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From four shots behind to champion: Fitzpatrick steals spotlight at HERO Indian Open
The Englishman comes from four shots behind to overhaul defending champion Eugenio Chacarra, joining brother Matt Fitzpatrick as back-to-back DP World Tour winners and marking a historic week for the Fitzpatrick family
- PUBLISHED: Mon 30 Mar 2026, 10:23 PM
- By:
- Khaleej Times Staff
Alex Fitzpatrick produced a remarkable final round to claim his first DP World Tour title at the 2026 HERO Indian Open, held at the challenging DLF Golf & Country Club.
The 27-year-old Englishman entered the fourth round four shots behind overnight leader Eugenio Chacarra and surged to victory with a three-under-par 69, finishing two strokes clear at 279.
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Chacarra, the defending champion, started the day with a four-shot lead but could not withstand Fitzpatrick’s late charge. After bogeys on three and four, Fitzpatrick birdied six to begin his comeback. The pivotal swing came at the eighth, where Chacarra found water and Fitzpatrick made birdie, cutting the deficit in half. Both players birdied the ninth, turning with Chacarra still three shots ahead.
Fitzpatrick bogeyed the tenth but responded with three consecutive birdies, keeping the pressure on Chacarra. The lead changed for good at the 15th, a par-five, where Fitzpatrick reached the green in two to make birdie while Chacarra bogeyed after a bunker mishap.
Fitzpatrick’s consistency and calm demeanour down the closing holes, including a birdie on 17, secured a decisive four-shot lead, despite a double-bogey on the 18th.
MJ Daffue, Ugo Coussaud, and Andy Sullivan finished tied for third, while Francesco Molinari, Ewen Ferguson, Calum Hill, David Law, and Matteo Manassero rounded out the top ten, highlighting the strength of the field.
Fitzpatrick reflects on his breakthrough.
After the win, Fitzpatrick described the significance of the victory and the challenges of the course.
He said he felt more composed on the greens than in previous tournaments: “It feels amazing, I feel a little more composed now than I was on the green. I’ve put in a lot of hard work but have a lot of doubts. I feel like I'm really stuck with it, especially over the past couple of years.”
He also credited his support team for keeping him grounded: “I've just got a really great team around me, a great bunch of people, so I’m really lucky to be in this situation, and I’m over the moon.”
Reflecting on the difficulty of DLF Golf & Country Club, Fitzpatrick said the key was focusing on the present: “This course is so hard that you almost have to forget the past shots or previous holes. I think on Friday I had nine birdies and I didn't know until I'd finished, and the same today. I felt like I was playing really nicely, I started to hole some really good putts, I still don't know how many birdies I had, I was just trying to stick in it.”
Looking back at his previous near-misses, he shared how persistence paid off: “From the experience of Joburg, being in contention, if you kind of stick around for a while, hopefully one door will open and luckily for me it was today.”
He also reflected on the significance of joining his brother Matt Fitzpatrick in the winners’ ranks: “It’s great to join my brother Matt as a winner on the DP World Tour. It can be hard sometimes when you're constantly chasing someone's accolades, but luckily, it's my brother, so it's not horrific.
"It's extremely nice to join him in the winners' ranks, and hopefully we can continue to push on. I idolise him, so I’m just trying to be like him in every way, so hopefully we can keep doing well.”
The HERO Indian Open and Indian Golf
The HERO Indian Open remains a pivotal tournament for the growth of golf in India. By attracting top international talent like Fitzpatrick and Chacarra, it gives Indian players the opportunity to compete at the highest level and learn from world-class professionals.
The tournament’s reputation, combined with the challenging layout at DLF Golf & Country Club, has helped raise the profile of golf in India and contributed to the sport’s growing popularity.
Results
1st: Alex Fitzpatrick (ENG) – R1: 70 | R2: 68 | R3: 72 | R4: 69 | Total: 279
2nd: Eugenio Chacarra (ESP) – R1: 67 | R2: 69 | R3: 70 | R4: 75 | Total: 281
3rd: Ugo Coussaud (FRA) – R1: 71 | R2: 69 | R3: 74 | R4: 69 | Total: 283
T3: MJ Daffue (RSA) – Total: 283
Other notable finishes:
Andy Sullivan (T3)
Francesco Molinari (-3)
Ewen Ferguson (-3)
Calum Hill (-3)
David Law (-2)
Matteo Manassero (-2, 68 in final round)
