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Daniel Chopra to tee it up at Hero Honda

US PGA Tour star Daniel Chopra will compete in the Hero Honda Indian Open next month marking a triumphant return for one of golf's rising stars.

The prestigious event, which is being played at Delhi Golf Club from October 9 to 12, will also feature defending champion Jyoti Randhawa from India, New Zealand's Mark Brown, the current number one player on the Asian Tour and Liang Wen-chong from China - last year's top ranked player.

Chopra, whose father is Indian and mother is Swedish, is making his first appearance in his national Open since 2001 and is sure to draw huge galleries.

The 34 year old claimed the Mercedes-Benz Championship in Hawaii on the US PGA Tour at the start of this year for his second victory on that Tour. Last year he claimed the Ginn sur Mer Classic at Tesoro.

Born in Stockholm he moved to India when he was seven where he was raised by his grandparents. He won the All-India Junior Championship at age 14 in addition to the Doug Sanders World Junior title. He turned professional in 1992 and has lifted trophies in India and on the Asian Tour plus the Nationwide and Challenge Tours.

"Our long-term commitment for the promotion of golf in India is amply evident from the way the Hero Honda Indian Open golf has progressed since we took up its sponsorship in 2005. Daniel Chopra's participation in this year's edition is reflective of the growing stature of this tournament in the international arena. In the coming years, the prize purse will only go up further, ensuring the passage of this tournament into the elite league. Undoubtedly, these are exciting times for golf fans in India, and Hero Honda is happy to have played a catalyst role in the evolution of the game in the country," said Mr. Pawan Munjal, MD & CEO, Hero Honda Motors Ltd.

News of Chopra's participation follows on from the recent outstanding announcement that the prize money for this year's Hero Honda Indian Open has been doubled and will reach the US$1 million mark for the first time.

This year will mark the 45th staging of the event and the fourth season that Hero Honda have been title sponsor.

Hero Honda's support of the Indian Open is an extension of their golf sponsorship programme. They have been at the forefront of professional golf in India for a number of years through sponsorship of the domestic tour and the Hero Honda Masters from 1997 to 2003.

Brown will certainly relish returning to India having won twice here this year. He won the inaugural SAIL Open at Jaypee Greens by four strokes and then went on to win the prestigious Johnnie Walker Classic. It capped a memorable return to top flight golf for the Kiwi, who took a sabbatical several years ago when he said his game and mind were not up to mark.

Liang, one of Asia's great golfing prospects, claimed the Singapore Masters last year for his breakthrough win. He then went on to become the first Chinese player to win the Asian Tour's Order of Merit following a superb season which also saw him secure eight other top-10s.

Last year Randhawa became only the second player to lift the trophy three times. He was the defending champion having beaten compatriots S.S.P Chowrasia and Vijay Kumar in 2006, while he first won the tournament in 2000. Chowrasia will also return this year.

The only other player to achieve the 'threepeat' is Australian legend Peter Thomson, who also claimed the inaugural Indian Open in 1964.

The Indian Open is India's oldest running international sporting competition and has been staged at Delhi Golf Club for the past six years.

"Everything is taking shape for another memorable Hero Honda Indian Open. The prize money increase is a wonderful boost for golf in India and I think we are all excited about seeing Daniel Chopra come back and play here again," said TT Jagannathan, President , Indian Golf Union.

Asian Tour Executive Chairman Kyi Hla Han said: "Our talented players are looking forward to the Hero Honda Indian Open, especially with so much to play for this year following the prize money increase to US$1 million.

"With the prestigious Order of Merit crown still up for grabs, it promises to be an exciting week of golf and I am delighted that our current number one Mark Brown, Jyoti Randhawa and Liang Wen-chong will compete in Delhi this year."

September 11, 2008