Stephen Gallacher up for 'challenge' on punishing Hero Indian Open course

2019 winner says patience is key on demanding Gary Player-designed DLG Golf & Country Club track

2019 winner Stephen Gallacher is relishing the tough test in this week's Hero Indian Open at DLF Golf & Country in New Delhi. Picture: Octavio Passos/Getty Images.

Stephen Gallacher wouldn’t want to be facing DLF Golf & Country Club in New Delhi on a weekly basis due to it being one of the most punishing players encounter on the DP World Tour but, at the same time, he’s relishing the “challenge” in this week’s Hero Indian Open.

In contrast to last week’s Porsche Singapore Classic at Laguna National Resort, where Swede Jesper Svensson’s winning total was 17-under-par and 20 players finished on ten under or better, a tougher test lies ahead over the next four days on a Gary Player-designed course.

Home player S.S.P. Chawrasia posted a ten-under total when he won by seven shots in 2017 before Matt Wallace triumphed 12 months later in a play-off after finishing with an 11-under aggregate. Gallacher then claimed the title in 2019 on nine under before the event’s welcome return last year saw Marcel Siem come out on top with a 14-under total.

“The course is brilliant - it’s unbelievable,” declared Gallacher as he prepared to join Ewen Ferguson, Grant Forrest, Calum Hill and Scott Jamieson in tackling it on this occasion in the $2.25 million event, which is the second tournament on the circuit’s Asian Swing. “It’s in great nick and it’s tough, so you have to play well.”

According to some of Gallacher’s fellow players this week, an 18-handicapper would be struggling to break 100 on it, with one even predicting that it could be as high as 150 due to a combination of deep bunkers, elevation changes and potential disaster on almost every hole.

“I think if you get to double figures, that’s your goal as you are going to be competing. I think most people know that as well as it’s a testing track,” added Gallacher. “There’s five or six holes out here that you’d take pars on. Even on the greens, you can be out of position due to the slopes on them and it’s all about patience this week. Get it in play off the tee and just be patient.”

Is the 49-year-old relishing the test? “Absolutely,” he insisted. “You wouldn’t like to play it every week, but you love the challenge of it as you know what to expect. It helps me stay patient because you know pars are good.”

Gallacher’s title triumph saw him make a welcome return to the winner’s circle, the victory being made all the sweeter by the fact it was his first success with his son, Jack, on the bag. “I think you do,” he said in reply to being asked if being back at a happy place had contributed to a different feeling about this week than normal.

“I think you’ve always got happy memories, you’ve always got good shots you can recall a lot of the time. You obviously know how to play the course and you can see the putts going in, so I definitely think you do have a different feeling. I had that in Dubai (where he won the Desert Classic back-to-back) as well and the same in the Dunhill. There’s just certain places that suit your eye and you know how to play and this is one of them. I know how to play it - it’s just if you can hit certain shots or not (laughing).”

Siem is not defending his title as the German recovers from recent hip surgery, but the field includes home hero Anirban Lahiri, the 2015 winner and now, as a LIV Golf player, teeing up on this occasion through a sponsor’s invitation.