New Delhi [India], March 16 (ANI): A testament to the growing popularity and status of the Indian Open, the 2025 edition of the golf tournament will witness participation from as many as 16 winners from the last and current season of The European Tour schedule.

Defending champion Keita Nakajima of Japan leads an extremely strong field as this year's edition of India's national open is set to get underway from March 27, 2025. The dozen winners from the 2024 DPWT (DP World Tour, also called The European Tour) schedule, will be joined by the four champions from the 2025 schedule. The field includes Germany's Marcel Siem, the tournament winner from 2023, who won another title in 2024.

Winners from the 2024 and 2025 The European Tour seasons:

-2025: Ryggs Johnston (Australian Open), Johannes Veerman (Nedbank Challenge), John Parry (Mauritius Open), Callum Hill (Joburg Open)

-2024: Darius Van Driel (Kenya Open), Jordan Gumberg (SDC Championship), Keita Nakajima (Indian Open), Adrian Otaegui (China Open), Nacho Elvira (Soudal Open), Guido Migliozzi (KLM Open), Marcel Siem (Italian Open), Ewen Ferguson (BMW International Open), David Ravetto (D+D Real Czech), Frederic Lacroix (Danish), Angel Hidalgo (acciona Open de Espana), Julien Guerrier (Estrella Damm Andalucia)

In addition, there will be a strong challenge from Indian players who will have an eye on the host of benefits that come alongside the massive 2.25 million USD prize purse.

The 24-year-old Nakajima, a former Asia-Pacific Amateur champion, was the world number one amateur for a record total of 87 weeks between November 2020 and September 2022. In 2023, Nakajima won three titles on the Japan Tour and went on to top the Japan Tour Order of Merit, by virtue of which he earned a card to the DPWT 2024 season.

In his very first full season on DPWT Nakajima won the Indian Open beating the trio of India's Veer Ahlawat, Sweden's Sebastian Soderberg and American Johannes Veerman. The three runner-ups are all coming back to have a shot at one of the iconic events of the region.

Nakajima is also hoping to emulate a fellow Japanese player, Kenji Hosoishi, who became the first player ever to win the HIO title back-to-back in 1967 and 1968. Since then, Jyoti Randhawa (2006 and 2007) and SSP Chawrasia (2016 and 2017) have also performed the feat.

Nakajima is not the only former World No. 1 amateur in the field who has had success in India. The field also includes American Ollie Schniederjans, who was World Amateur No. 1 for a straight 41 weeks in 2014-2015. Schniederjans recently ended a nine-year title drought winning the International Series India presented by DLF, held at the same venue.

The Indian Open, title-sponsored by Hero, will also feature another 24-year-old star, the prodigious Spaniard Eugenio Chacarra, who was the World No. 2 amateur in 2022, and has won two international titles.

Entry to the 2025 Indian Open will be free and open to all as the DLF Golf and Country Club will host the event for the seventh time. (ANI)