interruptions. SSP Chowrasia achieved back-to-back wins that year when the national open was hosted here. He’s back in the mix this time, thanks to a sponsor’s invitation, among the 138-player lineup. Last year, Veer Ahlawat nearly clinched it, finishing tied for second, just three shots behind Japan’s Keita Nakajima.

This year, Shubhankar Sharma is expected to carry the heaviest expectations among the 29 Indian competitors. At just 28 years old, he finished T8 at the Open Championship in 2022 despite facing harsh weather. He has consistently made the cut in all seven appearances at this tournament.

His impressive track record includes a T7 finish in 2018, which was a standout year early in his career, coinciding with a time when India celebrated victories on the European circuit (now known as the DP World Tour). His two exciting wins that year were followed by Gaganjeet Bhullar’s triumph at the Fiji International that August. Since then, the search for an Indian winner on the tour has continued.

Shubhankar has had a gradual start to the season. He struggled in his first four DP World Tour events, missing the cut each time. However, he arrives at his home course after achieving his best result so far, finishing T36 at last week’s Singapore Classic, which kicked off the four Asia Swing events on the DP World Tour.

“This year, the rough is really thick. It’s a big change from last year when it was quite soft, and the cut was at minus one,” he shared with the media on Wednesday. It's worth noting that the previous tournament was held a month earlier in cooler weather.

“This course has changed a lot. The greens are firm, making it challenging to stop the ball from the fairway, let alone from the rough, and getting close to the pin is tough. Scoring under par will be impressive – if the course remains the same and no adjustments are made, under par for four days will likely land you in the top 10. It’s only going to get hotter…”

Shubhankar mentioned that he’s been trying out different clubs. “It’s been a slow start to the season, but I feel really good about my game… I’ve made some changes to my equipment, swapping out about six shafts and heads in the last three months.”

This marks my eighth year on the tour, and I get that it’s a long season. You really don’t want to rush into things or get too anxious too soon. It’s like a marathon; you have to seize the moment when you’re feeling great about your game.

When asked about the possibility of an Indian winner, he seemed a bit tired but expressed optimism about Indian golfers improving, especially those who can drive the ball longer off the tee, which is crucial for international success.

“Golf isn’t just about winning. What really matters is that more players are stepping up to compete on bigger tours, and that trend has definitely been on the rise over the years.”

Ahlawat, 29, secured his DP World Tour card by topping the PGTI (domestic tour) Order of Merit. “Finishing second on such a big stage in 2024, especially in front of my home crowd, really boosted my confidence,” he shared.

Ollie Schniederjans from the US, who finally broke his nine-year drought by winning the International Series event on this course earlier in February, is expected to be a strong competitor.

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