Bengaluru: Swede sensation Peter Hanson hopes to ride on his impressive form and claim a winning debut at the US$1.25 million Hero Indian Open, which starts on Thursday.

Hanson, who was part of the victorious 2012 European Ryder Cup team, has enjoyed a superb season where he has one victory in Europe and was in contention at The Masters before finishing tied third.

This will be his first appearance at the Hero Indian Open staged at the Karnataka Golf Association course in Bengaluru and he hopes to make it a successful one after travelling 33 hours from the United States.

“It has been a great year and I got off to a great start in the season especially in the Majors. The Masters was a very good week for me when I finished third. I’ve been finding a bit form as the year draws to an end,” said Hanson, ranked 25th in the world.

“It was disappointing not to finish it off (The Masters) but overall that was my first time I was in contention in one of those big events. I was pretty happy with the way I played in the last round but got a bit defensive on the last day. Overall I’m still happy with my performance that week.

“The Ryder Cup is always a special experience of playing for Europe and representing your continent. It is just so much greater than playing for yourself,” he added.

He expects a tough challenge this week where no more than 40 Asian Tour winners from over 24 countries including local favourites Gaganjeet Bhullar and Anirban Lahiri and defending champion David Gleeson vie for glory.

“This is my first time here so I’m really looking forward to it. So far I’ve seen the airport, hotel and this golf course! The golf course is in good condition and it will be a tough week. It is a narrow golf course and you need to keep the ball in play because the rough is pretty thick.
 
“I hope I can find a little time and go out and do a bit of sightseeing. I came all the way from the United States so I hope it will pay off,” said Hanson.

By Indian Sports News Network