Lightning stopped play for five hours on Thursday, leaving the DP World India Championship in a state of chaos. While the storm raged, Danish star Niklas Nørgaard slipped into the clubhouse lead at six-under par. He birdied the first hole and then capitalized on the pause to grab the top spot. Only about half the field finished their rounds before the suspension hit. Twelve players had not even teed off when the skies opened up. This delay creates a massive scramble for Friday, where the course will likely play even slower as the rough soaks up water.
The Rough Changes Everything
Rory McIlroy knows the conditions are shifting fast. He sits three shots back of the lead after carding a two-under 70. The Northern Irishman made four birdies and two bogeys before the storm forced him to stop. He admitted the course is playing tougher than it did last year. “No one is really getting away,” McIlroy said, according to GolfMagic. “The golf course is playing a little bit tougher than it did last year just with how long the rough is.” That long grass is eating up shots and keeping scores down. It is a classic test of patience, not just power. Players who try to force their way through the thick grass will find themselves in big trouble.
Eugenio Chacarra is sitting in second place at five-under, tied with Thomas Detry and Tom McKibbin. Chacarra has been flying under the radar until now, boosting his Race to Dubai chances with a solid five-under effort. Adrian Meronk showed flashes of brilliance with four birdies in just five holes before his round ended. The Polish player sits at four-under, tied with six others. The leaderboard is crowded and tight, which means one bad swing can drop a player right out of contention. There is no room for error when the course plays this hard.
Patience Is The Only Strategy
McIlroy is not panicking about the delay or the gap to the leader. He knows he needs to steady his game before the final two events in the Middle East. “I have to concentrate on myself,” he told Sky Sports. A strong week here will prepare me well for the final two weeks in the Middle East. He is chasing his eighth Race to Dubai title, which would tie the record set by Colin Montgomerie in the 1990s. That history is heavy, but he refuses to let it weigh him down. He also noted that he does not need to lead going into the final weeks. “My track record in the Middle East is really good, so I don’t need to be leading going into the last two weeks,” he said. “If I can just eat into that lead a little bit I feel like I’ll have a good chance going in those final two events.”
Justin Rose had to chip balls onto his hotel bed during the long wait, a scene that captured the frustration of the day. He eventually returned to finish his round at even par. Subash Tamang became the first Nepali player on the DP World Tour, ending at eight-over. The tour now represents 120 nations.
