Dubai-based Nicolas Colsaerts overcomes slow start to lead Hero Indian Open
Dubai resident Nicolas Colsaerts made a strong start at the Hero Indian Open, recovering from a slow beginning to overcome a 'tough' course and share the lead after the first round with Marcus Armitage and Marcus Kinhult.
The three-time DP World Tour winner, and Ambassador for the Brain & Performance Centre, a DP World Company, set the pace early on Thursday with a round of 68 despite bogeying two of his first three holes at DLF Golf and Country Club in Delhi.
The 42-year-old Belgian, who earned his 2025 DP World Tour card with a second-place finish at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship last season, is aiming to jumpstart his campaign in India this week.
Colsaerts notched his first birdie of the day at the fourth hole, followed by another at the sixth. Despite a bogey at the seventh, he rallied with back-to-back birdies at the eighth and ninth, turning at one under par.
He kept his momentum going with birdies at the tenth, fourteenth, and the par-five fifteenth, navigating the back nine without a single dropped shot to finish at four under par. Colsaerts set the early target on a challenging course, one of the toughest on the DP World Tour.
Challenging course
"It went great today," said Colsaerts after his round. "It's a difficult golf course, and anyone shooting under par today will be extremely happy. The rough is high, the greens are firmer, and it feels a bit like a mini-US Open. It's a tough course, but I really like the layout—especially the 18th and the visually striking 16th par-three."
Looking ahead, Colsaerts added, "I want to stay patient. Pars are good, and if you make a few birdies, it's great. Everyone will make bogeys, but I'll aim to keep the ball in play and stay in contention."
Kinhult impressed in his first round with early birdies at the first, second, and fourth holes. After a bogey at the seventh, he bounced back with a birdie at the par-five eighth and turned at three under par. The 2019 Betfred British Masters winner kept his scorecard clean on the way in, adding a birdie at the fifteenth to tie for the lead.
Armitage, riding the momentum of a strong start to the 2025 Race to Dubai, including a fifth-place finish at last week's Porsche Singapore Classic, was pleased with his performance on day one of the Hero Indian Open—the second event of the Asian Swing.
Thomas grinds
Dubai-born Rayhan Thomas, a 25-year-old Dubai Golden Visa Awardee and member of the PGA Tour's Korn Ferry Tour, posted a level-par 72 to tie for 30th place.
With just four shots separating him from the leaders, Thomas reflected, "Today was a bit of a grind. I didn't hit the ball well, but I put and chipped well to keep myself in a reasonable position. This course is one of the toughest in the world, so I'm proud of my positive mindset."
Thomas, who had family members watching from the gallery, added, "Let's hope I can play better and score lower in the second round."
Other notable players with Dubai and UAE connections included Aaron Cockerill (Canada), representing The Els Club, Dubai, as well as Dubai residents Julien Guerrier (France), Johannes Verman (US), Shiv Kapur (India), and Ewen Ferguson (Scotland), who all shot level-par 72.
First Round Scores
N. Colsaerts (BEL) 68
M. Kinhult (SWE) 68
M. Armitage (ENG) 68
J. Luiten (NED) 69
U. Coussard (FRA) 69
A. Sandhu (IND) 69
M. Jordan (ENG) 69
T. Clements (ENG) 69
R. Fisher (ENG) 69
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