Ernie Els can’t stop raving about it. Jyoti Randhawa and Shiv Kapur can’t seem to agree on what they think of the changes. But one thing is certain: the biggest player, as serious business finally gets underway at the Delhi Golf Club tomorrow, is going to be the course. “I think it’s a wonderful golf course, old-fashioned. We’ve really got to shape the ball around and really think about the shots that you want to use,” Els gushed today after the Emaar-MGF Indian Masters pro-am, having finally played all 18 holes.Randhawa said it was probably first-sight infatuation. “Frankly, I’m not very impressed with the way the course is right now. “I guess the severe winter has hit most of the grass in the greens and the rough. I’ve played this golf course when it’s been in immaculate condition. “The players might seem to like it because it’s their first time here.”As if the infamous jungle was not challenge enough, new bunkers, narrower fairways and pushed-back tees give even more to contend with for the biggest field Indian greens have ever seen. Randhawa and Kapur, the old hands here, had conflicting views on whether the changes added to the character. There is one thing everyone seems to agree on, however: keep aggressive hitting for a later week. “If you get aggressive, it’s going to come and bite you,” warned Jeev Milkha Singh. “You step up on the first tee in a practice round, you hit your driver, find it and it’s like, ‘wow, it’s easy’, Arjun Atwal laughed. “Then when Thursday comes around and those bushes kind of steep in a little bit, now there’s no options.” The Els-bug bitten crowd will definitely be with the marquee group: Jeev, Els and the Dane Thomas Bjorn—a pairing that would make any field look glamorous. But the favourites can’t be named just there. Randhawa has owned the course whenever he’s played here in the last two years. As Kapur said: “If I was a betting man I would put my money on Jyoti.”While others chose a more conservative figure of 12-under as the winning score, Randhawa stuck his neck out and pegged it at 18. There are the big names and there are the Asian Tour regulars who know the course. And then there is the 30-strong Indian pack. It’s finally time for lights, camera, action.
