This is a milestone week for Rory McIlroy, who is in India for the first time for the DP World India Championship. As accomplished and well-traveled as McIlroy is, he won’t have too many more firsts like this, and the recent Ryder Cup champ seems to be savoring the moment. There is one major thing McIlroy won’t be doing while in India, however, and it’s not what you might expect. We’ll let him tell you.
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Yep, you heard him right. One of the best drivers of the golf ball in the known universe says he won’t be pulling out big stick at Delhi Golf Club this week.
“The next time I hit my driver will be in Abu Dhabi [at next month’s Abu Dhabi Championship],” McIlroy quipped to reporters on Wednesday. “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 instead of a wedge … You get it offline here and the ball is gone. You’re hitting it into jungle and you’re not going to be able to get it out.”
We’ll see McIlroy if can resist the temptation this week, especially on the lengthy, airport-runway like 18th hole. For the World No. 2, the decision to not hit driver this week will be a risk-reward proposition in and of itself. McIlroy ranked second on the PGA Tour in driving distance in 2025, averaging 323 yards off the tee. Needless to say, if he does decide to play it safe and avoid his driver this week, he’ll be leaving a big arrow in the quiver.
