McIlroy, Others Leave Driver Out for DP World India Championship

Rory McIlroy is once again leaving his driver out of play this week at the DP World India Championship, where Delhi Golf Club's tight, tree-lined layout has several of the sport's longest hitters reaching for irons off the tee instead.

Why is Delhi Golf Club so difficult off the tee?

At 6,912 yards, Delhi Golf Club is one of the shortest courses on the DP World Tour, hemmed in by dense jungle, narrow fairways and even ancient tomb ruins. The club dates to the 1930s and was redesigned by Peter Thomson in 1977 and again by Gary Player Design in 2019. Last year, in the tournament's debut edition, 58 of 138 players went without a driver, according to equipment surveyor Inside Tour Golf.

McIlroy, who finished last PGA Tour season ranked second in strokes gained off the tee and became one of the first two players to average over 330 yards in driving distance, is sticking with the same plan he used a year ago.

A 6,912-yard course turns a 330-yard average into a liability, not a weapon.

What is McIlroy carrying instead of a driver?

McIlroy plans to top his bag with a 5-wood and 2-iron, both of which he said travel similar distances but on different trajectories, followed by a 3-iron. He described keeping the driver out of reach entirely.

"It is in the locker, maybe not even in the locker, in the hotel room so I'm not even tempted to go and get it," McIlroy said on the DP World Tour's "The Locker Room" program.

He said the 5-wood could help on approach shots into the course's par 5s and on doglegs on the front nine where extra height clears corners.

Who else is playing without a driver?

Min Woo Lee, who averages 322.4 yards off the tee, is also leaving his driver out this week and called the adjustment as much mental as physical. Open champion Ryan Fox said this marks the first tournament of his career without a driver in the bag, pointing to rough that he found even thicker than a year ago. Tommy Fleetwood won last year's inaugural edition with a mini driver as his longest club, pairing it with a 4-iron and a 9-wood.

Not everyone is leaving the big stick at home. Race to Dubai leader Patrick Reed, who has two wins this season, is keeping his normal setup.

"It's probably the most narrow fairways I've probably played ever," Reed said, adding that he would still pull driver when the opportunity arose. "I'll always have a driver in the golf bag. It'd feel weird for me to play a round of golf without the driver."