Rory McIlroy explains decision to skip driver entirely at DP World Tour India event

“I’d rather leave myself two or three clubs back and hit a seven iron into a par four instead of hitting a wedge where if you just get it off-line here and the ball is gone. You’re hitting it into jungle and you’re not going to be able to get it out. You can rack up a very big number very quickly.

“So being strategic and being smart with your play off the tee, especially, is very important. I can see why S.S.P. has done so well around here. You just keep hitting it down the middle, hit it 260, 250, 260 every single time, and if you do that, then you can do very well around this golf course.”

Rory McIlroy shares thoughts on playing in next year’s Hero Indian Open

The DP World Tour is holding its second event of the year in India, following Eugenio Chacarra’s win at the Hero Indian Open in March.

McIlroy is one of the few PGA Tour players who regularly makes long trips for events.

However, he made it clear that fans shouldn’t expect to see him at the Indian Open next year. The tournament falls during a crucial time in his preparation for Augusta National, and he isn’t planning to adjust his schedule.

“It’s hard, because the Indian Open, is it March or April time? March? It’s such a hard time of the year to make it work. We’re over in the States playing The Players or Bay Hill or getting ready for the Masters. It’s hard to travel across all those time zones and come back again and be in the right place physically and mentally to try to go into the first major of the year,” he said.

“I’d love to play DLF. I think it’s become this infamous golf course around the world just with how extreme some of those holes are… especially 17.”

“But again if it was something where I come back next year to this event or at least I’ll know this golf course here so might give me a free day to go out there and play DLF on Monday or Tuesday.”

If he doesn’t start well, we might see him reconsider his approach and pull out his driver after all.