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Why the 17th at DLF Golf & Country Club could be crucial on path to winning the Hero Indian Open
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Why the 17th at DLF Golf & Country Club could be crucial on path to winning the Hero Indian Open

At last year’s Hero Indian Open, the par four 17th at DLF Golf & Country Club ranked statistically as the second hardest hole.

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The 17th at DLF Golf & Country Club is as demanding as it is eye-catching

Second only to the 535-yard par four 14th, it was the second time across the last three editions that it featured among the top three hardest holes relative to par.

On the scorecard, measuring 414 yards, you might wonder why it is a source of such difficulty for leading professionals.

Across the entire 2025 DP World Tour season, it was the fifth toughest hole, playing more than half a shot above its par - determined by the Fortinet Threat Score which measures the average score to par.

So, what is it that makes it such a fierce challenge for players?

Designed by Gary Player, the course in New Delhi is comprised of two distinct nines, with water dominating the front nine and the back nine shaped around a quarry.

The feature is perhaps never more prominent for players than as they line up their second shots on the layout's penultimate hole.

Visually it is dramatic, with an elevation change from fairway to green of around 12 metres - equivalent to a four to five-story building.

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As a player, and a fan, you are often hard pressed to spot the pin from the fairway.

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Robert MacIntyre is pictured playing his approach shot at the par-four 17th during the 2023 Hero Indian Open

Intimidating, it is a case of trusting your club selection and committing.

And even then, you don't know the result until you reach the green.

With a bunker positioned in front of the green, which is wide but comparatively narrow in length, the blind, uphill approach shot demands precision.

This is especially so when the pin is located to the far right of the green, with a waterfall situated nearby adding another element of difficulty.

Speaking to the DP World Tour during a pre-tournament practice round about what makes it such a challenging hole, three-time DP World Tour winner Edoardo Molinari said: "The second shot is very difficult.

"The wind is usually a little off the left, varying both into and down. So, it is very difficult to judge the distance on the second shot.

"Obviously, if you miss the green more or less of the time you reload. It's one of the most difficult [second shots] of the year.

"It's uphill, and you are sometimes playing off a downhill lie which doesn't help but once again the most difficult thing is getting the distance right on the second shot."

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Bunkers are a big feature of the Gary Player-designed course

"As if the hole wasn't difficult enough, the green has a lot of slopes."

Last year, it gave up just 23 birdies, while 127 bogeys and 46 double bogeys or worse were made.

It was the only hole on the back nine where Eugenio Chacarra dropped shots at any point during the week, making a double bogey in the second round and a bogey in the final round as he claimed his maiden DP World Tour title.

Navigating this hole may be a tall task, but the player who does so with the mimimum of fuss will go a long way to emerging as the victor on Sunday.

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