Rory McIlroy doubles down on India message after disappointing week in Delhi
McIlroy admitted he wished he had played better in Delhi but insisted India was an important market for golf after facing criticism from Kevin Kisner.
Rory McIlroy has doubled down on his belief that golf's biggest stars need to be visiting India, insisting the country is an "important market" for the sport after completing a disappointing week at the DP World India Championship.
McIlroy, 37, finished his second consecutive appearance at Delhi Golf Club with a 2-over 74 on Sunday, leaving him 4-under par for the tournament and in a tie for 42nd.
But despite finishing 17 shots behind winner Eugenio Chacarra, the World No.2 was quick to highlight the positives from his time in India and reiterated his desire to return in future years.
"Yeah, great to be back in India," McIlroy said after his final round.
"I think we all got a tremendous welcome. It was a great week off the course and we did a lot of fun things.
"Wish I had played better on it, but I'll get to go home here for a couple weeks and practise and sharpen up and get myself ready for the last couple events.
"Overall it's been a wonderful week. India is really important market for golf going forward and it's only going to keep growing.
"It's important that we come here, and I thought this week was another step in the right direction for golf in India and international golf as a whole."
Those comments came after McIlroy had already faced criticism over his decision to compete in Delhi, with former PGA Tour player Kevin Kisner questioning his motivation for making the trip.
Rather than backing away from his stance, however, McIlroy has now reinforced it after completing another week in India.
The six-time major champion has made it clear that he believes professional golf needs to look beyond its traditional markets, with India offering enormous potential given its population, growing middle class and increasing interest in sport.
And McIlroy believes the leading players have a role to play in helping that growth.
McIlroy hit back at Kisner criticism
Kisner's comments, which came before the tournament, centred on the financial incentives for some of the biggest names competing in India.
Speaking on the Fore Play podcast, Kisner suggested McIlroy was primarily motivated by his appearance fee and questioned why he would choose to play a course such as Delhi Golf Club, where the tight layout limits the use of his driver.
"That is such a dogs--- comment," Kisner said of McIlroy's desire to help grow the game globally.
He also claimed McIlroy could have been paid as much as $10 million to appear, although that figure has not been publicly confirmed.
McIlroy subsequently dismissed the criticism, arguing that financial compensation and a genuine desire to grow the sport in new markets are not mutually exclusive.
"Two things can be true at the same time," McIlroy said.
"People can get paid to come and play at a tournament, but at the same time, do it from a place of a genuine interest of trying to bring the sport to another country."
His latest comments suggest that view has not changed.
If anything, McIlroy's willingness to return to India for a second straight year — and his desire to come back again — underlines the point he has been making.
Watch McIlroy's reaction here:
McIlroy wishes he'd played better
Away from the wider debate, McIlroy was naturally disappointed with his performance.
His final-round 74 left him well down the leaderboard, with a double bogey and two further bogeys contributing to a frustrating final day.
Chacarra, meanwhile, produced another impressive display to claim a two-shot victory at 21-under par and complete his third DP World Tour win of the season.
McIlroy admitted beforehand that he had not been at his sharpest after spending a prolonged period away from competitive golf, and his performance in Delhi ultimately reflected that lack of preparation.
The Northern Irishman will now take another two weeks away from tournament golf, giving him an opportunity to work on his game before the final two events of his season.
"I'll get to go home here for a couple weeks and practise and sharpen up and get myself ready for the last couple events," he said.
Chacarra puts McIlroy's Race to Dubai record bid under pressure
Chacarra's victory also had major implications for the Race to Dubai.
The 26-year-old Spaniard moved to the top of the season-long standings, leapfrogging Patrick Reed, while McIlroy remains in third.
Chacarra now leads on 4,092.89 points, with Reed on 3,474.62 and McIlroy on 3,144.86.
That leaves McIlroy 948.03 points behind Chacarra with just three tournaments remaining on the DP World Tour schedule.
Position | Player | Race to Dubai Points |
|---|---|---|
1 | Eugenio Chacarra | 4,092.89 |
2 | Patrick Reed | 3,474.62 |
3 | Rory McIlroy | 3,144.86 |
4 | Casey Jarvis | 2,695.51 |
5 | Aaron Rai | 2,467.00 |
Chacarra also has an immediate opportunity to increase that advantage.
The four-time DP World Tour winner is competing in this week's Genesis Championship in South Korea, while both McIlroy and Reed have opted to skip the event and instead focus on preparing for the final two tournaments of the season in Abu Dhabi and Dubai.
A strong result for Chacarra in South Korea could therefore put further daylight between himself and the two players immediately behind him before they even tee it up again.
McIlroy will return for the Abu Dhabi Aldar Championship at Yas Links in the first week of November, before heading to Dubai for the season-ending DP World Tour Championship.
The Northern Irishman is chasing an eighth Race to Dubai title, which would see him equal Colin Montgomerie's record haul of eight Order of Merit titles.
But having watched Chacarra surge to the summit in India — and knowing the Spaniard now has another chance to add to his advantage this week — McIlroy knows the task has become considerably tougher.
"That makes my job a bit harder going into the last two events," McIlroy concluded.
For now, the focus switches to getting his game back into shape.
McIlroy may have left Delhi disappointed by his position on the leaderboard, but he leaves India with his position on the country's importance to golf clearer than ever.
He enjoyed his return to Delhi, believes India has a major role to play in the sport's future and wants to see more of the game's biggest names follow him there.
And despite the controversy surrounding his appearance, McIlroy appears more convinced than ever that playing in India is worth it.
Andy Roberts first joined GolfMagic on a month's work experience back in April 2011.
Andy then assumed the role of GolfMagic Editor in 2015.
