Keita Nakajima is once again set for the fairways that witnessed his maiden win back in the 2024 season. Having claimed the win at Hero Indian Open as the 3rd Japanese, he chirped: “It feels amazing.” And, honestly, we don’t doubt that. Nakajima lit up the leaderboard with back-to-back 65s, kept his foot on the gas with a 68, and held his nerve with a final-round 73. His dream after that first DP World Tour? To play top-10 on the tour and then play on the PGA Tour in the upcoming year.
Unfortunately, he didn’t have it great for the rest of the season, or this 2025 season itself. He kicked off the year with a moderate T21 finish at the Hero Dubai Desert Classic—not a stunning result but promising nonetheless. Then, the 24-year-old missed cuts at the Ras al Khaimah Championship and the Bapco Energies Bahrain Championship. His T41 finish at the Commercial Bank Qatar Masters was equally disappointing. His change in fortune came after his 2nd place finish at the Porsche Singapore Classic, and it’s keeping him uplifted.
In an interview with Riya Singhal from EssentiallySports at the Hero Indian Open, Nakajima was asked about the weight of his recent finish. “Did your one-stroke loss last week affect your mindset coming here? Since this title defense is huge for you, did it impact your mindset at all?” So, what does the 24-year-old golfer say?
Keita Nakajima is honest about his game. “I finished 2nd place, but I was playing so great. So, Richard was more great player. Lost last week but still feel positive this week.” Ok, on this occasion, let’s take a look at his final moments in Singapore. Nakajima recorded an impressive seven birdies and a series of even pars, finishing with scores of 67-69-65. The winner, Richard Mansell, performed slightly better and won the event with a solid score of 68-66-66!
Keita Nakajima’s first win on tour was special
4⃣ FOUR shot victory
Third Japanese winner of the Hero Indian Open
Maiden title after on his ELEVENTH appearances #HIO25 pic.twitter.com/fy7sACpThZ
— DP World Tour (@DPWorldTour) March 25, 2025
Keita Nakajima seems proud and confident of his win. Now, the golf world is hopping onto another event in India, the Hero Indian Open and Nakajima is the defending champion. What does the golfer think about his maiden win? “Last year, winning here was so great. It gave me a lot of confidence in my first season and I was also able to play all the way to the Tour Championship in Dubai. This is a tough course. I don’t know how I won last year, but I will just stay patient this year.” The DLF Golf & Country Club is a stunning yet punishing test, that features narrow fairways, deep bunkers, undulating greens, and water hazards, demanding precision, strategy, and nerve to conquer its relentlessness.
Nakajima had posted a commanding 17-under (271) to win by four. Veer Ahlawat, Sebastian Söderberg, and Johannes Veerman gave chase but couldn’t close the gap, A fan of Tiger Woods, he is both humble and grounded!
If Nakajima continues his form and wins at the Hero Indian Open, he will become a part of the elite list of back-to-back winners. The list currently consists of his fellow countryman, Kenji Hosoishi (1967, 1968). The young golfer will be looking to join him. However, Keita Nakajima is not the only strong golfer in India this week. Let’s take a look at a few!
Golfers to watch out for at the Hero Indian Open 2025
Matthew Jordan seems just as promising as Nakajima. The English golfer earned a promotion from the HotelPlanner Tour in his first season and has since shown consistency in his performance. He achieved a career-best second place at the Nedbank Golf Challenge and helped Great Britain and Ireland win the Team Cup. Currently ranked 17th on the Race to Dubai and having 2 top-10 finishes in the last 2 DP World Tour events, he is indeed a tough competition.
Next we have Joost Luiten! However, Luiten is a six-time DP World Tour winner. Then, he has gone T9, 3, and T11 in his last three starts at DLF Country and Golf Club. His 2025 has been good with him making 8 of 9 cuts. His best finish? T11 at the South African Open. Safe choice indeed.
Eugenio Chacarra is another tough competition to watch out for. Why? Being an ex-LIV golfer, Chacarra is not a DP World Tour member. That’ll be a good focal point for him to win and earn his way onto the PGA Tour. And he has been pretty good on the DLF course as well. The Spanish golfer was T5 at last year’s International Series India.
Joining them are golfers like Todd Clements, Adrien Saddier, and Daniel Hillier. Different golfers but with the same goal of registering a win in India. Who do you think will take home the win by the time March 30 rolls around? Give us your guesses!
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