Rory McIlroy Explains Why He's Keeping Driver Out Of The Bag (Again) At The DP World India Championship

Rory McIlroy will once again take on the challenge of the DP World India Championship without a driver...or even 3-wood.

The World No.2 headlines the field at Delhi Golf Club in the $4m tournament's second edition, where players get to tackle one of the most unique courses on the tour.

The old school Delhi GC, founded in the 1930s and redesigned by the legendary Peter Thomson in 1977 and then Gary Player Design in 2019, is one of the shortest layouts on the circuit at just 6,912 yards.

Its tight, treelined fairways and doglegs mean a number of players take driver out of the bag, with 58 of last year's 138 players not carrying one.

Patrick Reed told the DP World Tour the course feels 'claustraphobic' and has the 'narrowest fairways' he has ever played, while Open champion Ryan Fox is playing without a driver for the first time in his career.

McIlroy confirmed he will go with the same strategy as last year, with 5-wood and 2-iron as his longest clubs.

"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 in conversation with Sir Nick Faldo on the DP World Tour's 'The Locker Room' program.

"Yeah, absolutely [on whether he could win with just irons]. 5-wood might be necessary for maybe a couple of second shots into par 5s or there's a couple of doglegs on the front nine where you can maybe get a bit of height with 5-wood and hit it over the corners.

"I'll probably go 5-wood, 2-iron, which go about the same distance but just different trajectories, and then 3-iron through [to the end of the bag]."

"Just as tight as I remember from last year. It's definitely a different golf course than what we're used to playing. It doesn't offer you a lot of room off the tee. A lot of irons and strategic play with your tee shots," McIlroy told the DP World Tour.

Rory McIlroy's bag at last year's DP World India Championship:

Ryan Fox is another of the big names in the field this week, and he is one of many players opting to take the driver out of the bag as the risk of wayward tee shots is too high.

"It's a fun golf course to play, it's very different than what we play week-in, week-out. Like I don't have a driver in the bag this week and I can't say I've had that in any tournament," Fox told the DP World Tour.

"I heard so much last year that guys had done it and you're like 'maybe there's one or two holes.'

"I played nine holes a day Monday and Tuesday and I played the pro-am today and I think on Monday there was a couple of holes you get on the tee and 'maybe I can get one down there' and you walk down the fairway and you're like 'nope, it's not worth the risk.'

"It's one of those ones where if you get it in play off the tee, you can kind of be aggressive into the greens on a lot of holes and you've got some short clubs in.

"I like being aggressive, I've just got to temper that off the tee a little bit and just pick and choose the right iron shots to be aggressive with. It's very different and it's a fun test in that regard."

Race to Dubai leader Patrick Reed is also in the field this week as he looks to stay on top of the pack, having won twice earlier this season.

The American says he has never played fairways so narrow in his career but is keeping the driver in the bag and will be ready to "send it" if an opportunity arises.

"The golf course is really interesting. It's not what I expected. You don't really ever hit driver, and I'd have to say it's probably the most narrow fairways I've probably played ever," he said.

"I'll always have a driver in the golf bag. It'd feel weird for me play a round of golf without the driver.

"For me it'd be two clubs, you have a 7-wood or a 2-iron that are interchangeable, but they go the same distance. For me I think it's pointless having two clubs that go the exact same distance in the bag.

"So yeah for me it's kind of just the normal setup, go out there and play and if I feel comfortable and there's a hole or two I feel like I can hit the driver then I'll obviously send it and if not it's just gonna be sitting there looking pretty in the golf bag and not coming out."

"I played two par fives so far this week backwards. I hit 2-iron off the tee and then 3-wood into the green," Reed later said to illustrate just how unique Delhi GC is.

The DP World India Championship gets underway on Thursday. It's set to be very fun viewing once again.

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