New Delhi, October 14: Shubhankar Sharma and Anirban Lahiri, who have previously won on the DP World Tour, make a return to the Delhi Golf Club after a considerable gap as they tee up at the DP World India Championship which starts on Thursday.

The $4 million event – co-sanctioned with the Professional Golf Tour of India (PGTI) – serves as the penultimate stop on the Back 9 of the DP World Tour, in the lead up to the season-ending DP World Tour Play-Offs on the 2025 Race to Dubai schedule.

Featuring a star-studded international field, including Ryder Cup stars Rory McIlroy, Tommy Fleetwood, Viktor Hovland and Shane Lowry alongside homegrown heroes Shubhankar Sharma and Anirban Lahiri, who has also earlier played on the PGA Tour, the tournament marks a new chapter for professional golf in India.

Career Grand Slam winner McIlroy makes his first appearance in India this week with a return to competitive action after helping Europe win the Ryder Cup at Bethpage.

“I’m excited to not only tee it up in India for the first time but also visit a country that I’ve always wanted to explore,” he said. “I’m proud to play in the inaugural DP World India Championship. I’ve always enjoyed playing a global schedule and as I have previously said, there is tremendous potential to grow golf further in the country. This is a great opportunity, and I can’t wait to play in front of Indian golf fans.”

McIlroy two wins already on the Race to Dubai this season at the Masters Tournament and Amgen Irish Open. The World Number Two will be looking to strengthen his grip on the Race to Dubai title ahead of the DP World Tour Play-Offs.

Sharma was excited to be back in India and at the DGC. He said, “I am really excited. I’m really looking forward to this event. Honestly, I’ve been looking forward to this event since January. I kind of knew it already was coming. Inside information, I knew it coming.

“The course is in amazing condition. I am very happy to come back, also, because the last time I played here was 2020 and that was just one exhibition round during COVID to raise some funds, and before that I played here in 2016.

Yeah, but again, when I teed off that first hole, it felt like I never left. It felt like yesterday because I spent so many evenings here as a kid practising, just having putting competitions. Just have very fond memories from DGC. Yeah, happy to be back.”

He went on, “It’s amazing. 2007 or 2008 was the last time we had such a big event. Ernie Els came and we had a host of stars. Since then the Indian Open mostly has been very big.

But to have such a big event in India, the DP World India Championship now, I hope that it continues for many years now, and to have all these players come here, it’s amazing.

It’s quite surreal because I see them all the time, but it’s in Europe, in America, and I know most of these guys. I was on the flight with Shane; he was sitting right next to me.”

On the course he said, “The greens are good and a bit more undulating than many remember — with new runoff areas, swales, and collection bowls. After heavy rain, some of those spots can be sandy or hold moisture, which makes certain recoveries tricky. Around the greens it’s Bermuda, so lies can be grainy. The rough is up, and I’m sure the Tour will test us with pins — but it’s a fair examination.

“The bushes will always be intimidating here, but that’s part of DGC’s identity. Overall, the players I’ve spoken to are happy with the setup. I certainly am. It’s going to be a great week.”

As to how does he see India as a growing market for golf, Sharma added, “It is time. India is a growing market, and members at places like DGC and DLF want big events and big players. It’s not easy — DGC was shut for almost a month to prep, which is a big ask here. That shows how much the membership and stakeholders want this event.

“For sponsors like DP World, who do significant business in India, staging a top event here makes perfect sense. The audience is growing; the interest is real. From what I’ve heard, there’s strong intent for this to be an annual stop and to keep getting bigger. Like cricket, we also need Indian winners on big weeks — that’s the real game-changer, because it drives eyeballs and sustained support at home and abroad” said Sharma.

And when you see legends like Kapil Dev and P.T. Usha dropping by to greet Rory McIlroy — you know golf is becoming visible.

Lahiri said, “I’m very excited to be back. A lot of things have changed since I last played the course. It’s undergone a beautiful renovation. I was very excited to see all the new changes. It’s still got a familiar feel. I think off the tee it’s still the same. But very happy and excited to be back.

You said the course has always been good to me; that’s not true. I’ve had my struggles. The last few times I’ve been here, it’s become more of a friend, and I hope to have that relationship continue.

On the field and players here for the DP World India Championship, he added, “I think this is a star-studded field. It’s amazing to have so many Ryder Cup stars, Rory, Tommy, especially the year that Tommy has won the FedExCup, Rory has won the Grand Slam. You’ve got Viktor, you’ve got so many stars this week.”

“I think it’s been a landmark year for golf aficionados in India. We have so many stars. We had a few earlier in the year at DLF, and now we have so many here this week. I think it’s been a feast for the youngsters, for the next generation. I think there’s going to be a massive buzz come tomorrow, and patrons are going to be loud on the golf course.”

Star power to the fullest

There is no shortage of star power teeing it up, with McIlroy one of four members of the victorious European Ryder Cup-winning team in action. Joining him are Tommy Fleetwood, Viktor Hovland and Shane Lowry, while Luke Donald – their Captain in both Rome and New York – also makes up part of the impressive international field.

From the U.S. Ryder Cup side, American Major winner Brian Harman and two-time PGA TOUR winner Ben Griffin are in the field hoping to delight the fans in Delhi. They will be joined by a host of winners on the 2025 Race to Dubai, including American Michael Kim, who claimed his first DP World Tour win in France last month, five-time DP World Tour winner Thriston Lawrence of South Africa and French duo Martin Couvra and Adrien Saddier. More than 20 Indian players will be aiming to impress on home soil.

India’s growing influence

The DP World India Championship underscores India’s growing influence as a destination for elite golf and as a strategic market for DP World. As the Tour’s title partner since 2022, DP World is reaffirming its commitment to golf with this new tournament. It complements its broader sporting footprint in India, which includes partnerships with the Delhi Capitals, and its grassroots programmes like the ‘second life’ container initiative and ‘Balls for Birdies’ campaign.

“We are delighted to extend our commitment to golf in India by establishing the new DP World India Championship alongside our valued partner DP World,” said Ben Cowen, DP World Tour Chief Tournament & Operations Officer. “DP World have been crucial to the development of this exciting new event, and we look forward to building on our shared vision to grow the game in the country.”