In what is easily one of the largest assemblies of champions from the DP World schedule, this year’s Hero Indian Open is set to witness participation from as many as 16 winners from the last and current season.
Defending champion Keita Nakajima of Japan leads an extremely strong field as the 2025 edition of the tournament is set to get under way at the DLF Golf and Country Club later this month.
There are a dozen winners from the 2024 DPWT schedule, including the last two Hero Indian Open winners, Nakajima and Germany’s Marcel Siem (2023). In addition, there are four champions from the 2025 schedule.
In addition, there will be a strong home challenge, who will have an eye on the host of benefits that come alongside the US$ 2.25 million prize purse.
The 24-year-old Nakajima, a former Asia-Pacific Amateur champion, was the World Number One amateur for a record total of 87 weeks between November 2020 and September 2022. In 2023, Nakajima won three titles on the Japan Tour and went on to top the Japan Tour Order of Merit, by virtue of which he earned a card to the DPWT 2024 season.
In his very first full season on tour, Nakajima won the Hero Indian Open, beating the trio of India’s Veer Ahlawat, Sweden’s Sebastian Söderberg and American Johannes Veerman. The three runners-up are all coming back to have a shot at one of the iconic events of the region.
Nakajima is also hoping to emulate a fellow Japanese player, Kenji Hosoishi, who became the first player ever to win the HIO title back-to-back in 1967 and 1968. Since then, Jyoti Randhawa (2006 and 2007) and SSP Chawrasia (2016 and 2017) have also performed the feat.
Nakajima is not the only former World Number One amateur in the field who has had success in India and more particularly at the DLF Golf and Country Club. The field also includes American Ollie Schniederjans, who was World Amateur Number One for a straight 41 weeks in 2014-2015. Schniederjans recently ended a nine-year title drought, winning the International Series India presented by DLF, held at the same venue.
The HIO 2025 will also feature another 24-year-old star, the prodigious Spaniard Eugenio Chacarra, who was the World Number Two amateur in 2022 and has won two international titles.
Four of the winners from the current season: Ryggs Johnston (ISPS Handa Australian Open), Johannes Veerman (Nedbank Challenge), John Parry (AfrAsia Mauritius Open) and Callum Hill (Joburg Open) are also in the field.
Entry to the 2025 HIO will be free and open to all as the DLF Golf and Country Club will host the event for the seventh time.
Winners from 2024 and 2025 DP World Tour seasons:
• 2025 (four winners out of 12 events held in the season so far)
Ryggs Johnston (ISPS Handa Australian Open, Johannes Veerman (Nedbank Challenge), John Parry (AfrAsia Mauritius Open), Calum Hill (Joburg Open).
• 2024 (12 winners from 2024 season)
Darius Van Driel (Kenya Open), Jordan Gumberg (SDC Championship), Keita Nakajima (Hero Indian Open), Adrian Otaegui (Volvo China Open), Nacho Elvira (Soudal Open), Guido Migliozzi (KLM Open), Marcel Siem (Italian Open), Ewen Ferguson (BMW International Open), David Ravetto (D+D Real Czech), Frederic Lacroix (Danish), Angel Hidalgo (acciona Open de Espana), Julien Guerrier (Estrella Damm Andalucia).
