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Rory McIlroyThe decision to leave the driver in his locker did not affect his scoring ability as he carded six birdies around the narrow Delhi Golf Club but lost with three bogeys in the opening round of the DP World India Championship.
The world number two made an ideal start by birdieing his first hole, the 10th, from the fringes, but his troubles began on the next hole, where he three-putted and then failed to get up-and-down for back-to-back bogeys.
Despite the absence of the longest club in his bag, McIlroy had no trouble birdying two par fives and took three more shots over the next seven holes.
However, he bogeyed the 522-yard eighth to shoot a three-under 69 and finish five behind clubhouse leader and Ryder Cup teammate Shane Lowry at the break.
“The dog (driver) was out of the bag, probably sleeping in the locker. I was thinking about it before I went to bed last night,” McIlroy said of his club selection in his post-round interview.
“Sometimes if you’re really conservative today on a par-five, you might like a five-wood on the green, but I’m never going to hit driver.
“So I just thought I’ve got a two-iron, three-iron, four-iron all the way, and then I’ve got a five-wood, just in case I need to hit it for an approach shot on the par five.
“But I don’t see any holes there that I have to hit it further than 260, 270 (yards) off the tee.
“It’s very difficult. You’re really trying to be as conservative as possible off the tee and then trying to get birdies on the par fives and maybe a few more birdies.”
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