Preview
2023 Hero Indian Open Tips
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Event Info
Starts: 23rd February 2023
Course: DLF G&CC
Par: 72 (36-36)
Length: 7,380 yards
Course Info
Course Designer: Gary Player
Fairways: Narrow
Rough: Average/Thick
Water Hazards: Featured throughout
Par 5's: 4th, 8th, 15th, 18th
Hosted Since: 2019
Premium on: Accuracy
Weather Forecast
Thursday: Sunny. Wind 5-7mph.
Friday: Sunny. Wind 4-6mph.
Saturday: Sunny. Wind 3-4mph.
Sunday: Sunny. Wind 2-3mph.
Significant Info To Be Aware Of
- DLF G&CC hosted the Indian Open between 2017-2019. This is the first time the DP World Tour has been back at the course since 2019.
Trends
Winning score
Between 2017-2019, the winning scores were -11. -9 and -10. Expect a similar winning score this week.
Recent form
Stephen Gallacher had missed five of his previous six cuts prior to winning in 2019. Champions, in 2017 and 2018, S.S.P Chawrasia and Matt Wallace, had been in reasonable form. Both had posted top 40 finishes in their previous event.
Course form
Only Stephen Gallacher had previous course form of the three winners between 2017-2019.
Correlating Courses
Crans-sur-Sierre GC, host course of the European Masters, is defintely worth considering as a correlating venue. Matt Wallace, winner of this event in 2018, has a second place finish in Switzerland. Gavin Green has a good record at Crans and possesses a 4th place finish at DLF G&CC. Likewise, Jorge Campillo and Andrew Johnston have top five finishes in both events.
Winning Nationality
One local winner and two players from the UK have triumphed at DLF G&CC.
In Play Golf Betting Advice
Tough Holes
The 14th hole played as the toughest in 2019, playing over half a shot over par for the week. The 16th was the second hardest hole so that is a tough section of the course.
Birdie Holes
The par five 18th hole played over par in 2019 but the other three par five holes were the easiest on the course.
Fast or Slow Start
Winner in 2019, Stephen Gallacher, led after the opening round. In 2018, Matt Wallace was 9th and four shots off the pace after round one. However, S.S.P. Chawrasia was six shots behind after the opening round in 2017.
Closing stretch
The 18th hole is a par five which measures 624 yards, it played over par when the Tour last visited in 2019.
Hero Indian Open Player Quotes
“I really enjoy the course, it’s probably one of the prettiest courses we play, and the greens are amazing so there is nothing to complain about." George Coetzee, 2019
“My game plan was to just stay away from the bushes. It’s so tight out there so when I do have a chance to hit driver, I’ll hit it.” Callum Shinkwin, 2019
"I think you have to get it in play off the tee, there is just so much trouble. I think if you get the tee shot in place you can hit a couple of nice iron shots and take advantage of the par fours that are quite short, drive a couple, and knock it onto the par fives.“It is quite a strategic course. I don’t think you need to be the longest player on the Tour to play it, I think you’ve just got to plot your way around it." Stephen Gallacher, 2019
"The conditions were perfect and this is a great golf course. If you hit alright from the tee, or out it in the short grass then it’s not that long, and the greens as good as they are you can hole putts." Pablo Larrazabal, 2019
“You have no idea how difficult the course is. I had to play almost perfect golf to shoot a seven under. I think anywhere else it would have been close to a 59 or something. It was definitely a magnificent round of golf.” Emiliano Grillo, 2018
"Every hole is a test. Every hole is a double bogey waiting to happen. I just took every hole as it came and played it as well as possible." Matt Wallace, 2018
"You can’t overpower this course. So, I told myself, just hang in there. I will hit a few bad shots and I understand that it’s all part of the game. You just have to stay patient.” Shubhankar Sharma, 2018
"Not a lot of players will finish under par this week. The course is playing tougher compared to last year and it’s going to be a test of patience." Shubhankar Sharma, 2018
"It's very challenging. It's a very good course. I think first and foremost, you need to know where you're going to hit your tee shots. I think the greens are quite simple after what I played last week. You just have to hit it in the right sectors, it's good. I think it's going to be tough for the local guys too as I'm not sure how many times they've played this golf course. They've not played here 100 times or 150 times - they're learning like we are." Anirban Lahiri, 2017
"This is not a golf course where just chipping or putting or any one part of your game is going to get you through. You need to have all of your departments in good shape." Anirban Lahiri, 2017
"It was really tough out there. The greens are tricky." Matteo Manassero, 2017
"You have to be always in play, otherwise there will be a lot of high numbers and a lot of doubles. It's very easy to lose shots on this course." Matteo Manassero, 2017
2023 Hero Indian Open Tips
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In-play
2023 Hero Indian Open In-Play Blog
25th February 2023, 4:15pm (UK time)
| Player | Total |
|---|
| Paul |
-11 |
| Siem |
-10 |
| Luiten |
-8 |
| Three Players Tied |
-5 |
2023 Hero Indian Open Round 3 Summary
Yannik Paul continues to lead but his five shot lead has been reduced to one shot and he will have to see off challenges from Marcel Siem and Joost Luiten in the final round.
