Indian Open 2025 Tips: 110/1 shot one of six for Jamie

Following on from Richard Mansell’s breakthrough victory in last week’s weather-shortened Singapore Classic, the DP World Tour now heads to DLF Golf & Country Club for the Indian Open.

As always, here is Jamie Worsley's comprehensive preview and his Indian Open 2025 Tips. He's picked out six players ranging from 35/1 to 110/1!

TOURNAMENT HISTORY

The Indian Open has been played since 1964, though only became a part of the DP World Tour schedule in 2015. It was initially co-sanctioned with the Asian Tour before striking up this current relationship with the PGTI (Professional Golf Tour of India) in 2023.

The tournament has been staged at the infamously challenging Gary Player Course at DLF Golf & Country Club since 2017; after the 2015 and 2016 editions were held at Delhi Golf Club.

Last five winners:

• 2024 – Winner: Keita Nakajima (-17)

Runners-up: Sebastian Soderberg, Johannes Veerman, Veer Ahlawat (-13)

• 2023 – Winner: Marcel Siem (-14)

Runner-up: Yannik Paul (-13)

• 2019 – Winner: Stephen Gallacher (-9)

Runner-up: Masahiro Kawamura (-8)

• 2018 – Winner: Matt Wallace (-11, playoff)

Runner-up: Andrew Johnston (-11)

• 2017 – Winner: S.S.P. Chawrasia (-10)

Runner-up: Gavin Green (-3)

Last year’s edition went the way of former #1 amateur Keita Nakajima, who produced an impressive wire-to-wire victory to claim his first DP World Tour title by four shots. He returns to defend this week.

THE COURSE

Gary Player undertook a project at DLF Golf & Country Club in 2014, which involved creating nine original holes and remodelling nine pre-existing ones – initially designed by Arnold Palmer – to create this vivid new championship layout.

The course plays as a par 72 and measures 7416yds; possessing 4x par 3s (178-256yds), 10x par 4s (319-535yds) and 4x par 5s (558-624yds). It provides a severe and often maddening test, averaging a winning score of -12.2 in the five renewals since 2017.

DLF G&CC is a tree-lined course that features frequent elevation changes and twisting doglegs in both directions. Water comes into play on eight holes in total and along with striking manmade rock formations, is especially prevalent over the closing holes.

The fairways are average in width and strongly protected by strategically placed bunkers. These ridge-walled sand traps are unique in style and with many large and extremely steep-faced, advancing the ball forwards is not always an option. Therefore, players need to be smart off the tee.

The large, grainy and multi-tiered bermudagrass greens are the most difficult aspect of the course, with these predominantly elevated surfaces ranking among the toughest to putt on the DP World Tour in recent years. Guarded by a plethora of steep run-offs that can send balls tumbling from the greens into deep bunkers, tightly-mown chipping areas and thick rough, there is no tougher course on which to get up-and-down on tour.

Those water features are more prevalent on the front nine – otherwise known as the lakes nine – but it returns with a vengeance over the final three holes, alongside those rocky outcrops. It protects the right-hand side of the elevated green on the mammoth 256yd par 3 16^th; sits right of the fairway and short of the green on the 414yd par 4 17^th; and is left of the fairway and short of the green on the 624yd par 5 18^th.

There are chances to score here, with several shorter par 4s (including the potentially drivable 319yd 11^th) and gettable par 5s. However, many come with an element of risk/reward, often due to those punchy design features and it doesn’t take much for someone to start to amass some big numbers.

THE WEATHER

It is forecast to be an uncomfortably hot week in India, with temperatures reaching 38C over the course of the event. The constant and fairly stiff breeze should help keep players that bit cooler, but consistently blowing at around 11mph, with gusts as high as 28mph, this will only make this demanding, rage-inducing course all the more difficult.

KEY STATS

• SG: Approach/Greens-in-Regulation

As a course on which players are severely punished for errant ball striking, a precision-based long game is essential to contend at DLF G&CC.

Quality approach into these large greens is especially key, as we saw with last year’s winner, Keita Nakajima, who ranked inside the top 20 in approach and greens-in-regulation. Runner-up, Johannes Veerman ranked 1^st in each of these areas for the week, whilst fellow 2^nd-place finisher, Sebastian Soderberg ranked 4^th in approach and 6^th in GIR.

Marcel Siem ranked 2^nd in GIR and 16 in approach when winning in 2023 and it was more of the same for his nearest challengers, as runner-up, Yannik Paul ranked 1^st in both stats and 3^rd-place finisher, Joost Luiten ranked 3^rd in approach and 4^th in GIR.

Stephen Gallacher ranked 2^nd in approach and 18^th in GIR when he won in 2019; whilst in 2018, winner, Matt Wallace ranked top 20 in each and runner-up, Andrew Johnston ranked 4^th in GIR and 9^th in approach.

