Next week’s Hero Indian Open – co-sanctioned by the European and Asian Tours – has been called off as a result of the ongoing Coronavirus outbreak

NEXT week’s Hero Indian Open has been postponed due to the ongoing threat posed by the spread of the Coronavirus (COVID-19).

The decision was made following consultation between the Indian Golf Union, the tournament’s co-sanctioning partners – the European Tour and the Asian Tour – and the tournament title sponsor Hero MotoCorp.

The move came after the latest public health travel advice announced by the Indian government.

The Hero Indian Open was scheduled to take place from March 19-22 at DLF Golf and Country Club in Gurugram, New Delhi – Scotland’s Stephen Gallacher would have been the defending champion.

All parties are looking into the possibility of rescheduling the tournament at some point later in the year, but there are no definitive plans at this stage.

European Tour chief executive Keith Pelley said: “In these difficult global circumstances, we fully understand and appreciate the recent restrictions introduced in respect of travel into India.

“As these new measures now prevent many members of both Tours being able to play in the tournament, everyone involved in the staging of the Hero Indian Open felt it was the correct decision to postpone the tournament.

“I would like to thank Dr Pawan Munjal and everyone at Hero MotoCorp in addition to the Indian Golf Union for their continued support, and we look forward to returning to India in due course.”

Cho Minn Thant, chief executive and commissioner of the Asian Tour, said: “With these new travel regulations now in place, there has been a significant impact on the ability of our members, officials and service teams of both Tours to make their entry into India for the tournament.

“We will continue to take advice from the World Health Organisation (WHO) and local health authorities – while monitoring the situation in relation to the possibility of rescheduling the event later in the year.”

European Tour players who are not in the world’s top 50 – and therefore exempt on the PGA Tour – now face a dearth of golf over the next two months.

There are no European Tour events scheduled for five weeks in a row – including the week of The Masters at Augusta (April 91-12) – starting from the World Golf Championship World Match Play Championship, in Austin, Texas, in the last week of March (25-29).

The next European Tour event is scheduled to be the Estrella Damm NA Andalucia Masters, at Valderrama, from April 30-May 3.

The original 2020 European Tour schedule comprised 44 events including the four Majors, plus the Ryder Cup against the USA at Whistlling Straits, in Wisconsin, in September.

•The women’s LPGA Tour called off two of its biggest events earlier in February – the Honda LPGA Thailand (February 20-23) and the HSBC Women’s World Championship a week later.

The LPGA announcement came on February 10 as the virus originally took hold in Asia and after it had already called off the Blue Bay LPGA in China – due to take place on Hainan Island, from March 5-8 – at the end of January.

MENA Tour called halt to season

Ryan Lumsden (right) celebrates his MENA TOUR victory in Jordan

The MENA Tour also abandoned their spring season after the first four events in 2020 – as the virus outbreak impacted on the golf world with other top sporting events also being cancelled around the world.

The United Arab Emirates-based MENA Tour – which holds a string of events across the Middle East for players working their way up to the European and Challenge Tours – announced the temporary halt to the season on social media last week.

It tweeted on March 5: “Unfortunately, due to the various travel issues caused by the ongoing COVID-19 situation, the MENA Tour by Arena has decided to postpone the remainder of our 2020 season to September-December.

“We will post the new schedule as soon as possible.”

In December, the MENA Tour, which was founded in 2011, announced 11 events played across five countries, including one in North Africa, during the first five months of 2020.

It announced the halt to play after the fourth event of the season – the Journey to Jordan No. 2, which was won by Royal Wimbledon’s Ryan Lumsden, at Ayla Golf Club, in Jordan.

In a statement since published on its website, the tour said: “We are monitoring the situation on a daily basis and we will be publishing the revised 2020 MENA Tour by Arena schedule on our website as soon as possible – all players will be informed of the revised schedule via email.”

