If Tuesday morning was about first-glance appreciative nods, Wednesday afternoon wore the busy look of last-minute putting perfection. The DLF Golf & Country Club has received pre-tournament reviews of intrigued anticipation, but a fresh host course is not the only thing new about this year’s Indian Open.

The theme of 2008 was about waiting to watch if Jyoti Randhawa could manage to keep his domination going for a third straight year, but this time, in the perennial home favourite’s absence, the local fans will have to find a new name to pin their hopes on.

Shiv Kapur and Jeev Milkha Singh are busy with international assignments as well, and a returning-from-injury Arjun Atwal might be the sentimental favourite, but he declared on Wednesday that he’d come here just expecting to play well and anything else was a bonus. “I had this week off, so my brother suggested I play here. I think it was a good decision to come, and if it was this time last year, I would be expecting to win. This time, with my injury, and having been off for so long, I want to see how I hold up,” Atwal said.

Gaganjeet Bhullar, though, has discovered the limelight on him gradually brightening in recent months, and the 21-year-old again found himself pushed into the focus of leading the home challenge. He insisted there was not a shred of pressure on him despite that, or of the task of extending his winning streak — he’s won the last five tournaments on home soil, the latest being at DLF Golf & Country Club two weeks back. “When I play at home, I feel no pressure,” Bhullar said. “The home crowd always spurs me on, I’m more relaxed and it’s just easier to focus on the game.”

... contd.