Ryder Cup teammates tee off together at DP World India C’ship

World number two and top tournament player Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland in action during Wednesday’s Pro-Am of the DP World India Championship at the Delhi Golf Club. Image courtesy of DWPIC.

By Rahul Banerji

International stars gathered for the inaugural DP World India Championship got a taste of the course at Delhi Golf Club during a Pro-Am ahead of Thursday’s formal tee-off.

Rory McIlroy will line up alongside Norway’s Viktor Hovland and American Ben Griffin from Tee 10 at 7.25, while Ryder Cup teammates Tommy Fleetwood, Shane Lowry and captain Luke Donald will be clubbed together on 10 at 12.10.

Fleetwood returns to India for the first time in nine years after the 2016 Indian Open in 2016, while Lowry is back after 2010 when he played the Avantha Masters.

“It’s nice to be back,” Fleetwood, 34, said Wednesday. “It’s been nine years, I think. I had a hard time here in 2016, so it’s great to come back.”

The field consists of 26 Indians, many of whom are winners of international events at the DGC, including 2015 Indian Open champion Anirban Lahiri, Chiragh Kumar and Shiv Kapur.

Previous winners of the Indian Open, joining Lahiri in the DPWIC field, include Marcel Siem (2023), Keita Nakajina (2024) and Eugenio Chacarra (2025), with the latter two also looking to improve their Race to Dubai rankings.

Other international winners on Indian soil include England’s John Parry, France’s Ugo Coussaud and Maximillan Keiffer of Germany who have won Challenge Tour events, while South Africa’s Thomas Aiken won the 2013 Avantha Masters.

Long line

The DP World India Championship, organized in association with the Professional Golf Tour of India, features a prize fund of $4 million, the largest ever offered for a DP World Tour event in India.

McIlroy has seen his lead in the Race to Dubai Rankings reduced by this season’s three-time DP World Tour winner Marco Penge and is looking to strengthen his chase for a seventh Harry Vardon Trophy with Penge out of action this week.

While Lahiri, Sharma, Kapur, Gangjee and Ajeetesh Sandhu are the biggest Indian names in the field, there are also a number of young players at the mega event who have made a mark in the PGTI.

Veer Ahlawat is the most prominent among these names, earning a place on the DP World Tour as an Order of Merit top performer in 2024. The four-time PGTI winner also finished second at the 2024 Indian Open, posting his best international result.

Ahlawat said: “I haven’t had the best of seasons, but I think this week gives me a great opportunity to make an impact.

“I want to make this event count because I know a top 10 here would help me save my card on the DP World Tour.

Ireland’s Ryder Cup-winning star Shane Lowry during Wednesday’s Pro-Am at the DGC. Image courtesy of DPWIC.

The opportunity beckons

“Indian golfers will have a distinct advantage this week as we all know the DGC course well and have played here since our junior days. The layout at DGC has always favored Indians.”

Asian Development Tour winner Yuvraj Sandhu is another to be watched. The thirteen-time winner leads the Order of Merit with four titles to his name this season.

“I have enjoyed great form playing in India this year. I would like to carry that momentum into this week,” Sandhu said on tournament night.

“I am very excited to be here among this world-class field. Since the announcement of this tournament, this week has been the most highly anticipated for all of us Indian golfers.

“The DGC feels like a second home track to me, so I feel quite comfortable here.”

Fresh off his first win two weeks ago, Arjun Prasad sits second on the PGTI money list thanks to his 11 top-10 finishes this season.

“Playing the DP World India Championship is a huge confidence booster for me as reaching this event was one of my goals as soon as the tournament was announced,” Prasad said.

Living the dream

“Competing in a field with McIlroy and Fleetwood is a dream come true. I’m really looking forward to playing alongside Tommy again, who was my playing partner at the 2016 Indian Open when I was an amateur.”

There are a few others looking to make a mark, such as former PGTI Order of Merit champions Om Prakash Chouhan and Manu Gandas, both of whom have the experience of playing a season each on the DP World Tour.

Olympian and former PGTI Order of Merit champion Udayan Mane was also in top form this year. Mane is a 12-time winner and has seven top-10 finishes this season, while Shaurya Bhattacharya, 22, is a two-time winner this year.

With so many names vying for attention on the night of the tournament, Thursday’s first tee-off will undoubtedly open a new chapter in Indian golf.

Also read: Watching a cricket match in India is high on McIlroy’s to-do list

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