The MENA Tour statement on Twitter last week after it cancelled seven events

Magical Kenya Open third event lost

THIS week’s Magical Kenya Open was cancelled by the European at the end of last week after a similar decision was made by the East African country’s government.

The Government of Kenya decided to postpone all meetings and conferences of an international nature in the country.

The Magical Kenyan Open became the third European Tour event of 2020 to be called off because of the Coronavirus crisis.

In the middle of February, the European and Asian Tour announced that April’s Maybank Championship in Malaysia, and the Volvo China Open, were being postponed because of the Coronavirus outbreak.

As in the case of India, Mr Pelley said the Tour would consider rescheduling the tournament later in the year, but admitted last week that the idea was only a possibility with no definitive plans in place.

The Kenyan Government said the suspension of international events would be reviewed after a month.

Italy’s Guido Miggliozi was due to defend his title in Kenya this week.

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Scot Stephen Gallacher claimed his first win in five years at the age of 44 at the Hero Indian Open. Picture by GETTY IMAGES

STEPHEN Gallacher birdied three of his last four holes to produce a stunning comeback and win his first European Tour title in five years at the Hero Indian Open.

The Scot had shared the first round lead but a second round 74 saw him slip back and his chances looked doomed when he made a quadruple bogey eight on the seventh hole on Sunday.

The lead kept moving backwards on a windy day at DLF Golf and Country Club, but as he stood on the 15th tee, Gallacher still looked an outside bet facing one of the toughest closing stretches on the Race to Dubai because of that snowman on the seventh.

The 2014 Ryder Cup star knows a thing or two about performing under pressure, however.

And he took advantage of the par five before hitting stunning approaches into the 17th and last to claim his first win since the second of back to back Omega Dubai Desert Classic titles in 2014.

On Mother’s Day back in his native Scotland, it was a father and son show in New Delhi, with son Jack caddying for Gallacher this season in what is likely to be a permanent move for the duo.

A closing 71 moved the 44-year-old to nine-under and gave him a one-shot win over Japan’s Masahiro Kawamura, with Spaniard Jorge Campillo a further shot back.

A delighted Gallacher said: “Today the wind was swirling and the course was playing really tough.

“I was three behind the lead at the start of the day and got off to quite a solid start and then I hit a quadruple-bogey on hole seven. I was pretty calm at that point of time, I stood on the eighth tee and saw I was only five shots behind.

“I told myself to stick to the game and you never know what can happen. Especially with how hard it was playing and I came back three-under in the last four holes.

“I thought, ‘just hang in there’. When I birdied 15 I saw that Julian Suri had come back and then when I got to the 16th green I was tied for the lead. I just tried to finish as strong as I could, and I did that.

“Thankfully it was enough. I am 45 this year so I am really proud of what I did out here today. It changes my schedule and I can play a bit less and it was great to win with my son Jack on the bag.

“He has caddied for me 20 events already. It has been a great day. It was great to have him on the bag and Mother’s Day as well makes it even more special.”

Masahiro Kawamura, who has one win to his name on the Asian Tour back in 2013, admitted feeling nervous coming down the stretch. He said: “The round was very good especially in such tough conditions.

“I wasn’t playing very well in the front nine and was struggling on a lot of the holes and I had some missed shots, but the back nine I played very well.

“The course was tough today, but I managed to come back.

“Coming into the last two holes and seeing my name on the leaderboad, I was really nervous,” said the Asian Tour winner, who claimed the 11^th card at the European Tour School, in November, at Spain’s Lumine GC.

Kawamura added: “I knew how important the final hole was and I hit a good shot but was just unlucky.

“Last year I finished second three times on the Japan Tour, lost by one shot twice and once in a play-off. Now I finished second by one shot this time again.”

American Julian Suri had led by three after 12 holes but produced a quadruple bogey of his own on the treacherous 14th to slip back, and he finished alongside South African Christiaan Bezuidenhout at six-under.

