Hero Indian Open Each-Way Tips: Time for 66/1 Larrazabal to wake up

• Spain's Pablo Larrazabal has a strong course record

• Promising Frenchman Martin Couvra is in fine form

• Nacho Elvira looks like he's warming up for a repeat of last year

• The Masters starts on April 10. Read Dave Tindall's guide to the 2025 Masters here!

Professional golfers are fond of saying, of a course they like, that, "the holes are right there in front of you."

It's a phrase that is unlikely to ever be uttered about the Gary Player Course at the DLF Golf and Country Club.

In fact, as I wrote last year, the penultimate hole is so profoundly "not right there in front of you" it resembles, "a magic eye poster with an elevation change, rocky background and design that require zoned-out focus to identify the target."

After completing his debut first round Eddie Pepperell sighed: "That's the most stressful 3-under-par I've ever shot. Literally every shot something can go wrong."

It makes you wonder what the golfers say when they're not being careful in front of cameras and microphones.

What cannot be argued is the drama the layout produces. It's like a golfing version of walking a tightrope. With unequally weighted luggage in your hands.

Here's to more chaos and the first pick knows all about the craziness of Delhi.

Main Bet: Pablo Larrazabal 1pt each-way @ 66/1

Back in 2018, Spain's Pablo Larrazabal woke on his course debut to an appalling surprise.

He had a new iPhone, he'd set the alarm, it had reset itself to Madrid time in the night, and he rubbed his sleepy eyes a mere 38 minutes before his tee time.

"I had a 10-second shower and ran for the waiting courtesy car," he later explained.

"I didn't think I was going to make it," he said, quite reasonably fearing the city's notorious traffic jams.

But he got lucky: "The courtesy car made a world record from the hotel to the golf course - a ride that can take 10 or 15 minutes took a few minutes. It was really wild.

"After hitting 10 balls on the range, I told my caddie that I had to stop because I was nervous and full of adrenalin."

Cue nine birdies, two bogeys, one double bogey, a 5-under-par 67 and an early share of the lead. He would ultimately end the day in a share of third and the week in fourth.

A year later he opened with a 68 - again good for tied third - before finishing T39 and in 2023 he closed with two 69s for tenth. He was also T18 and fifth at DLF's Palmer Course in the tournament in 2010 and 2011.

It's a solid bank of form and the Player Course form fits with a decent record on the Black Knight's designs.

He's a four-time contender at Leopard Creek and claimed the win there in 2019. He also spent much of last December's Nedbank Challenge at Gary Player CC on the first page of the leaderboard.

The nine-time winner on the DP World Tour hit a purple patch in 2022 and 2023, winning four times but his form has dipped since he and his partner started a family.

However, he was superb throughout most of the week when a play-off loser in the Bahrain Championship last month. He missed the cut last week after a break, but a second round 69 suggested that he had needed to remove some rust.

He recorded excellent approach stats on his last visit to DLF and was also excellent with his irons in Bahrain. He's got the wherewithal to contend again.

Next Best: Martin Couvra 1pt each-way @ 80/1

As the column noted recently, it's been an excellent rookie season so far for the young Frenchman Martin Couvra.

He opened it with seventh place at Leopard Creek, which is notable for being a Player design of course (he was also an impressive T12 at Player's Blair Atholl in the 2023 South African Open).

Since New Year he's been fourth in Bahrain, fifth at Doha, and T14 last week in Singapore.

He also ought to have good memories of Delhi because a year ago this month he carded 65-67 to hold the halfway lead in the Delhi Challenge and a third round 68 kept him tied at the top before he closed with a 70 for fifth.

His irons have impressed this season as when he ranked first for Approach in Bahrain and fourth last week.

Final Bet: Nacho Elvira 1pt each-way @ 80/1

Spain's Nacho Elvira hasn't been to DLF since 2019 but his last experience of the place was solid as he finished sixth when also ranking 12th for Strokes Gained Tee to Green.

It wasn't the first time he'd been high up the leaderboard in the Indian Open because he'd been second after 18 and 36 holes in the 2016 event at Delhi GC.

He hit a nice little run of form this time last year and rode the wave to land a second DP World Tour victory.

He's been mighty close to equalling his Challenge Tour win tally of four on the main tour because he's also missed out in three play-offs and the last of those - the 2023 Made in Denmark - was particularly unfortunate because he and Rasmus Hojgaard were excellent in a very drawn out affair. Many winners have performed more shakily than Elvira did that week.

He arrives in India off the back of T25 in Qatar, T11 in Kenya and T20 last week in Singapore.

He ranked second for SG Approach in Kenya and third for the same category last week (as well as ninth Off the Tee).

He can go close again in Delhi.

Now read Steve Rawlings' preview of the Indian Open.

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