Date:04/10/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/10/04/stories/2008100456471800.htm

Sport - Golf

Top players for Indian Open

NEW DELHI: Some top golfers of the world will be seen in action in the 45th edition of the Hero Honda Indian Open golf tournament to be held at the Delhi Golf Club (DGC) here from October 9 to 12.

From the top-100 of the world, Indian ace Jeev Milkha Singh (58th) and the Asian Tour Order of Merit leader Mark Brown (81st) of New Zealand will be the two golfers to tee off in the tournament. Another rare attraction will be the Swedish golfer of Indian origin, Daniel Chopra.

Jeev will also be raring to go after a second-place finish at the British Masters last month. Incidentally, the top-ranked Indian golfer has never won at the DGC and will be keen to erase that dubious record.

Chopra has twice finished runner-up at the Indian Open in the 1990s. He would like to win the title at the DGC, where he grew up and learnt his early lessons of golf.

Besides, there will be a string of former winners, including defending champion Jyoti Randhawa who would like to make it three-in-a-row this time. However, he will get tough competition from the likes of Thaworn Wiratchant (2005) of Thailand, Singapore’s Mardan Mamat (2004), Mike Cunning (2003) of the USA and Vijay Kumar (2002). — Sports Reporter