Aman Gupta
St. Andrews, UK, July 27: A host of players, who are of Indian origin will tee up at the 2022 Hero Open at the Fairmont St Andrews on Thursday. A young Indian American Aman Gupta, who turned pro recently, will join Julian Suri, an Indian-American, and an Englishman of Indian origin, Jack Singh Brar, will be among the field in the event.
Another player of interest is Stephen Gallacher, who won the last Hero Indian Open back in 2019 and is still awaiting to defend his title in India.
Alongside them is the 29-year-old Grant Forrest, who won the event last year with a 62-66 showing over the weekend to become the first Scotsman to win on home soil since Paul Lawrie at the 2012 Johnnie Walker Championship.
Forrest has been hampered by a hip injury during a challenging first half of the 2022 season, but after a joint-third finish last week at the Cazoo Classic behind countryman and winner Richie Ramsay, he is hopeful that things have turned a corner. He said, “Any place you do well at brings fond memories and it brings a good vibe to the week. It is new territory for me, certainly in the professional game to defend a tournament and hopefully I can win it again.”
The Torrance course at Fairmont St Andrews plays host to a Tour event this week for the third consecutive year, and Forrest, who missed on securing a spot at the 150th Open in Final Qualifying at the links venue, knows more than most the challenge the course will present the field.
The front nine is seen as more scoreable and the tenth is probably the toughest hole on the course.
The field also includes top stars like Ramsay, the winner of Cazoo Open, Andy Sullivan, Jazz Janewattananond, Victor Dubuisson, Robert Rock, Eddie Pepperell, Ryan Fox, Brandon Stone, Chris Wood, Scott Hend, the new Japanese star, Takumi Kanaya among others.
