DP World India Championship: Rory McIlroy reacts to opening round in Delhi
The Masters champion said he was content with his start to the weather-disrupted DP World India Championship.
Rory McIlroy says he is content with his start to the weather-affected DP World India Championship.
McIlroy began the first round of the penultimate event of the DP World Tour's 'Back 9' bright and early with his Ryder Cup teammates Tommy Fleetwood and Robert MacIntyre.
But play was suspended at 06:30 BST because of lightning and did not resume until five hours later.
The Masters champion eventually recorded an opening round of 2-under 70 at New Delhi Golf Club, four behind early pacesetter Niklas Norgaard.
Rank | Player Name | Score |
1 | Niklas Norgaard | -6 |
2 | Tom McKibbin | -5 |
2 | Thomas Detry | -5 |
2 | Eugenio Lopez-Chacarra | -5 |
5 | Scott Jamieson | -4 |
5 | Ewen Ferguson | -4 |
5 | Robert MacIntyre | -4 |
5 | Om Prakash Chouhan | -4 |
5 | Marcus Armitage | -4 |
5 | Adrian Meronk | -4 |
11 | Brandon Robinson-Thompson | -3 |
11 | Hugo Townsend | -3 |
13 | Tom Vaillant | -2 |
13 | Jordan Gumberg | -2 |
13 | Rory McIlroy | -2 |
13 | Tommy Fleetwood | -2 |
13 | Romain Langasque | -2 |
13 | Ignacio Elvira | -2 |
13 | Frederic Lacroix | -2 |
13 | Joel Girrbach | -2 |
13 | Jack Senior | -2 |
13 | Sebastian Soederberg | -2 |
13 | Euan Walker | -2 |
13 | Bernd Wiesberger | -2 |
13 | Todd Clements | -2 |
13 | Gregorio De Leo | -2 |
13 | Francesco Laporta | -2 |
13 | Joost Luiten | -2 |
29 | Davis Bryant | -1 |
29 | Saptak Talwar | -1 |
29 | Manuel Elvira | -1 |
29 | Elvis Smylie | -1 |
29 | Min-Woo Lee | -1 |
"I think I hit the ball pretty well for the most part," McIlroy said, who made four birdies and two bogeys.
"Missed a few putts early on, got it going a little bit around the middle and then maybe missed a couple of opportunities when we came back out after the delay.
"So overall felt like it could have been a couple better but still a solid start.
"No one is really getting away. The golf course is playing a little bit tougher than it did last year just with how long the rough is.
"So we'll see how much we play tomorrow. We're not sure. But, yeah, it's a solid start, and obviously still a lot of golf left."
McIlroy is attempting to win the Race to Dubai for an eighth time.
Should McIlroy claim his eighth Harry Vardon trophy, it would draw him level with Colin Montgomerie's record that the Scot set in the 1990s.
But the 37-year-old needs to reel in his former Ryder Cup rival Patrick Reed and Spain's Eugenio Chacarra.
Chacarra continued his impressive run of form with a 67, whilst Reed struggled on day one.
McIlroy told Sky Sports that he doesn't need to force the issue.
"I have to concentrate on myself," he said.
"I know a good week here, that will set me up well for the last two weeks in the Middle East.
"My track record in the Middle East is really good, so I don't need to be leading going into the last two weeks, but if I can just eat into that lead a little bit I feel like I'll have a good chance going in those final two events."
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