Eugenio López Chacarra (-4) has achieved an imperial victory at the Hero Indian Open, a DP World Tour tournament held at the DLF Golf & Country Club. In a way, he redeems himself, just five months after leaving LIV Golf through the back door. The Spanish golfer gives a 180-degree turn to his career with a monumental performance. He secures the DP World Tour card and sets his sights on the PGA Championship and the PGA Tour. He has made a big impact playing a different game. He finished with a two-shot lead over Keita Nakajima (-2), although his victory was never in danger in the final stretch.
Chacarra was once again the best from tee to green this Sunday. Additionally, he was well-supported by the putter and even had that moment of luck that all players need to win a tournament. It was a perfect and overwhelming combination. He outperformed all the contenders who started with chances, leaving them without the ability to respond.
And to think things didn’t start well for Eugenio. The Madrid native, having just turned 25, began the final round with a painful bogey on hole 1 and another bogey on 3. He relinquished the lead early on, although he never lost sight of the top spot. He was never more than one shot away from first place. This was one of the key factors in his victory. Starting very poorly, he never strayed far from victory, never felt too pressured. His new attitude on the course, which allows him to enjoy more, also helped.
The second key to the triumph came between holes 9 and 12. There, he delivered the decisive blow, the tournament’s statement of intent. He recorded a three-under-par stretch when birdies were extremely rare. He regained the tournament lead and even widened the gap. He achieved this with a great shot on hole 9, two metres from the flag for birdie, a crucial recovery on 10 from the back of the green with a delicate par putt of just over two metres, barely started and oscillating until it dropped in, and two mid-range birdie putts on holes 11 and 12. The birdie on 11 was especially important, as the ball was lively and would have gone more than two metres past.
The third and final moment came on hole 14. His second shot ended up in a very tricky position, in the high rough to the left of the green. It was a difficult approach, downhill and very fast. The ball came out very lively, to the point of going off the green, but it hit the flagstick and went in. Birdie. It was the champion’s stroke of luck. The difference there was easily three shots. He went from a possible double bogey to an unexpected birdie. Right there, he took a four-shot lead heading into the final four holes of the tournament.
Chacarra managed to keep his composure in that final stretch. He played safe golf, if there is such a thing in the tough DLF Golf & Country Club. He even left some birdie opportunities along the way, like on 15. He only struggled a bit on 17, after missing his second shot, but he managed a bogey that didn’t jeopardise the victory. Now, a new horizon opens up for him with the DP World Tour card. He made a big impact playing a different game in a tough Indian challenge where only three players finished under par.
Pablo Larrazábal (+5) flirted with the possibility of getting into the fight for victory. He started with a one-under stretch in seven holes and left some good opportunities along the way, like on hole 11. He was within three shots of the lead. With chances. It didn’t seem very reasonable to reach Chacarra’s final numbers, but at least he could have fought for second place. A lost ball on hole 14 resulted in a triple bogey, eliminating him from the battle for the top 5. Still, he managed to finish with a good birdie on hole 17 to end in the top 10.
Additionally, Ángel Hidalgo (+8) scraped a valuable top 20 after making the cut just on the number with a fabulous birdie on hole 18 on Friday. He finished with a great level par round.
