Rory McIlroy gets honest about playing in India for the first time in his career

A few hours from now, Rory McIlroy will be showcasing his iconic skills at Delhi Golf Club in New Delhi, India. The Northern Irishman is playing in the inaugural DP World India Championship.

This will be the first time for McIlroy to compete in the Indian subcontinent. Before that, the five-time major champion recently had an interactive session with the press. In his statement, Rory McIlroy shared his feelings about playing in front of a new audience in an unknown golf venue.

"As time goes on, my schedule will get hopefully more international... I've enjoyed the travel, I've enjoyed getting to play in front of people that I've never played in front of before."

The 2025 Masters Champion further explained how he felt about playing in this event in the middle of a busy schedule. Rory McIlroy said:

"I'll always go back and play the Irish Open and Wentworth in September... in non-Ryder Cup years, you've got some choices to make. Where do you want to play? How much do you want to play... this event certainly fits into a nice part of the year."

A clip of the PGA Tour veteran's media interaction was shared by Flushing It Golf on X (previously Twitter):

Apart from Rory McIlroy, a lot of international pros are currently set to compete in the DP World Tour India Championship from October 16th to 19th. McIlroy's Ryder Cup teammates like Shane Lowry, Tommy Fleetwood, and Viktor Hovland will take a shot at the $4,000,000 prize purse. The DP World Tour event in India, co-sanctioned by the Professional Golf Tour of India (PGTI), will also provide 5000 Race To Dubai Points.

With International pros like Rory McIlroy set to star in the DP World India Championship, the tournament will also feature some Indian golfers. Shubhankar Sharma, the youngest Indian to win a DP World Tour event (2017 Joburg Open), will be leading golfers like Anirban Lahiri, Shiv Kapur and Veer Ahlawat in Delhi Golf Club.

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Rory McIlroy revealed his honest take on the future of golf in India

Apart from sharing how international events like the DP World India Championship fits right in his schedule, McIlroy also shared his views on India. According to a press release, the former world number one revealed his excitement about playing in India.

In his statement, Rory McIlroy revealed seeing a lot of potential to grow the game in the Indian subcontinent in future. He said (as quoted by the European Tour):

"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..." "There is tremendous potential to grow golf further in the country. This is a great opportunity... can’t wait to play in front of Indian golf fans."

Apart from this, McIlroy also commented on the landscape of golf in India much before the DP World Tour event was confirmed. While speaking with the media ahead of the 2024 Hero Dubai Desert Classic, the PGA Tour pro claimed that if the global tour 'comes to fruition', it would change the 'perception of the game' in India.

Edited by Pravashis Biswas