Gurugram, March 28 -- Joost Luiten of Netherlands, a regular at the Indian Open, shot 7-under 67 and then called the DLF Golf and Country Club as "a demanding course" but also confessed that he likes it.

Luiten is a six-time winner on the DP World Tour, but has been winless on the tour since 2018. At the end of the first round, among the co-leaders was the incredible young talent from Japan, Keita Nakajima, who spent a record 87 weeks as the World's No. 1 amateur before turning pro in 2022 and winning three more times and emerging as No. 1 in Japan Tour - an achievement that earned him a card into the DP World Tour.

Then there was Matteo Manassero from Netherlands, another former World No. 1 amateur in 2009, who by 2012 became the first...