McIlroy, Rai and Fleetwood to lead field as DP World India Championship tees off on Thursday
A galaxy of golf’s biggest names will descend on the Delhi Golf Club for the second edition of the DP World India Championship, which tees off on Thursday. The tournament carries a $4 million prize purse and has attracted three reigning major champions.
The 2026 Masters champion Rory McIlroy headlines the entry alongside PGA Championship winner Aaron Rai and Ryan Fox, the winner of The Open Championship. The field also includes Justin Rose (2013 U.S. Open), Danny Willett (2016 Masters), Patrick Reed (2018 Masters) and Shane Lowry (2019 Open Championship), with Tommy Fleetwood among the notable entrants.
The Delhi Golf Club presents a distinct test compared with modern long-hitting layouts: a relatively short course, narrow fairways, dense tree cover and thick rough place a premium on accuracy and course management. Tournament organisers and players expect the characteristics to reduce the advantage for big hitters; several competitors are anticipated to leave their drivers at the hotel.
Defending champion Tommy Fleetwood warned the rough has become more penal this year. “Last year, if you missed the fairways, you could hit it towards the green and then figure it out. But this year, if you hit it in the rough, you’re just hacking it out,” Fleetwood said.
The home challenge will be led by DP World PGTI Order of Merit leaders Saptak Talwar, Khalin Joshi and Veer Ahlawat. Shubhankar Sharma arrives after a win at the Kapil Dev Invitational Tour Championship a few days ago.
Organisers billed the event as the blue riband tournament of Indian golf, offering a mix of world-class names and a demanding course setup. With the season nearing its conclusion, there is considerable interest in how the field performs this week.
Play begins on Thursday at the Delhi Golf Club, and this week’s performance could prove decisive in the Race to Dubai, where Patrick Reed, Eugenio Chacarra and Rory McIlroy are locked in a three-way battle.
