Hero Indian Open: This Is the First DP World Tour Event in India for Four Years

• This is the first DP World Tour event in India for four years

• DLF G&CC, a Gary Player-designed 7,393-yard par 72, plays host

• This is the final event of a three-week Asian Swing

Hero Indian Open Odds

The odds for this tournament are provided by Caesars Sportsbook. Click on the odds below to head to Caesars Sportsbook and place a bet.

Hero Indian Open Our Picks

• Indian players have a strong record in their home Open and Shubhankar Sharma has the form to add to it. Back him at +2500 each way (1/4 1-2-3-4-5) with bet365.

• Thorbjorn Olesen has finished ahead of Nicolai Hojgaard in four of their last five mutual events and can beat his fellow Dane in a 72-hole match bet at -120 with bet365.

• Thomas Aiken’s straight hitting can help him avoid all the lurking trouble. Back the South African for a Top 20 at +360 with DraftKings Sportsbook.

Hero Indian Open Predictions

For the first time since 2019, the DP World Tour returns to India.

This is the final leg of a three-week Asian Swing and DLF Golf & Country Club in India’s capital, New Delhi, plays host.

The Gary Player design, which opened in late 2015, hosted this event for three straight years from 2017 to 2019 so punters have some recent course forms to peruse.

DLF G&CC is a parkland track set between the trees and features numerous dog-legs. 

Water is in play on seven holes while the Bermuda greens are large and undulating.

Scoring is tough. Looking at those recent three editions, the winning scores were 10-under, 11-under, and 9-under.

Local hero Shiv Chawrasia won by two in 2017, England’s Matt Wallace beat compatriot Andrew Johnston in a playoff the following year while Scotland’s Stephen Gallacher lifted the silverware in 2019 despite having a quadruple bogey on his card in the final round.

Gallacher’s wobble highlights the fact that big numbers lurk at every corner of this course. 

This will be stressful for players and punters so a cool head will be required in what will be a demanding week. 

Thorbjorn Olesen, who won last week’s Thailand Classic, heads the betting at +1100 alongside fellow Dane Nicolai Hojgaard. 

Robert MacIntyre will be hoping to keep the trophy in Scottish hands and the left-hander is next best at +1200.

All three will be playing DLF G&CC for the first time.

Sharma Can Land Another Home Win for India

One thing to note when looking at this tournament’s history is how many Indian players have won their home event.

Chawrasia was winning for the second straight year when taking victory here in 2017 and before him, Anirban Lahiri delighted the local fans after beating Chawrasia in a playoff in 2015.

Jyoti Randhawa is a three-time winner (2000, 2006, and 2007) while Arjun Atwal and three other Indian players have triumphed in the last 25 years.

In total, we’ve seen 10 Indian winners in the last 21 editions.

The local hero in waiting this year is Shubhankar Sharma and he looks worth a bet at +2500.

Sharma was seventh at this course in 2018 having led after 54 holes while he looked poised for another good finish in 2019 before slipping from 15th to 27th on Sunday’s closer.

Looking at his current form, Sharma was tied for 12th in the Saudi International two starts ago and seventh at the prestigious Abu Dhabi Golf Championship in January.

That adds to a second place in November’s Nedbank Golf Challenge so he’s had some notable performances over the last few months.

The Nedbank result came on another Gary Player layout which may bode well and let’s remember he’s a two-time DP World Tour winner and once led the WGC-Mexico Championship going into the final round.

Sharma is a straight hitter, who can scramble and putt well so hopefully, he’ll avoid much of the trouble.

Back him each way at +2500 with bet365. 

Olesen to Outscore Hojgaard

Once bitten, twice shy? Well, not this week.

We took on Nicolai Hojgaard in a match bet in Thailand and it backfired as Jordan Smith missed the cut.

But, given the wild nature of this course and the potential to rack up doubles, triples, and worse, it makes sense to think that Hojgaard’s tendency to throw in loose shots could really cost him.

Bet365 have him in an all-Danish 72-hole match bet with last week’s Thailand Classic winner Thorbjorn Olesen and it’s the former Ryder Cup star who looks the more solid proposition.

Before winning, Olesen’s form read 4-16-20-30-45, and, stretching further back, he has eight top 25s in his last 13 starts. That’s the consistency you want in a match bet.

Hojgaard has been in good form too but Olesen has outscored him in four of their last five mutual events and eight of the last 10 if going back to September’s Italian Open.

Back Olesen to win over 72 holes at -120 with bet365.

Take Aiken for a Top 20 

We landed the Top 10 bet last week at healthy odds as +500 Jeunghun Wang finished eighth in Thailand.  

With plenty of trouble off the tee here, it makes sense to go with a straight hitter and Thomas Aiken certainly fits the bill.

The South African is 22nd in Driving Accuracy this season and was fourth in that category in last week’s Thailand Classic. 

Wind back to the Mauritius Open in December and he hit every single fairway!

Aiken closed with a 67 to post tied 22nd in Thailand last Sunday and another check of his stats from that event shows him ranked 1st for both Strokes Gained: Approach and Greens in Regulation.

His putter is still cool but the strength of his tee-to-green play and calm temperament suggests the 39-year-old can have another good week.

We’ll give ourselves some wriggle room and go for the top 20 at still decent odds of +360 with DraftKings Sportsbook.

How to Watch Hero Indian Open

• Tournament - Hero Indian Open

• Location - DLF G&CC, New Delhi, India

• Time - Thursday, February 23 - Sunday, February 26

• How to Watch - Thursday-Friday 3 am-7.30 am ET (Golf Channel), Saturday-Sunday 3.30 am-6.30 am (Golf Channel). All 4 days on Sky Sports