• SG: Off-the-Tee and/or Driving Accuracy

The driver has also been important and it’s a place where those who are unpredictable off the tee are best avoided.

We can again find evidence of this last year, as Keita Nakajima ranked inside the top 25 off-the-tee; as did Sebastian Soderberg, who also ranked 4^th in driving accuracy; whilst Johannes Veerman ranked 8^th OTT.

Marcel Siem drove the ball excellently in 2023, ranking 3^rd OTT. Four of the top five there ranked inside the top 15 in driving accuracy, this includes Joost Luiten, who ranked 6^th in that area and 4^th OTT.

Furthermore, Matt Wallace ranked 1^st OTT and 3^rd in driving accuracy in 2018, as Andrew Johnston ranked as the third-best driver in the field.

• SG: Putting (bermudagrass)
• Par 5 Scoring

The ability to handle these hugely challenging bermudagrass greens can’t be underestimated. Indeed, Keita Nakajima led the field with putter last year, following on from Marcel Siem ranking 5^th in 2023, Stephen Gallacher ranking 10^th in 2019 and Matt Wallace ranking 3^rd in 2018.

In addition, players need to make the most of the chances offered up on the par 5s. Both Siem and Wallace led the field on these holes when winning in their respective years, whilst Nakajima and Gallacher ranked inside the top five.

CORRELATING EVENTS (COURSE)

Alfred Dunhill Championship (Leopard Creek Country Club)

The first of two other Gary Player designs is Leopard Creek, host of the Alfred Dunhill Championship.

This undulating course ranks similarly to DLF G&CC in ball-striking difficulty and is strongly bunkered, both aside the fairways and around the speedy bermudagrass greens. Which rank as some of the toughest to putt and scramble around on the DP World Tour.

Notable correlating form:

Andrew Johnston:

India (2^nd) / Alfred Dunhill (3^rd)

Scott Jamieson:

India (3^rd) / Alfred Dunhill (3^rd, 3^rd, 4^th)

Joost Luiten:

India (3^rd) / Alfred Dunhill (5^th)

Pablo Larrazabal:

India (4^th) / Alfred Dunhill (1^st)

Christiaan Bezuidenhout:

India (4^th) / Alfred Dunhill (1^st)

Carlos Pigem:

India (5^th) / Alfred Dunhill (4^th)

Thorbjorn Olesen:

India (6^th) / Alfred Dunhill (2^nd)

George Coetzee:

India (6^th, 8^th) / Alfred Dunhill (3^rd)

Nedbank Challenge (Gary Player Country Club)

Gary Player Country Club doesn’t quite have the dramatic elevation changes seen at DLF G&CC, but with a comparably challenging short-game test around the quick and hard-to-hit greens, it’s no surprise to see these two courses develop form ties.

Notable correlating form:

Marcel Siem:

India (1^st) / Nedbank (4^th)

Matt Wallace:

India (1^st) / Nedbank (5^th)

Johannes Veerman:

India (2^nd) / Nedbank (1^st)

Sebastian Soderberg:

India (2^nd) / Nedbank (5^th, 6^th)

Scott Jamieson:

India (3^rd) / Nedbank (2^nd)

Christiaan Bezuidenhout:

India (4^th) / S.A Open (1^st)

Romain Langasque:

India (5^th) / Nedbank (2^nd)

Thorbjorn Olesen:

India (6^th) / Nedbank (3^rd, 5^th)

Joburg Open (Houghton Golf Club)

Away from Gary Player but staying in South Africa, and I think the tree-lined Houghton Golf Club – host of the Joburg Open – could be helpful this week.

There isn’t a great deal of crossover form between these two events due to the lack of renewals played at the respective courses; however, with the doglegging fairways smartly bunkered and possessing the third-toughest scrambling test on tour around its slick, undulating greens, I expect these two events to amass firmer links in time.

Notable correlating form:

Marcel Siem:

India (1^st) / Joburg (9^th, 16^th)

Gavin Green:

India (2^nd, 5^th) / Joburg (7^th)

Christiaan Bezuidenhout:

India (4^th) / Joburg (3^rd)

Open de France (Le Golf National)

Le Golf National is another course that ranks high in short-game difficulty on and around its large, undulating green complexes. It’s a place where strong iron players thrive and possessing a nerve-testing watery finish, it can prove a worthwhile comp for DLF G&CC.

Notable correlating form:

Marcel Siem:

India (1^st) / France (1^st)

Yannik Paul:

India (2^nd) / France (2^nd)

Julian Suri:

India (4^th) / France (2^nd)

Kazuki Higa:

India (4^th) / France (6^th)

Rafa Cabrera-Bello:

India (5^th) / France (4^th, 5^th)

Thorbjorn Olesen:

India (6^th) / France (2^nd, 2^nd)

George Coetzee:

India (6^th, 8^th) / France (3^rd, 3^rd)

Jeff Winther:

India (9^th) / France (2^nd, 2^nd)

Ryo Hisatsune:

India (10^th) / France (1^st)

Andalucia Masters (Valderrama)

Valderrama hasn’t hosted the Andalucia Masters since 2022, but there are still many players in this field with form at the course. With it’s undulating ground, strategic bunkering, doglegging fairways and severe test on and around the greens, this tree-lined course can still prove a strong comp.

