Rory McIlroy's Driver-Free Strategy Pays Off in India Championship
Rory McIlroy's decision to leave his driver in the locker didn't slow him down as he carded six birdies at the narrow Delhi Golf Club, despite three bogeys in the opening round of the DP World India Championship. The world No. 2 got off to a flying start with a chip-in from the fringe on the 10th hole, but his troubles began at the 11th, where he three-putted and missed back-to-back bogey chances.
Despite the absence of his longest club, McIlroy birdied the two par-5s to make the turn at 1 under. He then picked up three more shots over the next seven holes, finishing with a 3-under 69, five strokes behind the clubhouse leader, Shane Lowry.
McIlroy's club selection was strategic. He explained, 'I was thinking about the driver last night, but I never use it on par-5s. I opted for a 2-iron, 3-iron, 4-iron, and a 5-wood for approach shots. It's all about being conservative off the tee and picking off birdies on par-5s.'
Despite the limited length needed off the tee, McIlroy found the course 'pretty tricky.' He added, 'I focused on being as conservative as possible and picking up birdies on par-5s.'
Lowry, who rattled off eight birdies, found the constant noise of Delhi traffic more manageable than an abusive New York Ryder Cup crowd. Playing with European captain Luke Donald and teammate Tommy Fleetwood, Lowry hit a hot streak with five successive birdies on the back nine, hearing the honks and horns of the city's roads.
'We all had a great time and played well,' Lowry said. 'I rolled off a few more birdies than they did on the back nine. The road noise was less off-putting than the Bethpage crowd. We had some Ryder Cup banter, but we're professionals, and we want to beat each other, even as friends.'
