England’s Alex Fitzpatrick. File
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The contrast was striking. Alex Fitzpatrick tapped the ball one last time and sank his face in his hands, unable to control his tears even as Eugenio Chacarra stood emotionless on the 18th green, wondering all the what-ifs of a day that saw fortunes swing as wildly as the scores on the board and some of the drives on the course.
Fitzpatrick won his maiden DP World Tour title with a nine-under 279 four-day total on Sunday to become only the third Englishman to win the Hero Indian Open title, the first since Matt Wallace in 2018. Fitzpatrick, who started the day four shots behind defending champion Chacarra, had eight birdies on the final day, five of them on the back nine for a two-shot victory.
The overnight lead helped Chacarra stay ahead for a large part of the day, but the curse of the course, which has never seen a successful title defence, loomed large. Patience has been the keyword through the week, and Fitzpatrick found his mojo and his putter on the green, sinking birdies at will, including an incredibly long one on the 11th and then two more to go level at nine-under after 13 holes.
Chacarra, in contrast, struggled with his putts, barely staying in the game. The tide finally turned on the 15th when Chacarra bogeyed the first of his three consecutive holes, Fitzpatrick birdied the same, and the leaderboard flipped at the top. Once there, Fitzpatrick did not relent, firming his hold to open up a four-stroke lead that even a double bogey on the 18th could not bridge.
Chacarra finished with his worst round of the week, scoring a 75 for a seven-under 281 at second spot, while the third member of the group, South Africa’s MJ Daffue, finished tied 3rd at 283.
Top scores: 279: Alex Fitzpatrick (Eng, 70-68-72-69); 281: Eugenio Chacarra (Esp, 67-69-70-75); 283: MJ Daffue (RSA, 71-67-72-73), Andy Sullivan (Eng, 72-71-69-71), Ugo Coussaud (Fra, 71-69-74-69); 285: Ewen Ferguson (Sco, 70-73-69-73), Calum Hill (Sco, 69-73-72-71), Francesco Molinari (Ita, 72-72-71-70); 286: David Law (Sco, 71-70-70-75), Matteo Manassero (Ita, 72-72-74-68); Indians: 298: Manoj S (76-70-76-76), Om Prakash Chouhan (73-71-73-81); 307: Kshitij Naveed Kaul (73-75-77-82).
Published – March 29, 2026 05:25 pm IST
