24 year old Indian American Hero brand ambassador Akshay Bhatia will headline the field at the US$2.55 million 2026 Hero Indian Open, scheduled on the DP World (European) Tour from March 26 to 29 at DLF Golf and Country Club in Gurugram.
The lanky Bhatia arrives in India for his first appearance in the country, in outstanding form after winning the PGA Tour’s Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill, Orlando, Florida last week, his 3rd career PGA Tour victory that lifted him to No. 19 in the Official World Golf Ranking.
Fellow Hero ambassador Rayhan Thomas, from UAE, who has competed on the PGA Tour’s 2nd rung Korn Ferry Tour over the past two seasons, is also confirmed in the lineup.
Among other notable names are 2018 Open Champion Francesco Molinari of Italy, reigning champion and former LIV player Eugenio Chacarra of Spain, and Belgium’s Thomas Detry, winner of the 2025 Phoenix Open on the PGA Tour.
Indian Stars Missing
Notably, several of India’s most accomplished golfers are absent from the current entry list. These include Indian Open past champions Jyoti Randhawa ( 3 times winner), two time winner S.S.P. Chawrasia, 2015 champion Anirban Lahiri and four-time European Tour winner Jeev Milkha Singh. Their inclusion may still depend on sponsor exemptions or late invitations from the Indian Golf Union (IGU), which has organised the national championship since 1964. Also, 11 time Asian Tour winner Gaganjeet Bhullar and India’s only PGA Tour winner, Arjun Atwal are still not on the list of confirmed entries for the tournament.
Jeev Milkha Singh last played the Indian Open in 2018, while Randhawa, whose most recent victory in the event came in 2007, last competed in the tournament in 2019. Chawrasia featured in the 2025 edition but missed the cut, while Gaganjeet Bhullar finished T17 in last year’s championship.
As the national championship of Indian golf, the addition of the country’s most decorated players and past champions adds a huge amount of interest in the tournament and fans would surely be excited to see these legends of Indian golf, who are all active and competitive on various global pro tours. The addition of these Indian greats adds to the legacy and stature of their own National Open championship.
Photo – PGAT
