2023 Open Champion Brian Harman was among the players who used the driver sparingly
The Delhi Golf Club lived up to its fearsome reputation during the DP World India Championship, forcing nearly half the field to rethink their strategy. Of the 138 players who teed it up, 58—roughly 42%—played the tournament without a driver, a phenomenon never seen before on the DP World Tour, where power normally dominates.
Prior to this week, only five players had gone driver-free in any tournament during the year. The tight fairways and dense foliage of the Lodhi Course demand precision over distance, prompting many players to rely on utility irons, hybrids, and fairway woods instead. Even among those who did carry the big stick, usage was minimal — limited to select holes like the 10th, 14th, and 18th.
Statistically, Delhi Golf Club stood out as the toughest positional course of the year. On average, players carried 0.64 utility irons per bag, more than double the figure seen at the Hero Indian Open earlier this season. Only 16% of the field brought a mini driver, slightly below the Tour’s seasonal average.
Rory McIlroy hit only irons all week, not hitting any wood at all .
The unique challenge of Delhi Golf Club forced players to use all the clubs in their bag, a rarity in todays game where wedges are the norm for approach shots. The course received rave reviews from expert commentators and observers from around the world.