The DP World India Championship gets under way at the Delhi Golf Club on Thursday, with Rory McIlroy headlining a field that also includes Tommy Fleetwood, Shane Lowry, Justin Rose, Robert MacIntyre, Aaron Rai, Min Woo Lee and Patrick Reed. The event carries significant weight in the Race to Dubai as players push for positions ahead of November's DP World Tour Championship.
McIlroy currently sits third in the standings, within striking distance of leader Reed. The six-time major winner is looking to land a record-equalling eighth Race to Dubai crown, and his hopes were lifted last weekend when Reed failed to make the cut at the Spanish Open.
DP World Tour chief praises McIlroy
McIlroy's continued influence on European golf has been hailed by DP World Tour boss Guy Kinnings. Beyond his success, which includes back-to-back Masters crowns, Kinnings is grateful to have McIlroy as an ambassador for the European tour.
Chief executive Kinnings told talkSPORT: "Rory is an immense asset for us. I mean, he's not just the first European to win a Grand Slam, he is an extraordinary spokesman for the tour. We're very lucky to have him and those other players who support us."
Woods makes rare appearance
Tiger Woods returned to the scene of one of his most famous victories as he made a rare public appearance after a difficult year. At Pebble Beach in 2000, Woods won by 15 strokes over runners-up Ernie Els and Miguel Angel Jimenez, breaking the previous major championship victory margin by 13 shots, set by Tom Morris in 1862.
Woods recently returned to the Californian course for his own TGR Junior Invitational, where 60 promising young golfers were in action. The 50-year-old took part in a Q&A session after the tournament and made reference to a hole-in-one scored by one of the youngsters earlier in the day. Woods has not played competitive golf since 2024 due to a series of fitness issues. He escaped unhurt after rolling his Land Rover in March and subsequently took time out of the public eye to seek treatment for other issues. Last month, he pleaded no contest to a charge of reckless driving and accepted a five-year suspension of his driving licence.
Ryder Cup ban threat
European players will be barred from playing in the Ryder Cup if they sign up for LIV Golf 2.0. Some of the world's top players were given conditional releases by the DP World Tour in previous seasons, allowing them to compete on both the European Tour and LIV. But Kinnings has said players must now "make a choice." In order to be eligible for Europe's Ryder Cup team, players must be members of the DP World Tour.
Kinnings told the BBC: "Players need to make a choice. We have rules and regulations which are there to protect our tour and which our members must all abide by. Players who are not willing to comply with our rules and regulations should not be seeking to join our tour."
LIV's future is in doubt after Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF) withdrew support at the end of the season. The tour is currently going through Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings in the United States, with the aim of relaunching in the New Year, although several big names have already jumped ship.
