Hero Indian Open 2026: Freddy Schott leads Round 1, Chacarra chases; Veer Ahlawat top Indian as big names falter at DLF

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Gurugram, March 26: Germany's Freddy Schott produced a clinical six-under-par 66 to seize a one-shot lead over defending champion Eugenio Chacarra at the end of Round 1 of the Hero Indian Open 2026 on Thursday (March 26). Indian golfers, meanwhile, had a rough day as Veer Ahlawat was the best in the lot with an even-par 72.

Schott, fresh off his Bahrain Championship triumph, looked in complete control at the demanding DLF Golf and Country Club, racing to six under through 12 holes with a string of birdies. Despite late bogeys on the 14th and 17th, the German showed composure to bounce back immediately on both occasions.

"Very, very pleased... it was pretty much a flawless round," Schott said. "It might be the hardest course this year - your game has to be so good overall."

Chacarra, meanwhile, showcased resilience after a shaky start. The Spaniard was one over through five holes but stormed back with six birdies, including a crucial gain on the 18th, to post a five-under 67.

"We did a tremendous job staying patient... it's a tricky course, but it suits my game," Chacarra noted.

Bradbury impresses, chasing pack tight

England's Dan Bradbury briefly set the early pace and eventually signed for a four-under 68 to sit third. Starting from the back nine, he carded four birdies early before recovering from mid-round bogeys with a strong finish.

A group including Niklas Nørgaard, Martin Couvra, Calum Hill and Gregorio De Leo shared fourth place at three under, highlighting how tightly packed the leaderboard remains.

Indian golfers: DLF proves brutal test

The Indian contingent endured a challenging opening day on a punishing layout that exposed even minor errors. Veer Ahlawat was the best-placed Indian at even-par 72, but the bigger story was the struggles of several top names.

Shubhankar Sharma, Rayhan Thomas, Yuvraj Singh Sandhu and Saptak Talwar all fell victim to the tricky nature of the DLF course, carding five-over 77 to be placed at T-98 alongside Akshay Bhatia, the highest-ranked player in the field this week.

Sandhu, the 2025 PGTI Order of Merit winner, endured an even tougher day with an eight-over 80, leaving him needing a near-miraculous second round to make the cut.

Bhatia's round was a tale of two halves. Starting on the back nine, he endured a nightmare stretch that included a double bogey, consecutive bogeys, a triple bogey and another double bogey - compounded by a penalty for hitting the wrong ball on the 15th. He turned in eight-over but showed resilience on the front nine, playing bogey-free and clawing back three shots with birdies on the third, fifth and eighth.

Bhatia later admitted he was relieved not to finish worse given the struggles early in his round.

Other Indians, including Om Prakash Chouhan, Kartik Singh and Kshitij Naveed Kaul, carded one-over 73 as they look to improve in Round 2.

Leaderboard Top 10 Round 1