The DP World Tour is in New Delhi for the India Championship, where some of the greatest names in golf will do battle in this unique setting.
Rory McIlroy, Viktor Hovland, and Tommy Fleetwood are among the host of European names teeing off at Delhi Golf Club in the Race to Dubai. It’s the penultimate event before the DP World Tour Playoffs.
The course, designed by Gary Player Design Studio, once welcomed Tiger Woods, who participated in a private exhibition match at the Delhi Golf Club in 2014. The greatest golfer of all time attracted a record crowd of 2,000 people when he teed off in New Delhi.
After shooting nine under around this challenging course, he explained why it was different from any other place he had played.
Tiger Woods explained why Delhi Golf Club is different from any other course he had played
This weekend’s host course is a stunning venue. It weaves throughout ancient tombs and beautiful architecture, as the players are asked to navigate the tight, tree-lined course.
The 18th hole is a dead-straight 556-yard par five that demands pinpoint accuracy and straight hitting down the claustrophobic fairway. That’s a feature of the entire course.
Woods, after playing in 2014, explained what is totally unique about Delhi Golf Club. He said to India Today, “I must say, Delhi Golf Course is the narrowest course I have played in my life. It has been a wonderful experience coming down and playing in India.
“DGC is amazing, but if you miss the fairways, then you are out for some trouble. It puts a lot of stress on you, which is great.
“To be able to play at DGC, which is a very historic golf course there, and to have the type of reception that we had there was absolutely phenomenal. I don’t think any of us quite expected it to be like that.”
Woods was able to navigate the course expertly over 18 holes, but some players in his field may be concerned about their fit with this narrow layout.
Viktor Hovland says he won’t hit driver at Delhi Golf Club
It seems this course hasn’t changed much in the last decade. Viktor Hovland, playing for the first time since his Ryder Cup injury, said he wasn’t going to be able to use his driver this week because of how narrow the fairways were.
He said, “I only got to play five holes. I’ve never seen the golf course before. I got in last night. But I’ve got 18 holes tomorrow in the pro-am, so I’ll get to see the whole course.
“But from what it sounds like, I probably won’t hit any drivers out there. I think there’s a couple holes, maybe 10 and 14 and 18 is what I’ve heard potentially you can hit driver, but I think I’ll just kind of stick to the 3-iron or maybe 3-wood a couple places here and there. There will be a lot of irons this week.”
That will be a concern for players such as Rory McIlroy. He relies heavily on his driving distance, but McIlroy’s accuracy off the tee has been a weakness in his game for a number of years.
McIlroy thrived at the Ryder Cup because Keegan Bradley cut the rough at Bethpage Black, neutralising any penalties for wayward drives. But this week, he will be punished off the tee, so he’ll hope for a straight-hitting week of golf.
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