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What Tiger Woods said about Delhi Golf Club where Rory McIlroy and Viktor Hovland will play

Originally posted on HITC | By Charlie Walker | Last updated Oct 16, 2025 11:06 AM ET

The DP World Tour has made its way to New Delhi for the India Championship, and it’s a stop that’s quickly become one of the most anticipated on the schedule.

Rory McIlroy, Viktor Hovland, and Tommy Fleetwood are among the European stars teeing it up at Delhi Golf Club, with just one more event to go before the DP World Tour Playoffs get underway. It’s crunch time in the Race to Dubai.

The Gary Player Design Studio layout has seen its share of big moments already. Back in 2014, Tiger Woods played a private exhibition match there and drew a crowd of 2,000—unheard of at the time for Indian golf.

After posting nine under around this tough track, he spoke about what set it apart from anywhere else he’d played.

Delhi Golf Club’s unique challenge explained by Tiger Woods

Set against a backdrop of ancient tombs and historic architecture, the tight, tree-lined layout asks plenty of questions of every player.

The closing hole, a 556-yard par five, is straight as an arrow but lined with trees and demands precision off the tee – a theme that runs throughout the entire course.

Photo by J.D. Cuban/Allsport/Getty Images

After his round in 2014, Woods shared his impressions of the layout. Speaking to India Today at the time, he said:

“DGC is amazing, but if you miss the fairways, then you are out for some trouble. It puts a lot of stress on you, which is great.

Woods handled Delhi Golf Club well during his visit. But not every golfer finds it such a comfortable fit. Some players may be worried about how their game matches up to its narrow corridors and punishing rough.

Viktor Hovland says Delhi Golf Club layout will keep his driver in the bag

It looks like not much has changed at this course over the past decade. Viktor Hovland, returning to action after his Ryder Cup injury, mentioned that he probably won’t be using his driver this week because of how tight the fairways are.

He said, “I only got to play five holes. I’ve never seen the golf course before. I got in last night. But I’ve got 18 holes tomorrow in the pro-am, so I’ll get to see the whole course.”

“But from what it sounds like, I probably won’t hit any drivers out there. I think there’s a couple holes, maybe 10 and 14 and 18 is what I’ve heard potentially you can hit driver, but I think I’ll just kind of stick to the 3-iron or maybe 3-wood a couple places here and there. There will be a lot of irons this week.”

That could be an issue for players like Rory McIlroy, who leans on his driving distance but has struggled with accuracy for some time now.

McIlroy had success at Bethpage Black during the Ryder Cup largely because Keegan Bradley had cut down the rough, reducing penalties for misses off the tee. This week though, mistakes off the tee will cost him more.

This article first appeared on HITC and was syndicated with permission.

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