Thunderstorms disrupt golf tournament in Delhi

Thunderstorms over New Delhi and its region interrupted the first round of the DP World India Championship on Thursday, preventing it from finishing. Play was halted due to low light in the evening and will continue on Friday starting at 6:45 local time (3:15 in France).

Players unable to complete their rounds

Half of the players were unable to sign their scorecards due to the disruptions. The Dane Niklas Nørgaard temporarily leads the tournament at -6 (66), one shot ahead of Tom McKibbin, Thomas Detry, and Eugenio Chacarra, who recently finished second in the Race to Dubai.

Fog horn signals course conditions

At 17:53 local time (14:23 in France), a fog horn sounded at the Delhi Golf Club due to poor visibility. At that time, 60 players were still on the course, and 12 others had not even started their rounds. The tournament was interrupted by a prolonged wave of thunderstorms, with play initially stopping at 11:04 local time (7:36 in France) and resuming at 16:00 (12:30 in France).

Nørgaard's performance on narrow course

Niklas Nørgaard, who has been performing well in recent weeks, took the lead with a score of 66 (-6) on the narrow Indian parkland course. The fairways are particularly tight, with an average width of 21 meters on all par 4s and par 5s, 250 meters from the tee. Rory McIlroy, for example, did not use any driver during this event.

Chacarra on course and competition

Eugenio Chacarra, currently second in the Race to Dubai, said he feels comfortable on the course, noting that he reads the greens well and makes many putts in India. He expressed his goal of winning the Race to Dubai and acknowledged the challenge posed by players like Rory McIlroy.

McIlroy returns to DP World Tour

Rory McIlroy managed the extended first round well, returning to the DP World Tour for the first time since his second-place finish at the BMW PGA Championship in September. He posted a score of 70 (-2), tying with several other players. Tommy Fleetwood, the reigning champion, also participated, while Robert MacIntyre, a member of the Ryder Cup team, finished fifth at -4 (68).