Bezuidenhout made six birdies and two bogeys in a 68 that handed him a third top 10 in four events and he finished three shots off the lead, one ahead of fellow South Africans George Coetzee and Erik van Rooyen, Spaniard Nacho Elvira and Hertfordshire’s Callum Shinkwin.

Finn Kalle Samooja made the third hole-in-one of the week with a pitching wedge from 139 yards on the 12th for the eighth ace of the season.

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A second successive 67 by New Yorker Julian Suri sees the Made in Denmark winner top of leaderboard at the Hero Indian Open. Picture by GETTY IMAGES

JULIAN Suri fired a second consecutive round of 67 to take a two-shot lead into the weekend at the Hero Indian Open.

The American was heading home on Friday night 12 months ago at DLF Golf and Country Club after posting 76-82… but he was 24 shots better off than that this time around at 10-under par.

Suri is playing just his second event of the season after undergoing surgery on an abdominal hernia.

But the New Yorker showed he was in fine health in New Delhi, picking up six shots in as many holes from the first to surge clear in the morning session.

Suri said: “I put the foot down, but I had the same mindset I had really on the first nine.

“I hit it really well the whole day and I just tried to free it up a little bit on the second nine with my putting.

“I hit a lot of good shots and gave myself a ton of chances on the first nine and none of them dropped, particularly with speed and not hitting them hard enough.

“So, just try to free it up and putt with feel like I normally do.

“I am hitting quite a few drivers. Driver is probably the most comfortable club in the bag for me so I am being pretty aggressive and with the greens being somewhat softer than what they were last year.

“I am coming into the greens with a lot of wedges and pitch shots and stuff, so you can score when you are in a good spot.

“I’ve been playing well, and I knew I was playing well even though the score didn’t show it after the first nine, so just had to keep plugging away and staying patient.”

South African George Coetzee finished his round with three birdies to sit at eight-under alongside Swede Robert Karlsson, who ended his day with gains on the 17th and 18th.

Karlsson, who made back-to-back eagles in the first round said: “It was good. I got off to a really good start.

“I was a bit lucky on the fourth, the pin was in a tricky position but I hit a good shot and it just rolled up behind the green and came back to just a foot. So it ended up being a gimme eagle.

“But there was some very good stuff and I am happy with a couple of birdies to finish off.

“I haven’t been in this position for a long time, so I am staying very humble over the weekend.

“I am just trying to do what I am doing, and pretty much looking at this golf course as just a great test to see what I need to do better.

“I’ve worked hard on my game over the last half year, changed coach (Hans Larsson) and things like that, so it feels like I am heading forward.

“But on this golf course a lot of things can happen quickly and even if it does, I am still showing signs, I have put in a bunch of good rounds lately.”

Coetzee who is looking for his first win since last year’s Tshwane Open, said: “Obviously a little easier today then what I have been playing this course back in the past, but I had fun today, hit some really nice shots and made some nice putts.

“It didn’t look like it was going to be birdie-birdie-birdie finish after my tee shot on 15. But I got my head back in a good space and hit some good shots from there.

“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.

“I will just take it as it comes and try and stay positive and play golf.”

Hertfordshire’s Callum Shinkwin, from Moor Park, and Australian Scott Hend were then at seven-under after firing the only bogey free rounds of the week so far.

Fifty-three-year old Thai Prayad Marksaeng was at six-under, a shot clear of Japan’s Masahiro Kawamura and Sri Lankan N Thangaraja, with Finn Mikko Korhonen, Scot Richie Ramsay, England’s Robert Rock and Austrian Matthias Schwab six shots off the lead.

There were two holes-in-one on Friday – taking the season’s tally to seven – as Om Pratash Chouhan holed a six-iron on the fifth and Daniel Nisbet holed a four-iron on the third.

