Gurugram, March 24 -- The pursuit of excellence week in and week out on the PGA Tour whets his hunger as a professional athlete, but Akshay Bhatia's trip to India comes with a few exceptions.

The three-time winner on Tour, fresh from the title surge at the Arnold Palmer Invitational, will undoubtedly be competing hard at this week's Indian Open; the softer hues of emotion are no less important, though, according to a press release.

With an enhanced prize purse of US $2.55 million, the Indian Open tees off at the DLF Golf and Country Club from 26th March, where Bhatia will be the top draw along with Major champion Francesco Molinari, and a battery of stars from the world's Top-100.

Playing the pro-am with Munjal on Wednesday will give s...