Hero Indian Open 2026 preview, picks & analysis

The DP World Tour will be feeling pretty smug this week, having secured a commitment from Akshay Bhatia to play in the Hero Indian Open at the DLF Golf & Country Club, which will play host to the storied event yet again.

The 24-year-old Indian-American has risen to new heights after winning the iconic Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill, having secured his third PGA Tour win after a tense play-off. Riding high in the FedEx Cup standings, Bhatia will make his first trip to India to play on the DP World Tour.

Bhatia, who has always expressed a desire to play in India, is considered one of the most talented names in the world of golf. 

After a stellar amateur career, he turned professional at 17 and rose to become a top global star. He has won three times on the PGA Tour, once on the Korn Ferry Tour and is the youngest player to make it to the top-30 (Tour Championship) in the past two years, finishing 16th in 2025. He has reached the coveted Tour Championships in the last two years.

Francesco Molinari became the first player from Italy to win a major championship when he triumphed at the 147th Open Championship in 2018. The six-time DP World Tour winner has also represented Europe in three victorious Ryder Cup teams, in 2010, 2012 and 2018 - where he secured the winning point at Le Golf National in Paris.

Rayhan Thomas, who has been on the Korn Ferry Tour for last two years is also confirmed for the field.

The field includes reigning champion Eugenio Lopez-Chacarra of Spain. Also, in the field are current season winners on the DP World Tour South African Casey Jarvis, who won two successive events on the DP World Tour recently, Spain’s Nacho Elvira and Germany’s Freddy Schott amongst others.

Last year, a day when 10 players recorded final-round scores of 80 and higher, Lopez-Chacarra shot a 71 to win by two shots from Japan’s Keita Nakajima. His winning total of 284, four under four, was the highest on tour in 2025. Only Chacarra, Nakajima and Joost Luiten ended the week under par.

Chacarra was three over through three holes after starting double bogey-par-bogey, but five birdies through the middle of his round changed everything.

"I'm very grateful for that opportunity," Chacarra said. "You guys probably changed my life from today so thanks for that. It was a tough day, we knew it was going to be a long day with a lot of pressure and obviously not having the start I really wanted to.

"I think I did a great job all week of staying patient. And I know God was helping me today. I got a couple of good bounces, (including) that chip on 14. I got some luck that you need to win but very proud."

After leaving LIV, Chacarra revealed it was his goal to play on the PGA Tour. He won LIV Golf Bangkok in his fifth LIV event but parted company with the breakaway tour in acrimonious circumstances.

He said: "When I joined LIV, they promised OWGR and majors. But it didn’t happen. I trusted them. I was the first young guy, then the others came after I made the decision. But OWGR and majors still hasn’t happened. It’s frustrating, but I’m excited for the new opportunity and to see where my game takes me."

The prize purse has been increased to a record $2.55 million. Hero MotoCorp has been the title sponsor of the event since 2005 and the unbroken association now enters its third decade, a record for any event in India and Asia. The event has been co-sanctioned with the DP World Tour since 2015.

The Hero Indian Open, which was first played in 1964, has a rich legacy that spans more than six decades. Over the years, the tournament has grown in stature to become a flagship event for golf in the region. The DLF Golf & Country Club, one of the toughest golf courses on the DP World Tour schedule, will once again pose a formidable test to the golfers.

Tournament Winners:

It was won in 2015 by Anirban Lahiri, in 2016 and 2017 by SSP Chawrasia, in 2018 by Matt Wallace, in 2019 by Stephen Gallacher, in 2023 by Marcel Siem, in 2024 by Keita Nakajima and last year by Eugenio Chacarra. There was no tournament in 2020, 2021 and 2022.

The Course:

DLF Golf & Country Club is a par 72 measuring 7,380 yards. It features two "proper" par fives on the back nine - the 15th is 631 yards and the 18th measures 624 yards. And the 16th is a brute of as par three that stretches to 256 yards.

Form Guide:

Akshay Bhatia is the main attraction this week in India and surely the man that the rest of the field have to beat.

Prize Money:

The total prize fund is $2.55m, with 3,500 Race to Dubai points on offer.

How to Watch:

Thursday, March 26, Friday, March 27, Sky Sports Golf, 7.30am; Saturday, March 28, Sky Sports Golf, 8am, Sunday, March 29, Sky Sports Golf, 7.30am.

To Win:

Akshay Bhatia. Would love to win this week

Each Way:

Casey Jarvis.  Having fun in the sun

Each Way:

David Puig. Brilliant young Spaniard

Five to Follow:

Akshay Bhatia. Hugely underrated

Casey Jarvis. What a year he is having

David Puig. Has very shot in the book

Francesco Molinari. Has shown some glimpses of his best

Calum Hill. Showing some great form

Five Outsiders to Watch:

Thriston Lawrence. Five-time DP World Tour winner

Bernd Wiesberger. Struggling to rediscover his best

Shubhankar Sharma. Home favourite

Ross Fisher. Veteran

David Law. Frustratingly inconsistent

Max Steinlechner. Looking to find his Challenge Tour form