Notable correlating form:

Andrew Johnston:

India (2^nd) / Valderrama (1^st)

Sebastian Soderberg:

India (2^nd) / Valderrama (2^nd)

Gavin Green:

India (2^nd, 5^th) / Valderrama (8^th)

Masahiro Kawamura:

India (2^nd) / Valderrama (8^th)

Joost Luiten:

India (3^rd) / Valderrama (2^nd, 2^nd)

Scott Jamieson:

India (3^rd) / Valderrama (6^th)

Christiaan Bezuidenhout:

India (4^th) / Valderrama (1^st)

Julian Suri:

India (4^th) / Valderrama (8^th)

Angel Hidalgo:

India (10^th) / Valderrama (4^th)

2022 & 2024 Mauritius Open (Mont Choisy le Golf)

Lastly, I wonder if the 2022 and 2024 Mauritius Opens at Mont Choisy le Golf could be of use. It’s an extremely undulating course with some dramatic elevation changes and possesses the second-toughest green complexes on the DPWT behind DLF G&CC.

Notable correlating form:

Scott Jamieson:

India (3^rd) / Mauritius (9^th)

Jeong Weon Ko:

India (5^th) / Mauritius (4^th)

Simon Forsstrom:

India (8^th) / Mauritius (4^th)

THE FIELD

World #95 John Parry is the top-ranked player in this week’s field and the only one from inside the world’s top 100, with Romain Langasque and our defending champion Keita Nakajima next-best at #101 and #120 respectively.

Nakajima is one of just two former winners in attendance, alongside 2023 victor Marcel Siem.

Young Englishman, Joshua Berry is back in DPWT action having recently enjoyed a successful stint in India on the HotelPlanner Tour, finishing 1^st and 2^nd in the last two weeks; Richard Mansell will tee it up again following his breakthrough tour victory in Singapore; and talented young Spaniard, Eugenio Chacarra (formerly of LIV) will make his second start of the season on the tour.

Indian Open Odds

SELECTIONS

Market Leaders (1/4 5 places): Keita Nakajima 16/1, Matthew Jordan 20/1, Joost Luiten 25/1, Francesco Laporta 28/1, Johannes Veerman 28/1, Adrian Saddier 28/1, Jorge Campillo 28/1

As you’d expect with only one player from inside the top 100 in attendance, this week’s Indian Open is a wide-open contest.

However, having won once and finished 2^nd twice across his last 10 starts, it’s that solo top-100 player, John Parry who looks the best value of those nearer the top and he goes in as the headline selection this week.

1.5 pts John Parry each-way (1/5 - 8 places) @ 35/1

Parry recorded three victories on the HotelPlanner Tour last season – the first of which came in the Delhi Challenge in India – to earn an automatic return to the DPWT after losing his card in 2023. He began the new season excellently at the end of last year, finishing 8^th in the Aussie PGA Championship and after then going close when 2^nd in the Alfred Dunhill Championship, he finished 2024 by claiming his second DPWT title in the Mauritius Open.

Although missing his first three cuts in 2025, he’s since made four of his last five, which includes another runner-up finish, this time in the Kenya Open.

As a precision ball striker, it’s no surprise that the Englishman can perform on those tighter tree-lined courses. He ranks 4^th on tour this season in approach, 27^th in driving accuracy and 28^th in greens-in-regulation, and as the 32^nd-ranked par 5 scorer, he has a pretty complete statistical profile for this test.

Parry has played here three times, missing the cut in 2017 and recording finishes of 54^th and 58^th in the last two years. However, in the best form of his career currently, I’m confident he can improve on those efforts; a belief that is strengthened by that victory in Mauritius and the runner-up finish at Leopard Creek.

1.25 pts Adrian Otaegui each-way (1/5 - 8 places) @ 45/1

Adrian Otaegui produced his best performance of the year when we last saw him in the Joburg Open. He now returns to a course at which he’s performed well on both previous visits and as a proven winner at this level, he looks an appealing price to contend at DLF G&CC.

Otaegui could only muster up a best of 49^th in Bahrain across his first six starts this season and entered the Joburg Open having missed his previous three cuts. He duly left that form behind at Houghton Golf Club, shooting three straight rounds in the 60s to sit in 12^th place going into the final round and although a disappointing final-round 72 saw him slip down to 25^th, it was still a step in the right direction.

