A birdie in hand, an open in the bush

It's a kind of homecoming for golfers like Jyoti Randhawa, Jeev Milkha Singh and Gaurav Ghei. But don't expect any goodies to be doled out, at least at the Delhi Golf Course.

The Hero Honda Open starting from October 11 in Delhi promises to be a fiercely contested tournament. Apart from the presence of names like Jeev Milkha Singh and Jyoti Randhawa, there will be at least four more players in the fray who have won the tournament earlier.

Randhawa, who won the last edition, comes as a favourite; the other champions are Thaworn Wiratchant, Mardan Mamat, both have won the Open in 2005 and 2004 respectively. The current leader of the Asian Order of the Merit Liang Wenchong too would be competing and is a title contender.

And of course, there is Jeev Milkha Singh. Another player who would be looking to set his home turf on fire is Gaurav Ghei. "Playing in the Open is always special and almost all players want to win their national Open as often as possible, so it is no different for me."

Of all the players, Randhawa has an enviable record at the Indian Open. He has won it three times and would be looking to add to his tally. Although both he and Singh haven't had that great a year, they would be looking to make a mark on their home turf. And fellow compatriot Ghei admits, "Both of them would pose a big threat and have shown good form over the last few months."

The overall prize money too has been increased to $500,000. The Delhi Golf Course would host the event and Ghei says that is going to be a big challenge.

"Three tees have been pushed back, lengthening the course. But what is more striking is the rough, which is higher than ever before." So get ready for some serious golfing action and if you are in the capital then don't miss the chance to track some other sporting heroes like these golfers. It's definitely better than seeing the Indian cricket team getting thrashed by the Aussies!