Viraj Madappa and Chikkarangappa S.,will spearhead a sizeable home contingent’s campaign , in the strongest ever field, at the USD 750,000 The DGC Open, commencing at the Delhi Golf Club on Thursday,

Bangalore’s Chikkarangappa and Kolkata’s Madappa and 47 other home golfers believe that they have a good chance of making a mark this week. With a good number being given invitations from the domestic tour as well, the home challenge is a solid one.

Ten-time Asian Tour winner Gaganjeet Bhullar had a solid finish last year, while the likes of Shiv Kapur, a winner at the DGC here in 2017, Rashid Khan, also a winner in DGC, and two-time Indian open winner S.S.P. Chawrasia, the in-form Veer Ahlawat and Honey Baisoya are an ever-present threat.

With the prize purse boosted by a solid 50 per cent from the half million dollars offered last year, the stakes are far higher and the field correspondingly stronger with 40 of the top 60 on the Tour’s Order of Merit represented in New Delhi this week.