Rory McIlroy credits Roger Federer for adding India to bucket-list; will bunk his driver for the week | More sports News
New Delhi: Go where the crowd is. And you will find Rory.There was no wind but a rumour that swirled around the DGC foliage. That McIlroy had walked off the 13th green in the Pro-am complaining about the heat. Someone else heard he was way behind as patrons who had gathered around the clubhouse 18th had settled into yawns on a slow, languorous Wednesday afternoon.And then he emerged.“Rory! Rory!” signature-seeking children chanted before fading into a hush.The main draw of the $4m DP World India Championship was in the bunker. A wedge, two putts, and hugs all over. It was just a rehearsal, and a warning.
Rory McIlroy arrives in India (Image Source: flushingitgolf/Instagram)
For someone who had been there, done that, and fulfilled his Masters dreams this season, it didn’t take long to understand the nature of the course.“I’d say that the next time I hit my driver, will be in Abu Dhabi (in Nov),” the World No. 2 said to peals of laughter. “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 seven-iron into a par four instead of hitting a wedge where if you just get it off-line here and the ball is gone.”The jungle book that is the DGC could open up chapters of discontent. “You can rack up a very big number very quickly. So being strategic and being smart with your play off the tee, especially, is very important. I can see why SSP (Chawrasia) has done so well around here. You just keep hitting it down the middle, hit it 260, 250, 260 (yards) every single time, and if you do that, then you can do very well around this golf course.”So he had it figured out. The practicals start in earnest Thursday.
Rory McIlroy had to face heckling during tense second-day action at Bethpage Black (Image via Getty Images)
It was a chat with tennis god Roger Federer once that had inspired him in taking such a journey into the unknown. “Twenty or 18 years into a career, you don’t want to go to the same monotonous places. At the end of his career, Roger said he wanted to play in places he could never play in his career.” McIlroy had said last month.“India is a country that I’ve wanted to travel to for a long time. Yeah, it’s a very vibrant place. I’m excited to play a golf tournament in a place that I’ve never played before. To still be able to do things for the first time is something that excites me. I’ve watched tournaments on this course over the years on TV, and it certainly lives up to its reputation,” he told us.While the thick forest won’t hurt Rory, he was undoubtedly aggrieved by the torrent of abuse hurled at him and his wife Erica by the rowdy American spectators in the Ryder Cup. But a fortnight of reflection had toned down the animosity.McIlroy, who would like to wear the European captain’s hat one day but “not until the mid-2030s”, believed that one shouldn’t look back at the Bethpage Black triumph in anger. “I’ve been following the sort of narrative coming out but unfortunately, I think it takes away from what we focused on which is what an incredible performance it was by the European team in an away Ryder Cup. Just over the last two weeks, being able to watch the highlights and just see, especially those first two days, in the foursomes and the four-balls how good the European team was.
Europe’s Rory McIlroy, of Northern Ireland, watches his tee shot on the 12th hole during a practice round for the Ryder Cup golf tournament, Wednesday, Sept. 24, 2025, on the Bethpage Black golf course, in Farmingdale, N.Y. (AP Photo/Robert Bukaty)
“The Americans would hit it close; we hit it closer. The Americans hole a putt and we hole a putt to top it and it happened every single time. The unfortunate thing is people aren’t remembering that and they are remembering the week for the wrong reason. I would like to shift the narrative.”But with golf, generally known for its traditions and etiquette, gradually being played in a football-like atmosphere, can the game grow?“I definitely think it can. You don’t want your sport to be unwelcoming to newcomers. But you also don’t want newcomers coming into the game and ruining centuries of traditions and values of what this game represents or what it upholds, as well. I think there has to be a balance.“It can grow in a way where the people that are coming into the game still respect and acknowledge that this is a little bit different than maybe other sports. And I think that’s okay.”Golf doesn’t need to be the NFL, he reiterated. “I think the one great thing about golf is it’s more of a participation sport than other games. Basketball or football are mostly watched by people where golf, and in some ways cricket in this country, are games that are played. I’d love more people to watch golf, but I would be more interested in getting more people to play the game, and I think when people play the game, then they learn and acknowledge what golf is, what it represents.”
Europe’s Rory McIlroy speaks during a news conference at the Ryder Cup golf tournament, Thursday, Sept. 25, 2025, on the Bethpage Black golf course, in Farmingdale, N.Y. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)
Sport these days can be the greatest reality show and players may find it difficult to play their part, the 36-year-old from Holywood in Northern Ireland admitted. “There’s very little content on TV nowadays that can actually do that. We don’t know the outcome. We don’t know what’s going to happen, and that’s amazing. But it’s big business and the more eyeballs it can grab is ultimately a good thing, if it can be harnessed in the right way. But when it’s for the gambling aspect and they put big money on games, especially in America, that’s a problem.“At its core, watching sport is still very pure and it’s still pure competition. I think athletes nowadays have to do a better job of blocking out the noise. So not going on social media, trying not to read anything about yourself. Easier said than done, but it’s better for their performance, their mental health, and longevity in a given sport, as well.”For now, the focus is on India and this ideal of becoming a global golfer.
NEW DELHI, INDIA – OCTOBER 15: Rory Mcilroy (L) plays a stroke at 18th hole prior to the DP World India Championship 2025 at Delhi Golf Club on October 15, 2025 in New Delhi, India. (Photo by Prakash Singh/Getty Images)
“As time goes on, my schedule will hopefully get more international. I think over the last few years, I’ve enjoyed it even more. I’ve enjoyed the travel. In non-Ryder Cup years, you’ve got some choices to make but this event certainly fits into a nice part of the year.”Not so the Hero Indian Open. “March is such a hard time of the year to make it work. We’re over in the States at The Players or Bay Hill or getting ready for the Masters.”But he would love to play the DLF. “I think it’s become this infamous golf course around the world, just the bunkering, and that 17th hole seems to be just an absolute menace. If I do come back next year, maybe I will play a round there.”His bucket list for India would certainly include the Taj Mahal with family. And cricket. “I’d love to go watch a match. I’m a bit of a sicko; I love sitting down and watching Test matches. I’m going to be in Australia later this year, and The Ashes is going to be on. So that’s something I’m quite excited about but I don’t think I’ll be able to get to a game. I guess my immediate thing I’m hoping for right now is to at least be here for the weekend and hopefully enjoy it.“
Poll
What aspect of golf do you think should be prioritized for growth?
There were stories that the Grand Slam winner was inspired by the Bhagavad Gita before his Masters breakthrough. “Look, there’s very little I haven’t tried in my quest for the Masters,” the five-time Major winner said, grinning. “If I heard they had good ideas on the moon, I would probably read those too. But I’ve gravitated more towards stoicism and the ancient Greeks more than anything else.”That is one philosophy Rory and the others will need at the narrow confines of DGC, when they step out this morning.McIlroy’s 1st round group and tee-time: 07:15 Rory McIlroy (NIR), Viktor Hovland (NOR), Ben Griffin (USA)
