NEW DELHI — Niklas Nørgaard seized the early lead at the weather-hit DP World India Championship, carding an eagle on his very first hole to reach six-under par before thunderstorms and lightning forced a five-hour suspension. Only half the field completed their opening rounds at New Delhi Golf Club, leaving the tournament facing a frantic schedule to finish the round on Friday.
Nørgaard sits one clear at the top after navigating the stop-start conditions. According to ESPN, Eugenio Chacarra shot five-under to sit in a tie for second alongside Thomas Detry and Tom McKibbin, while Adrian Meronk made four birdies in just five holes before play was halted to join six players at four-under. Rory McIlroy, third in the Race to Dubai standings, finished at two-under 70 and said, “Missed a few putts early on, got it going a little bit around the middle and then maybe missed a couple of opportunities when we came back out after the delay.”
The New Delhi Golf Club played tough, with long rough penalizing errant drives. “No one is really getting away. The golf course is playing a little bit tougher than it did last year just with how long the rough is,” McIlroy noted. Justin Rose used the long delay to practice in his hotel room, posting a video of himself chipping balls onto his bed before returning to finish at even par.
History was made as Subash Tamang became the first Nepalese player on the DP World Tour, making Nepal the 120th nation represented in tour history. He finished at eight-over par. In the Race to Dubai, Patrick Reed currently leads the standings with Chacarra second and McIlroy third and four events remaining. “I have to concentrate on myself,” McIlroy said, adding, “I know a good week here, that will set me up well for the last two weeks in the Middle East.”
The five-hour lightning delay leaves 12 players yet to start their opening rounds, setting up a marathon Friday. Leaders like Nørgaard must now defend their scores against fresh players, while those who finished can regroup. “So we’ll see how much we play tomorrow. We’re not sure,” McIlroy admitted, as accuracy off the tee becomes even more valuable in the thick rough.