All eyes will be on golf sensation Rory McIlroy as he steps onto the 10th tee at the iconic Delhi Golf Club this Thursday morning for the highly anticipated $4 million DP World India Championships.
The five-time Major winner leads an impressive roster, featuring his European Ryder Cup teammates Shane Lowry and Tommy Fleetwood, their captain Luke Donald, and other global talents like Viktor Hovland and Ben Griffin.
Among these elite players, Fleetwood and Lowry bring prior experience playing in India, with Fleetwood competing in the 2016 Indian Open and Lowry in the 2010 Avantha Masters. Both have since enjoyed remarkable careers, arriving in Delhi not only as Ryder Cup victors but also boasting impressive world rankings of fifth and twenty-fifth, respectively.
However, the challenging Delhi Golf Club course, often described as ‘claustrophobic’ due to its narrow fairways and unforgiving margins for error, promises a stern test for McIlroy. Reflecting on the challenge, McIlroy shared his immediate goal: “I guess the immediate thing I’m hoping for right now is to play good first two days and at least be here for the weekend and hopefully enjoy the weekend after that.”
McIlroy is scheduled to tee off from the 10th hole at 7:25 AM, playing alongside Viktor Hovland and US Ryder Cup team member Ben Griffin. Meanwhile, the trio of Lowry, Fleetwood, and Donald will commence their rounds later in the day, starting from the 1st hole at 12:10 PM.
The tournament also features a strong local contingent of 26 Indian golfers, including seasoned players like Anirban Lahiri, Shiv Kapur, and Shubhankar Sharma. These players, intimately familiar with the course, are eager to leverage their home advantage in pursuit of a coveted DP World Tour title. Kapur, Lahiri, and Sharma are all slated for early morning starts.
Marking a historic moment for Indian professional golf, the DP World India Championship boasts an unprecedented $4 million prize fund, making it the richest event of its kind in the country (for comparison, the previous marquee event, the Indian Open, offered a a $2.25 million purse). This significant prize pool is sure to attract top talent and will also see promising Indian youngsters like Veer Ahlawat and Yuvraj Singh looking to make their mark.
With tee-off times ranging from 6:35 AM to 1:00 PM for the final group, Delhi’s unpredictable weather conditions could play a crucial role, potentially influencing the final standings based on when each group begins their round.