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New Yorker Julian Suri who produced a superb chip on the par five 18th to tie Stephen Gallacher at five-under in the Hero Indian Open. Picture by GETTY IMAGES

SCOTLAND’S Stephen Gallacher and Julian Suri fired opening rounds of 67 to take a share of the first round lead at the Hero Indian Open.

Gallacher has often flourished on tough courses throughout his career, and showed he had the measure of DLF Golf and Country Club last season as he recorded a top 10 finish in New Delhi.

Fast forward 12 months and a sensational putt from off the green at the last handed the Scot a closing eagle and a one shot advantage at five-under.

It looked for a long time like he would not be caught in the afternoon but American Suri – who missed the cut in his only appearance here last season – produced some magic of his own on the 18^th.

He played a sublime bunker shot to set up a closing birdie and join Gallacher at the summit.

South African Christiaan Bezuidenhout, Swede Robert Karlsson, Spaniard Pablo Larrazábal and Thai Prom Meesawat were the nearest challengers.

Last week’s winner in Malaysia, Scott Hend, and local hero Shubhankar Sharma are in a nine-man group two shots off the lead.

Stephen Gallacher, a member of Europe’s winning Ryder Cup team at Gleneagles, in 2014, said: “It was a perfect morning.

“Cool to start with and then it heated up later on in the round, and not too much wind, so it was perfect today.

“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.

“I have started poorly to be honest, I’ve had a sort of big miss in the bag that has been costing me triples and doubles, so hopefully, I knew I was close last week, I played lovely but just didn’t get anything out of it.

“But coming back to a place where I’ve played well hopefully I can draw on some inspiration from last year.”

Suri, who made his maiden breakthrough at last year’s Made in Denmark tournament, said: “It was a good day.

“My caddie Dermot, he keeps encouraging me and calls me the Greatest Showman sometimes after the movie, so I had to give him a little show there.

“I got the all clear about four or five weeks ago from the doc and last week in Malaysia was my first event,” said the 27-year-old who had surgery on a hernia in January.

“With the heat there and all the conditions, the body felt great and the swing felt good too.

“It’s obviously still a work in progress but to shoot a score like this, on a course like this, is a good sign going forward.

“It’s a great test. It’s very dramatic and provokes the imagination a little bit so I enjoy it,” said the New Yorker, whose exquisite chip on the last set up a simple birdie four to tie the leader.

Aaron Rai’s dream to win Hero Indian Open

Spaniard Larrazabal, who finished fourth last year four shots behind Hertfordshire’s Matt Wallace, who beat Middlesex’s Andrew “Beef ”Johnston in a play-off, said: “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.

“Very happy starting last year with five-under, this year four-under, hopefully I can go four better than last year.

“I like great golf course and I love to putt on good greens, and these are probably the best of the season with Abu Dhabi, so I just try to keep working.

“I didn’t play my best today from the tee, but I allowed myself to keep the ball alive and not put myself into too much trouble and trying to make birdies when I can.

Robert Karlsson, who was crowned European No. 1 back in 2008 – but has suffered a series of injuries since – said: “This is one of the most brutal golf courses I have ever played.

It’s fantastic because you get found out when you are doing good and when you are not doing so good.

“Any slight miss and it’s trouble. It is a fabulous week to be here and definitely one of the best courses we play condition wise that is going to test where you are.”

Forty-nine-year-old Karlsson, playing in his 613 European Tour event, lit up his round with eagles at the par four seventh and the par five eight.

The Swede, who has won 11 times in his career and appeared in two Ryder Cups, said of his two on the sixth: “It was one of those things, I just got this feeling over the wedge.

“I saw Dean Burmester hit it just right of the flag, and thought this is the perfect distance for me, and when I was over the ball I thought ‘this could go in’ and when it when in I was like ‘yep’.

“So that happens sometimes. It’s not easy but it was just one of those shots.

“Eight I played really well, hit a driver and six-iron to the back, and chipped it in from probably 25 feet, so that was great.