Most promising about that performance was that he was the best iron player in the field, an area in which he’d previously struggled this season. As one of the straightest drivers on tour, ranking 9^th in driving accuracy, if he can maintain that quality in approach he’d have every chance around this layout.

Otaegui has played here twice before, finishing 10^th on debut in 2019 before returning to finish 26^th last year. He also has plenty of attractive comp form, which notably includes a victory at Valderrama in 2022 and a runner-up finish in the Alfred Dunhill Championship just a couple of months later.

1 pt Marcel Schneider each-way (1/5 - 8 places) @ 50/1

Marcel Schneider has been hitting the ball well this year that has helped him tally up some impressive results in recent starts. Having gone well on his debut in this event last in 2024, he looks to be playing well enough to finally make his DPWT breakthrough in India.

Schneider narrowly missed the cut in Singapore, but he had been in great form in his three starts prior to that, finishing 8^th in the Bahrain Championship, 14^th in the Qatar Masters and 13^th in the Kenya Open. With little to be overly concerned about last week, I see no reason why he can’t bounce back here.

The German has been reliable with his ball striking all year, ranking 24^th in GIR, 28^th off-the-tee, 52^nd in approach and 65^th in driving accuracy. Along with the gains he’s made on the greens in 2025, ranking 49^th as opposed to sitting outside the top 100 in putting last year, his game looks sharp in all the right areas to overcome the challenges of this course.

Schneider indeed took a liking to DLF G&CC last year, finishing 21^st on debut and ending the week without shooting a single round over par. Furthermore, he finished 15^th on his only try at Leopard Creek at the end of last year and has also previously finished 13^th in the Open de France.

1 pt Martin Couvra each-way (1/5 - 8 places) @ 66/1

Uber-talented French rookie, Martin Couvra has displayed plenty of promise so far this season. Looking a good fit for the test that awaits in India, I’m taking him to follow in Keita Nakajima’s footsteps by winning his first DPWT title on debut in this event.

Couvra earned his spot on tour this season having ended last year in 17^th place on the HotelPlanner Tour’s season-long standings. He’s took little time to make an impact at this level, finishing 7^th in the Alfred Dunhill Championship on his first start of the new season and has carried that form over into 2025, recording top-5 finishes in Bahrain and Qatar, and enters this week after a 14^th-place finish in last week’s Singapore Classic.

The former #52 amateur possesses quality throughout his bag, but he has excelled with his approach play, ranking 12^th. Also ranking 31^st in GIR and 34^th in driving accuracy, he hits the ball with the required precision to avoid much of the trouble here.

Couvra will be making his debut in this event, though he is no stranger to performing in India, having finished 5^th in last year’s Delhi Challenge on the HotelPlanner Tour. His 3^rd-place finish in the Euram Bank Open – another quirky, undulating, tree-lined course – could also be a good pointer, as could that 7^th-place finish at Leopard Creek.

1 pt Jeff Winther each-way (1/5 - 8 places) @ 90/1

Following a slow start to this year, Jeff Winther’s game has been improved in recent starts. As a typically straight hitter who is good on the greens, it’s easy to see why he was able to record a top-10 finish here last year and if he can find some more improvement this week, he’d have a chance at an appealing price.

Winther failed to crack the top 60 over his first three starts in 2025 but has managed much better performance over his latest three, finishing 25^th in Qatar, 53^rd in Kenya and 43^rd in Singapore. Which was a solid effort considering it was his first start in almost a month.

His ball striking has been steady, ranking top 50 both in GIR and driving accuracy. Although the putter hasn’t quite warmed up to last year’s level, when he ranked 7^th on tour, he still ranks a solid 60^th.

Winther missed the cut on his debut in this event back in 2023, but he was an excellent 9^th upon his return last year, where he ranked 2^nd only to Nakajima on the greens and was top 20 in approach. Two runner-up finishes in the Open de France only strengthens his case this week.

1 pt Jordan Gumberg each-way (1/5 - 8 places) @ 110/1

Jordan Gumberg has had a sneakily consistent season so far in 2025 and as a much improved putter with a precise ball-striking game, he can produce his best result of the season this week.

Gumberg has made eight starts this season and missed just two cuts. He’s twice finished inside the top 20, courtesy of a 17^th-place finish in the season opener in Dubai and he doubled that tally last week, finishing 14^th in Singapore.

He was at his best with the driver last season, ranking 11^th in driving accuracy and 20^th OTT. That club is again performing well this year, as he ranks 9^th in driving accuracy and he’s also finding far more greens, ranking 27^th in GIR. However, it’s the putter that has seen the most marked improvement, going from a ranking of 180^th last season to 79^th this.

Gumberg will make his debut at DLF G&CC this week but having claimed his first tour title in the challenging SDC Championship at St Francis Links last year, we can be confident in his ability to win on a demanding, dramatically undulating layout.

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