2007 Hero Honda Indian Open

India 's Jyoti Randhawa will this week attempt to join the legendary Australian Peter Thomson as the only other player to win the Hero Honda Indian Open on three occasions.

Randhawa tees off at Delhi Golf Club on Thursday where last year he beat compatriots S.S.P. Chowrasia and Vijay Kumar in a sudden death play-off which extended until Monday.

“I have enough time left to win the Indian Open three times, maybe another 10 years. I don't know when it will happen but hopefully it will,” said Randhawa, who first claimed the title in 2000 at the Classic Golf Resort in Delhi .

The Indian star has spent most of this year playing in Europe and enters his national Open in confident mood. “I have had a great season in Europe . I am top 35 there, I have been very consistent with some top-10s including a second place finish in the Spanish Open. I am probably not scoring quite as well as I should be. Hopefully it will come together this week,” added Randhawa, the 2002 Asian Tour number one.

Thompson won the very first Indian Open in 1964 and followed that up with victories in 1966 and 1976 in a tournament which Randhawa rates as the fifth Major championship.

“Being an Indian, there are only a few tournaments more important than the Indian Open. That is why I feel it's like the fifth Major. A national title is very important to a national player. Every time you play in the Indian Open there is pressure to perform and also as I am defending it so there is even more pressure. I will just aim to do the best that I can,” said Randhawa.

The 35-year-old New Delhi native is looking forward to seeing his compatriot Jeev Milkha Singh, the reigning Asian Tour's UBS Order of Merit leader, compete in the US$500,000 tournament for the first time in five years.

When told that Singh had tipped him as one of the favourites to win, he responded by saying: “I think I will put my money on him actually. It's great to see him back playing here for the first time since his great year last season.”

Randhawa finished with a four round total of 18-under-par 270 last year. He had a chance to wrap up the tournament on the first extra hole but surprisingly missed a four foot birdie putt. Bad light stopped play after he missed that putt forcing him and Chowarsia to return to the course on Monday morning – where it took him one hole to seal victory.

One added incentive this year for Randhawa to win is the birth of his son Zoravar.

“It's been great. When you finish your days it is a great feeling to go home and meet somebody new who is yours. Also I guess I've got to play better to feed him,” said Randhawa, who has won six times on the Asian Tour.

The tournament also features Thailand 's Thaworn Wiratchant, the winner in 2005, and Singaporean Mardan Mamat who won the year before. Australian Peter Senior is also competing as a sponsor invite.

Last year's heartbreaking defeat still lingers in the mind of Chowrasia and the Indian prospect knows only a winning week at the Hero Honda Indian Open will mend his misery.

The 29-year-old had a 10-foot birdie putt on the 72 nd hole to win the Championship but agonisingly slid his attempt just past the hole.

“I still think about last year's event. I had a putt to win in regulation but I couldn't put it in the hole. I had the confidence standing over the putt as in the previous three holes, I holed some good ones but the last one just didn't want to go in,” recalled Chowrasia.

“It's a big week. I'm feeling good. It's a nice course and the greens are playing great. My confidence is back. Last week, I played poorly in Korea . My driving was off the mark but I've worked it out and I have found my driving again. I hit it good, so let's see what happens this week. My timing was off, so I just practiced hard with the driver,” said Chowrasia.

October 10, 2007

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