“I don’t think I have ever done two eagles in a row, I have done two in a round but not two back-to-back so that’s pretty cool.”

There was still one group left out on the course so the first round will be completed early on Friday morning.

•For live scoring from the second round of the Hero Indian Open, click here.

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Brandon Stone and Aaron Rai (right) at the DLF Golf and Country Club ahead of this week’s Hero Indian Open. Picture by GETTY IMAGES

AARON Rai insists it would be “a dream come true” to win this week’s Hero Indian Open on a course he holds in extremely high regard.

The 24-year-old Englishman has Indian born grandparents and would love to add a second European Tour title to his CV at DLF Golf and Country Club, on Sunday.

Rai says this week’s host track, The Gary Player Course, is among his favourite in the world and he is happy to be there this week along with a host of local talent.

The golfer, who hails from the West Midlands and first came to prominence at the HSBC Wee Wonders competition, said: “It is in incredible shape and is probably my favourite course in the world.

“It is very scenic to walk around, but more importantly it is a great course, a great test, so you have to be on.

“My grandparents from both my mum and dad’s side where born in India, so back home as well I have family with Indian heritage, so to even compete in India is a blessing.

“So if it was to happen and go one step further that would be a privilege, especially around a course like this where you need to be on your mental and physical game, so a long way to go but if that did happen it would be incredible and a dream come true,” said the Wolverhampton-based golfer.

Four-time European Tour winner Bernd Wiesberger is hoping to see further improvements in his game this week as he continues his return from injury.

The Austrian missed a large chunk of the 2018 Race to Dubai season with a wrist problem but has managed to play nine events so far this campaign and he is pleased with his progress.

Meanwhile, South African Brandon Stone is excited to be in India for the first time this week and the 2018 Aberdeen Standard Investments Scottish Open winner hopes to be in the shake-up in Sunday’s final round.

Wiesberger said: “I haven’t been to India for five or six years so it’s nice to be back and I am looking forward to coming to a golf course that has been described as somewhat challenging, and something different to what we see on a regular basis.

“I have been out there for nine holes this afternoon and it’s quite spectacular.

“I was here the last time when it was the old design, so incredible what has been achieved here – an amazing course in great condition –so looking forward to a strong test of golf here in India.

“Unfortunately, I was out from May until November and that was quite a tough break for me not having any golf to play over summer with the injury in my left wrist.

“I still feel the effects of it a little bit, but I’m not where I want to be, so my results have not been anywhere to what

“I expect of myself but at the same time I am kind of taking it easy, week by week, and taking the positives out of every round.

“I am quite happy with the progress in most parts of the game as I have had to restart in a lot of parts of the game, but I am really looking forward to hopefully improving even more in Delhi.”

South African Brandon Stone said: “It’s my first time coming to India and so far, spectacular. I took my first tuk tuk ride yesterday which was a lot of fun, and my first time looking at the course today. Mr Player has come up again with another very unique design.

“My first look at the 17th hole and I wasn’t disappointed, alternative design so let’s say that, the course is in spectacular condition, so I think it’s going to be a very fun week.

“There is a strong field here this week, a lot of local talent, and I am sure they are going to be vying to get their name on the Hero India Open trophy.

“I remember watching the event last year and watching the shot that Matt Wallace hit on 18 to win and didn’t really think it was that good until I walked down the 18th fairway today and realised that was actually top class.

“I’m excited to be here for the event and hoping to put up a stern fight for the championship come Sunday.

Stone also has one eye on the biggest show in town – the IPL cricket.

He said: “On Saturday I will most certainly be there. It has been on my bucket list the last few years, ever since the IPL came to South Africa.

“So to actually go to a game in India where I have a couple of mates that play for the Delhi Capitals – I am quite envious I won’t be at the game tonight.

“But at the same time we are going to be making a lot of friendships with the team at Hero tonight in getting this event underway.”

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