After an absence of almost three years due to the coronavirus pandemic, the European Tour has confirmed that the Hero Indian Open will be played in February next year
Tuesday 2 November 2021 09:55, UK
The Hero Indian Open will be played for the first time in almost three years when the tournament returns to the European Tour schedule in February.
The event was one of the first to be cancelled when the coronavirus pandemic shut down professional sport worldwide in March 2020, and ongoing restrictions enforced by Covid-19 again forced organisers to abandon plans to play the Indian Open this year.
But the European Tour has given the go-ahead for the tournament, first established in 1964, to take place from February 24-27 2022, with 2014 Ryder Cup star Stephen Gallacher expected to defend the title he won in March 2019.
"We are delighted to welcome the Hero Indian Open back to the European Tour in 2022 and thank everyone involved in staging the 56th edition of this historic tournament," announced European Tour chief executive Keith Pelley.
"As ever, I must mention Hero MotoCorp and Dr Pawan Munjal for the unwavering support to this event, particularly during these difficult times.
"Dr. Munjal's vision and commitment to our sport through a variety of unique initiatives is second to none, and we look forward to working together on India's national open once again.
"We must also acknowledge the owners of this great event, the Indian Golf Union (IGU), for their hard work in continuing to grow the game of golf in India."
Dr Munjal, Hero MotoCorp chairman and CEO, added: "It truly gives me immense pleasure to announce that we are back with the Hero Indian Open.
"The 2022 edition of the Hero Indian Open marks the 15th consecutive year of our support to the country's national open that has always provided the platform to golfers from around the world to showcase their talent and go on to make a career for themselves on the international circuit.
"I thank the European Tour and the IGU for their continued support to this event."
