Rory McIlroy posted a two-under 70 on Friday at the Delhi Golf Club, staying in contention at the DP World India Championship before darkness suspended the second round with half the field still on the course.
Weather Delays and a Compressed Schedule at Delhi Golf Club
Play on Thursday ground to a nearly five-hour halt when lightning and torrential rain swept across the heritage layout, leaving more than half the field scrambling to complete their opening 18 holes on Friday morning.
Rory McIlroy arrives at Wentworth ahead of his final round at the @BMWPGA 👋#BMWPGA | #RolexSeries pic.twitter.com/UY4FXox4M9
Thursday’s round initially began in mist and heavy dew before thunderstorms interrupted play at 11:04 a.m., triggering a four-hour and fifty-minute delay until action resumed at 4:00 p.m. While players waited in the clubhouse during the storm delay, the club’s famous resident peacocks—belonging to a population linked to the facility since the Peacock Course was added to the Lodhi Course in 1976–77—wandered through the grounds and made themselves known around the greens. Players found various ways to pass the time during the disruption, with Rory McIlroy leaving the course for lunch and a range session at his hotel, while Justin Rose posted a video of himself chipping golf balls onto his hotel room bed.
By Friday evening, darkness forced another suspension just before 6 p.m. local time, halting the second round with dozens of players stranded mid-hole. Tournament officials confirmed that the final two groups on each side will not start their second round today, setting up a congested Saturday morning when play resumes at 6:45 a.m. ET on Friday).
Leaderboard Shifts as McIlroy, Chacarra, and Luiten Chase the Top
Before the second round was halted, Spain’s Eugenio Chacarra and Northern Ireland’s Rory McIlroy made strong early moves. Chacarra followed an opening 67 by picking up birdies at Nos. 1 and 3 to reach 7 under overall, while McIlroy rolled in an eight-foot putt for an eagle on the first hole, putting him at 2 under for his round and 4 under for the week.
Photo: essentiallysports.com
At the top of the completed clubhouse leaderboard, Angel Hidalgo, Adrian Meronk, and Joost Luiten shared the lead at 136 alongside Thomas Detry, who sat at 3 under after playing six holes on Friday. Luiten carded an eight-under 136 after tackling 34 holes, though he missed a chance for the outright lead when he stumbled on his penultimate hole by landing in the rough, finding a greenside bunker, returning to the rough, and missing a three-foot putt for a double bogey.
Everything went bad (on that hole). The long day and tiredness just got to me a bit at the end.
Joost Luiten, via The Hindu
Om Prakash Chouhan Leads the Indian Challenge Amid Tight Course Conditions
Among local contenders, Om Prakash Chouhan emerged as the highest-placed Indian after posting a gallant four-under 68 punctuated by six birdies and two bogeys. Chouhan highlighted his round with a 15-yard chip-in for birdie on the sixth hole and a skillful recovery from the rough on the eighth.
Photo: The Hindu
I am very satisfied with my effort considering the conditions and the long stoppage that we had to endure. Before the rain, the greens were firm, and the ball was rolling out, so I had to think carefully about whether to attack the flags. After the rain, I could be more aggressive.
Rory McIlroy: How He Moves His Center of Mass for Effortless Power (Face‑On Analysis)
Om Prakash Chouhan, via Irishsun
Other Indian players completed varying portions of their rounds under difficult circumstances: Saptak Talwar shot a one-under 71 with three birdies and two bogeys; Anirban Lahiri was even-par through five holes; Manu Gandas was one-under after one hole; Khalin Joshi was even-par through three holes; Amardeep Malik and Kartik Singh were both even-par through one hole; Manoj S and Veer Ahlawat finished with rounds of 73 and 74 respectively; and Shubhankar Sharma was two-over after playing five holes.
Players across the field noted that Delhi Golf Club’s tight layout and thick rough demanded absolute discipline. Robert MacIntyre, who finished his opening round at 4-under, described the setup in stark terms.
It’s absolute carnage.
Robert MacIntyre, via Essentiallysports
Race to Dubai Implications and Saturday’s Hectic Workload
The tournament carries significant implications for the season-long Race to Dubai standings, where Patrick Reed entered the week leading the rankings ahead of Eugenio Chacarra and Rory McIlroy in the Race to Dubai standings. Reed carded a three-under 69 to move up 39 places to tied-59th, facing a nervous wait to see if he would make the cut.
