New Delhi: The Hero Indian team comprising Shiv Kapur, Gaganjeet Bhullar, Anirban Lahiri and Rashid Khan shared the spoils with the International Team in the Hero Skills Challenge that set the mood for the 50th edition of the Hero Indian Open that gets underway on Thursday. The International team comprised Michael Thompson, a PGA Tour winner, Robert Rock, a winner on European Tour, Jbe Kruger and Daniel Chopra, a two-time winner on PGA Tour.
Both teams shared the total purse of $ 8,000 and giving away the prizes was Mr. Pawan Munjal, Managing Director and CEO of Hero MotoCorp.
The two teams battled it out over four different skills – Long drive, the Approach shot, the Bunker shot and a Long Putt. There was $ 2,000 at stake for each challenge and a total of $ 8,000.
The Indian team won the first two Challenges. Bhullar drove the ball down 301 yards and was a comfortable winner.
Then Kapur, who captained the Indian team, hit his approach shot to within four feet 11 inches to emerge as the best and that put the Indians 2-0 up.
The Internationals struck back immediately as they emerged victors in the Bunker Challenge, where Michael Thompson lived up to his marquee status by holing out from the bunker. Then Robert Rock putting from almost 50 feet across the 18th green, putted to within six inches, after Chopra got to one foot eight inches and Thompson putted to within 10 inches.
The Pro-Am is scheduled for Wednesday, while the main event with a purse of $ 1,25 million starts on Thursday.
