Rory mcilroy Voluntarily Shelves Driver for Demanding Delhi Golf Club Test
NEW DELHI – rory McIlroy announced Wednesday he will forgo using his driver during the 2023 DS Platforms Indian Open at Delhi Golf Club (DGC),a strategic decision dictated by the course’s challenging layout designed by five-time Open Championship winner Peter Thomson. The move signals a meaningful departure for the world-renowned player, whose prodigious driving distance is often considered a key component of his success.
The DGC, characterized by dense jungle, strategically placed trees, and narrow fairways, demands precision over power. Several players, including Anirban Lahiri, have emphasized the necessity of a more conservative approach off the tee. “You can’t try and overpower this golf course,” Lahiri said Tuesday. McIlroy echoed this sentiment, stating, “I don’t think I’ll hit a driver this week. I just don’t feel like the risk is worth the reward. I’d rather leave myself two or three clubs back and hit a 7-iron into a par-4 rather of hitting a wedge where if you just get it off-line here and the ball is gone. You’re hitting it into jungle and you’re not going to be able to get it out.”
McIlroy’s decision follows advice shared with his caddie, harry Diamond, by Lahiri, highlighting a growing consensus among players about the course’s unique demands. He anticipates consistently hitting fairway woods and irons, aiming for distances of “260, 250, 260” off the tee.
The shift in strategy isn’t unique to McIlroy. Viktor Hovland plans to primarily use a 3-iron or 3-wood, while Brian Harman noted the course feels more akin to links-style golf despite being inland. Ben Griffin expressed excitement about the variety of clubs he expects to utilize, a contrast to the typical “drivers and wedges” often favored in american tournaments. Even for McIlroy, the change is welcome, as he joked his next driver appearance will be at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship.
