The DP World India Championship has presented the best players in the world with a completely unique challenge.
In a world where 350-yard drives are slowly becoming the norm, and where players can bypass entire stretches of a course with one long tee shot, this weekend has forced players to play in a completely different way.
Delhi Golf Club is unlike anything on the PGA Tour. Tiger Woods said it’s the narrowest course he played, and his assessment looks to be exactly right. It weaves through the New Delhi jungle, emphasizing accuracy over distance.
The nature of the course means Rory McIlroy can’t use his driver. In fact, he didn’t even have it in his bag on his opening round. The same went for Michael Kim, which is something he hadn’t experienced in his adult life.
Michael Kim didn’t use his driver at the DP World India Championship
Kim arrived late in India due to visa issues and was therefore unable to play a practice round before teeing off at the tournament. Kim still shot a four-under 68, and gave his thoughts on the round afterwards.
While sharing his experiences of his first round in India, Kim said that he didn’t use his driver once. He thought back to the last time that happened, which he thinks was when he was 12 years old.
He posted the following to X:
With no practice, Kim started his round with two straight birdies. That’s particularly impressive when you consider the blind tee shots and strategically placed bunkers that are littered around the course.
He admitted in his post-round thoughts that he simply didn’t know what was on the other side of the trees he was hitting over, so he showed some serious commitment and trust in his caddie in order to pull off those shots.
Kim isn’t exactly the biggest hitter in professional golf, so despite the lack of practice, Delhi Golf Club is well-suited to him. Now that he has a round under his belt, he has positioned himself well to contend for his second DP World Tour win.
Rory McIlroy didn’t have a driver in his bag at the DP World India Championship
Unlike Kim, McIlroy did have a practice round before the India Championship, and quickly concluded that he wouldn’t need his driver at all. He didn’t even put it in his bag for the opening round of action.
His famous dog head cover was nowhere to be seen, leading to a different look to the career grand slam winner. After McIlroy shot a three-under 69, he explained how he is navigating the course.
He said, “Dog was out of the bag, probably asleep in the locker. I was sort of thinking about it last night before I went to bed. Well, sometimes if you’re really conservative off a par-5 today, you might have like a 5-wood into the green, but I’m never going to hit driver.
“So I just thought I’ve got to 2-iron, 3-iron, 4-iron all the way through, and then I’ve got a 5-wood just in case I need to hit it for an approach shot on a par-5. But I just don’t see any hole out there that I hit to hit it more than say 260, 270 off the tee.”
One of McIlroy’s biggest weapons has been removed from the equation this weekend, forcing him to rely on his long-iron play. The Northern Irishman shouldn’t have too much of an issue with that as one of the game’s best driving iron hitters.
Still, it’s intriguing to see these players fight with one hand behind their back!
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