Shane Lowry leads in India with a 64, Rory McIlroy loses driver and shoots 69

At the DP World India Championship, Shane Lowry took the lead with an impressive 64, after making five consecutive birdies on the closing holes and a birdie on the 18th. This gave him a one-shot lead over Keita Nakajima. Rory McIlroy, meanwhile, decided to leave his driver in the locker room at the narrow, tree-lined Delhi Golf Club. His round was marked by a mix of bogeys and birdies, ending with a 69 in this inaugural tournament. "The driver was out of the bag, probably sleeping in the locker," McIlroy commented.

In his bag, the Northern Irishman carried a 3-wood and a 5-wood, the latter to give him more height on his shots to the par-5 holes. However, this didn't help him on the par-5 8th, where his tee shot went into the trees and only carried about 15 yards, resulting in a bogey.

Lowry, who had returned from his Ryder Cup performance at the Spanish Open, looked more comfortable this time around, especially with his iron and putting. Starting on the 11th hole, his five birdie putts were all within 10 feet. “I was good with the putter today. I played well,” Lowry said. “A 64 is a good score. It’s not that difficult, but when you start missing fairways, it gets pretty complicated.”

Lowry, who made the putt that ensured Europe retained the Ryder Cup, played alongside Tommy Fleetwood and Ryder Cup captain Luke Donald, who each shot 68. They recalled their outstanding performance in front of a tough crowd at Bethpage Black.

Lowry also mentioned that in one part of the Delhi Golf Club, the noise of cars on the nearby street could be heard. "It wasn't as discouraging as the crowd at Bethpage," he commented.

Nakajima also had a five-birdie streak in the middle of his round, starting on the 18th hole and continuing with four more at the start of the round. This is a crucial moment for the former world number one amateur, as he looks to break into the top 10 European Tour players eligible for PGA Tour cards in 2026.

Ben Griffin, making his Ryder Cup debut with Team USA, started his tournament with a 68, alongside another American, Michael Kim, who arrived late to India due to visa issues. Kim has already won on the European Tour this year at the French Open.

This start marks an important final stretch for McIlroy at the end of the year, as he also plans to compete in the Abu Dhabi Championship and the World Tour Championship, in addition to the Australian Open.