DP World India Championship: Rory McIlroy steals the show, even when far from his best

Affable, articulate, and incredibly talented, McIlroy had been a crowd favourite even when results in the biggest events did not fall his way for the past decade. But after the favourable reception to his triumph at the Masters earlier this year – making him one of only six players in the game’s history to win all four Majors – there is little doubt he has become the hottest ticket in the sport.

So, the 36-year-old’s presence at the DGC this week is nothing short of a coup; it’s not every day that an international sporting icon drops into the plushest spot of the bustling national capital. The hundreds of teeming fans, littered around the backdrop of Mughal-era ruins at this uniquely historic course, who greeted him at his first tee at 7.30am on a workday, only drove home that point. As his round wore on, many more would stream in to catch a glimpse.

The six-time Major winner has every shot in the book. But that’s not what all the fuss is about. His connection with fans extends beyond sporting ability; he elicits strong emotions and a relatability in his failures, too. No wonder then that diehards and casual fans alike followed his round with such investment on Thursday.

There is a definite type of spectator who is encouraged to attend events like this, even more so when they take place at such sites that pride themselves on exclusivity, with hobnobbing members of Delhi’s elite making up the regular patronage. The hush expected on the serenely laid out greens is in stark contrast to hustle and bustle in a city where the decibels never drop and the streets are always busy. But silence was replaced by buzz when McIlroy took to the course.

The hundreds of teeming fans, littered around the backdrop of Mughal-era ruins at this uniquely historic course, who greeted him at his first tee at 7.30am on a workday, only drove home that point. (Photo: DP World India Championship)

“He’s playing rubbish,” was the assessment of one paying patron about the World’s No.2 after he underhit his approach shot on the sixth hole. Appeals of “Stay! Stay! Stay!” could be heard when his tee shot on the eighth hole strayed right into the rough.

It was followed by a string of unprintable Punjabi epithets that the Northern Irishman would not need to know to understand. After his approach shot on the ninth hole, his last since he started on the back nine, landed in the bunker, one lady erupted: “He’s become nervous. It’s made me nervous.”

McIlroy did not have the best day by his own lofty standards. He’s still getting to know these conditions, which can be deceptively tricky. The old-fashioned course, with its narrow, tree-lined fairways, does not reward one of his most feared attributes: his massive drives off the tee. Just as he had predicted, Thursday’s round was the first in his professional career when he didn’t use his driver.

Yuvraj Narayan, group deputy CEO of DP World, the title sponsors of the event, confirmed that the event is set to return to the DGC for another two years. After a year-and-a-half of planning and hefty investment in bringing the world’s elite to the national capital, the results have been beyond satisfactory. “I don’t think there has ever been a golf event in India that has created this much buzz,” Narayan said.

A quality field and a high-stakes tournament may be attributed as factors, but there is little doubt that the buzz has solely rested on one man’s shoulders. But what does he make of it himself?

“That was early: 7.25am on a Thursday, and still so many (fans) turned up,” a typically mild-mannered McIlroy would say after his round. “Excited to see what happens tomorrow afternoon, and more people will be coming in during the weekend. It’s very nice to feel all the support. What more can I say?”

Two Indians in top 10

Irishman Shane Lowry hit a bogey-free eight-under 64 to take the sole clubhouse lead after the first round. His clean round included eight birdies, five of which came consecutively between the 11th and 15th holes. Japan’s Keita Nakajima (seven-under 65) and South Africa’s Casey Jarvis (six-under 66) stand second and third respectively.

Two Indians featured in the top 10 after the opening day. Rahil Gangjee, 47, hit a five-under 67, which included an eagle on the final hole, to be tied fourth. Dhruv Sheoran, 30, hit a four-under 68, which included an eagle on the opening hole, to be tied seventh.