Indian golfer Veer Ahlawat has expressed his disappointment over his performance at the Hero India Open 2025, admitting that he needs to rectify his mistakes quickly to stay competitive in upcoming tournaments.
Ahlawat, who was one of the best-performing Indians in the tournament, ended tied 17th alongside Gaganjeet Bhullar and Om Prakash Chouhan.
“My game was pretty average, and I didn’t play my best game. My ball striking was a bit off, but still, I managed to finish in the top-20, that’s a good part. But I need to work on my game to be up there competing for the title,” Ahlawat said in an exclusive interview on Sunday. “My main focus is to play my best game without thinking much about the result. I am not worried about getting a lot of top-five finishes, I just want to showcase my best potential,” he added.
Indian Golf Union (IGU) President Brijender Singh praised Ahlawat’s performance.
“I don’t think it was hard luck for him, I am proud of his performance. It is a matter of the ball rolling for you, and you can have some bad breaks, but overall, I am satisfied with the way he played this week,” Singh told PTI Videos on the sidelines of the tournament.
Establishing a professional golf league in India has been a topic of discussion in the recent months.
Ahlawat believes that introducing such a format would significantly help the sport grow in India, providing professional golfers with more opportunities and financial incentives.
“I think such a league will be great for Indian golf. It will be fun, and it will be a completely different format. There will be more prize money for the pros to grab, so it will be nice,” Ahlawat said.
The IGU president said that this league will allow young players learn from professionals, while also increasing the sport’s popularity and financial viability. “When the young kids and less professional kids get a chance to play with the pros, they will learn about shot-making, they will learn about golf, they will also understand the exhilaration you get by winning because for some, winning is a real high,” Singh said.
Singh is also optimistic about the future of golf in India as the country shares cordial relations with the international bodies governing the sport.
“The future of golf is bright, I think we are more organised. The countries that manage the golfing spectrum have seen us, have more faith in us. We have been organising such huge tournaments successfully, which gives them courage to bring new tournaments to India,” he said.
“We had the LIV series, we have Hero (India Open), we will have another one in October at the Delhi Golf Club hopefully. So, the confidence really grows for the overseas partners. We will get to see a lot of golf, they will come and participate on more serious terms,” he added.
Singh highlighted the IGU’s efforts to develop grassroots golf and make the sport more accessible, especially in Tier 2 cities.
“We have launched Feeder Tours to expand golf in Tier 2 cities. Funding was a challenge, but with government support, the sport will soon grow in these areas and schools,” he concluded.
