Golfer Gary Hurley aims to maintain his strong start to the season as he prepares to compete in the DP World PGTI Open at India’s Classic Golf & Country Club this week.
After missing all of 2025 due to injury, the West Waterford native made a successful return to competition in early 2026 with four positive weeks in South Africa. He successfully made the cut in all four South African events, achieving a season-high ninth-place finish at the CIRCA Cape Town Open, placing him 26th in the early Road to Mallorca Rankings.
The 33-year-old hopes to extend this positive, pain-free momentum into the season’s fifth tournament.
“It’s been good,” Hurley commented. “Having not played for over a year, making all four cuts in South Africa was very encouraging. My primary concern, pain, is largely gone. I believe I have the ability to earn promotion from the HotelPlanner Tour this year and I’m focused on creating the best opportunity to achieve that.”
Following a four-week break, Hurley is eager to resume play. Having overcome significant challenges in the past year, he emphasizes that his mental approach will be crucial for success in the opening round in Gurugram.
“The course is in good shape, and I’m glad to be here playing,” he stated. “Last year presented tough moments. When you’re injured, it’s hard to follow what your peers are achieving. While I’m not yet at full strength, I’ve learned to manage my injury effectively. I’m actively working on increasing my self-belief, as I truly feel my game is strong enough to win here, which is a vital mindset. I’ll approach this with the aim of controlling what I can.”
Hurley will compete against a formidable field in India. This co-sanctioned event, featuring players from the HotelPlanner Tour and the DP World Professional Golf Tour of India (PGTI), includes the current PGTI Order of Merit leader, Saptak Talwar, and England’s two-time DP World Tour champion, Tom Lewis.
The DP World PGTI Open’s first round commences at 6:50 am local time, with Mark Power in the initial grouping and Conor Purcell starting at 7:50 am. Hurley’s tee time is 12:20 pm, playing alongside Badal Hossain of Bangladesh and India’s Mohd Azhar.