Notable Round 3 Hero Indian Open Quotes
"Short game is my strength, I would say. I gave myself a lot of chances and sometimes they go in, sometimes they don’t. I just tried to stay positive. I’m in a great position and I’m looking forward to playing with Marcel tomorrow. Getting the win would be amazing. Such an iconic event here but I think that’s the hard part. You don’t want to think ahead, you want to stay in the present because 18 holes is a lot of golf left. I’ll just try to get some rest tonight and look forward to tomorrow.” Yannik Paul
"I get the shivers already, just thinking about (winning). Yannik is a very good player, very steady, he’s a tough guy to beat. I'm not thinking about it. Last three holes down the stretch, that’s where it matters. I’m just trying to do what I do, but it would mean a lot to me, trust me. It would be a life-changer, but let’s talk about that tomorrow." Marcel Siem
2023 Hero Indian Open Round 4 Weather
Sunny intervals. Wind 4-8mph.
How do we expect the market favourites to perform?
Yannik Paul is the 19/20 favourite to convert his lead and it's not unreasonable given this would appear to be a three horse race at best. The German was impressive when jointly leading in Mallorca after 54 holes at the end of last year. That saw him notch is first DP World Tour title and it wouldn't be a surprise to see him win again tomorrow. That said, bogeys and double bogeys are possible on most holes on this course and we're in no rush to take the price on the leader.
Paul's compatriot, Marcel Siem, is the 2/1 second favourite. As we mentioned in yesterday's blog, Siem hasn't been in contention too much of late and had no real winning opporunities in 2022. It's also a concern he heaped added pressure on himself when describing a win as "life changing."
Joost Luiten can be backed at 9/2 but that price is no more than fair in our opinion.
Where is the value?
We're considering the alternative markets for value. The top five market is of particular interest.
Round 3 Bets
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24th February 2023, 2:45pm (UK time)
| Player | Total |
|---|
| Paul |
-10 |
| Siem |
-5 |
| Korhonen |
-5 |
| Cheema |
-5 |
| Kristjansson |
-5 |
2023 Hero Indian Open Round 2 Summary
Yannik Paul continued his fine play to take a FIVE shot lead over the field heading into the weekend. He is a whole 15 shots better off than those who missed the cut on the line.
Notable Round 2 Hero Indian Open Quotes
"It feels good when you feel like you can first of all get over the line and second of all, make a putt when it matters. I only noticed that last week, I was a bit calmer and more collected because you feel like you've gained experience last year and that helped me last week." Yannik Paul
2023 Hero Indian Open Round 3 Weather
Sunny. Wind 5-10mph.
How do we expect the market favourites to perform?
Paul is as short as 5/6 to claim victory now and he has given us no reason to think he will collapse so far. Paul was in 3rd place at halfway last week in Thailand and shot 66-68 over the weekend. He has never led at halfway so this will be a new experience for him but he is talking a good game and sounds like his win last year in Mallorca will hold him in good stead.
Mikko Korhonen, Joost Luiten and Marcel Siem are between 10/1 and 12/1. The last two times Korhonen was in the top five at halfway he went backwards whilst the last time Luiten was in the top five at halfway he finished 46th. Siem hasn't been in contention much recently and was just as poor last time he was. In short, none of them could be backed confidently at these prices.
Where is the value?
The story remains the same as yesterday, Paul has to be respected given how he's performed under pressure recently and only three places available.
Round 3 Bets
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23rd February 2023, 5:25pm (UK time)
| Player | Total |
|---|
| Paul |
-7 |
| H Baisoya |
-6 |
| Korhonen |
-5 |
| Sharma |
-4 |
| Cheema |
-4 |
| Kristjansson |
-4 |
2023 Hero Indian Open Round 1 Summary
A flawless back nine of 30 saw Yannik Paul pole vault to the top of the leaderboard on day one of the Hero Indian Open.
Notable Round 1 Hero Indian Open Quotes
"It's my sixth week in a row so I took it pretty easy Monday through Wednesday because after a long stretch you can just feel it here, feel it there. I just played a nine-hole pro-am yesterday afternoon then walked the back nine on Tuesday, just to conserve as much energy as I could because I knew it would be challenging here, mentally as well as with the golf shots." Yannik Paul
2023 Hero Indian Open Round 2 Weather
Sunny. Wind 8-12mph.
How do we expect the market favourites to perform?
Yannik Paul is a best price 12/5 after his impressive opening round. The German got off to a fast start last week in Thailand and went on to record a 2nd place finish. Provided he has the stamina to overcome his sixth week in a row, he is someone we expect to stick around over the weekend.
Mikko Korhonen is 6/1 in the betting. The Finn could easily have been a shot or two better had the putts dropped for him and he can be expected to rival Paul over the weekend.
Home favourite, Shubhankar Sharma, is available to back at 7/1. Having recorded three top-12 finishes in his last six starts, he too shouldn't be discounted.
Where is the value?
Yannik Paul is respected with three rounds to go but we're also acutely aware of just how easy it is to run up a big score on this golf course. With only four places available though, not much is standing out in the market.
Round 2 Bets
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