The inaugural DP World India Championship was teased for months before being officially confirmed earlier this year, and it is set for a grand first staging at Delhi Golf Club as Rory McIlroy headlines the field.
Fresh from Bryson DeChambeau making his first ever start in India earlier this year at DLF Golf and Country Club on the Asian Tour’s International Series, McIlroy is following in the American’s lead to give Indian fans another rare sight of one of the men’s game’s truly elite players.
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Rory McIlroy
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Rory McIlroy has spoken many times about his desire for the game of golf to go more global, and he is sticking to his word in playing in this tournament’s first ever staging.
“I’m excited to not only tee it up in India for the first time but also visit a country that I’ve always wanted to explore,” he said.
“I’m proud to play in the inaugural DP World India Championship. I’ve always enjoyed playing a global schedule and as I have previously said, there is tremendous potential to grow golf further in the country. This is a great opportunity, and I can’t wait to play in front of Indian golf fans.”
Tommy Fleetwood
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Fresh from his MVP performance at the Ryder Cup, where he won four points from five matches, Tommy Fleetwood is another huge name headlining the field in India.
The seven-time DP World Tour winner recently moved up to a career-high 5th in the world, meaning this event will feature two of the world’s top five players.
Fleetwood is enjoying arguably the best season of his career, which included his first PGA Tour win at the Tour Championship in August – which also won him the FedEx Cup.
The Englishman was in the Indian Open field at Delhi Golf Club back in 2016, which was the last time this venue hosted on the DP World Tour.
“I can’t wait to get back to Delhi for the DP World India Championship. It’s such an amazing place – the people, the food, I’m looking forward to soaking it all in. But mainly I’m aiming to play some good golf and entertain the Indian fans at an important point in the season,” Fleetwood said.
“I’m also very much looking forward to playing at Delhi Golf Club again. I remember it as a tight, challenging, strategic golf course. I think it’s great leveller, where players with all styles of play can contend, so it should help to make for a very exciting week.”
Shane Lowry
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The man who holed the crucial putt to secure at least a tie at the Ryder Cup, Shane Lowry, will be joining his European teammates in India.
Lowry has only played in three DP World Tour events so far this season, the Irish Open, BMW PGA Championship and Spanish Open, so needs one more start to retain his card.
The Irishman is yet to win so far this season but does have four top-10s, including runner-up finishes at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am and Truist Championship.
“Having the opportunity to play in front of golf fans all over the world is one of the best parts of my job, so I’m really looking forward to going back to Delhi for the first edition of the DP World India Championship,” he said.
Viktor Hovland
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Hovland will make his first start since withdrawing from the Ryder Cup singles with a neck problem.
The Norwegian won 1.5 points from his two matches at Bethpage Black and will make his fourth DP World Tour start of the season and first since his T5 finish at the BMW PGA Championship.
Hovland’s one win of the season so far came at the Valspar Championship in March, where he picked up his seventh PGA Tour title.
“I’ve heard a lot about Delhi as a city and I’m excited to tee it up in India for the first time at such a historic golf course. It’s shaping up to be a great event, and I’m looking forward to everything about the experience,” Hovland said.
Luke Donald
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The Indian fans will also be able to watch Europe’s back-to-back winning captain Luke Donald at Delhi GC, with the Englishman making his first individual start since Bethpage Black.
Whether he leads Europe again in 2027 remains to be seen but Donald will be refreshed and fully focused on his own game as he arrives as purely a competitor and not a Ryder Cup captain for the first time in a good while when he tees it up in India.
“It’s incredibly exciting to be playing in the inaugural DP World India Championship,” Donald said.
“It’s shaping up to be a fantastic field, and I’m sure the event will be a great addition to the Race to Dubai. It’s always a pleasure to play in a new location, and I’m looking forward to teeing it up in front of the fans in Delhi.”
Ben Griffin
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Ben Griffin is another man making his first start since the Ryder Cup, where he lost his opening four-ball match before sitting out all of day two’s play. He redeemed himself with an important win over Rasmus Hojgaard in the singles to deliver one point from two matches in his Team USA debut.
Griffin has been one of the standout players this year on the PGA Tour with two victories and has risen up to 11th in the Official World Golf Ranking, making him the third-highest-ranked player in the field.
Michael Kim
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Fresh off of his impressive French Open victory, which was his first win since the 2018 John Deere Classic, PGA Tour regular Michael Kim is set for another DP World Tour start.
This will be his fourth DP World Tour start of the season after the Scottish Open, BMW PGA Championship and French Open.
Anirban Lahiri
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The LIV Golfer will make his first DP World Tour start in over 18 months on home soil.
Lahiri, one of the greatest Indian golfers of all time, will be among the home favorites along with Shubhankar Sharma and Shiv Kapur.
The Crushers GC player has two DP World Tour victories, one of which was the 2015 Hero Indian Open. He also has 14 Professional Golf Tour of India wins.