Former amateur superstars Peter, Paul strengthen the field

Peter Uihlein and Paul Dunne, who had stellar amateur careers before turning to paid ranks will be among the names to watch at the 52nd staging of the Hero Indian Open from Thursday.

Riding on three successive Top-10 finishes Uihlein, first appeared in India in 2012, may well be a challenger on Sunday. Dunne stunned the world by holding a 54-hole lead at the Open while still being an amateur at the St. Andrews, Old Course. He ultimately finished T-30 and late turned pro and finished T-19 at Dunhill Links and began this year with his first Top-10 as a pro at the Joburg Open. When Uihlein, former world No. 1 amateur, tees-up for the opening round on Thursday, he will be re-establishing his old India connection. He played here in 2012 at the Gujarat Kensville Challenger where he finished in tied 12th. 

The next year, the 27-year-old American golfer got his first European Tour victory at the Maderia Island Open in Portugal. As an amateur, he was a member of the winning US team in the 2009 Walker Cup when he created a 4-0 world record.