Some records sit on the shelf so long they start collecting dust. Rory McIlroy lands in New Delhi this week with a very specific target: a piece of golf history that Colin Montgomerie has held on his own for years. The DP World India Championship tees off Thursday, and McIlroy is the biggest name in the field.
Nobody has hit a shot yet. So this is the preview, and it is a good one.
The McIlroy India Championship quest
The second edition of the India Championship runs Oct. 15 to 18 at Delhi Golf Club. It is a 6,912-yard, par-72 layout with a $4 million prize fund. According to AP, the winner takes home $666,667.
McIlroy is not here for the sightseeing. He is chasing Colin Montgomerie’s record of eight European Tour Order of Merit titles, The Irish Times reports. He is also playing three of the final four events on the European schedule, which tells you how seriously he takes it.
Right now he sits third in the Race to Dubai, behind Patrick Reed and Eugenio Chacarra. That is close enough to smell it. GolfMagic says Reed leads McIlroy by about 308 points.
So the math is simple. Another India week with a big finish keeps him in the hunt. If you want to see how he fared when the stakes were bigger, read our look at Scheffler and McIlroy at the FedExCup playoffs.
A defending champion at the Delhi Golf Club tournament
McIlroy will not get a free run in Delhi. Tommy Fleetwood won the inaugural event in 2025 and returns as defending champion. He also owns the 72-hole course record of 266.
The field is 132 players deep. That is a lot of people standing between McIlroy and a title at this Delhi Golf Club tournament.
Last year offered a small clue about how this course plays. Shane Lowry led after round one with a 64, while McIlroy opened with a 69. Opening rounds in Delhi have not been quiet.
The LPGA heads east too
The men are not the only ones packing for Asia. The LPGA opens its four-event fall Asia swing this week with the Buick LPGA Shanghai. It runs the same dates as the DP World India Championship, Oct. 15 to 18, at Sheshan International Golf Club with a $3.2 million purse.
Jeeno Thitikul is the defending champion. She also happens to be the betting favorite at +450, per one preview.
After Shanghai, the tour keeps moving:
- BMW Ladies Championship, Oct. 22 to 25, Haenam, Korea
- A Malaysia event, Oct. 29 to Nov. 1, Kuala Lumpur
- Toto Japan Classic, Nov. 5 to 8, Omitama, Japan
Then comes the finale. The CME Group Tour Championship in Naples, Florida, pays $4 million to the winner. Golf Channel calls that the largest payout in women’s golf history.
Why McIlroy in Delhi matters
Here’s the thing: golf fans love a record chase, and this one has a clock on it. McIlroy has only a handful of events left to close the gap on Reed. For a sense of how quickly money and records can swing, see how Scottie Scheffler passed Tiger Woods as the PGA Tour’s all-time money leader.
After India, he is scheduled to play the Abu Dhabi Aldar Championship and then the Tour Championship in Dubai. That is the whole runway.
Delhi is the first big test. Does the headliner deliver, or does the defending champ Fleetwood hold his turf?
