2026 DP World Tour India Championship: Delhi to Host a Strong Field

The DP World Tour DP World India Championship will take place from Thursday, October 15, through Sunday, October 18, 2026, at the Delhi Golf Club in New Delhi. It is the second edition of the tournament and the penultimate regular-season stop of the season before the tour heads to Korea and the playoffs. The tournament offers a prize purse of $4,000,000, the highest prize money the DP World Tour has ever awarded in India. In addition, 5,000 Race to Dubai points and 1,500 Ryder Cup points are up for grabs. The defending champion is Tommy Fleetwood, who won in 2025 with a score of 22 under Par.

Here you’ll find the tee times and leaderboard for the DP World Tour’s India Championship.

Course Analysis: The Lodhi Course with Narrow Fairways

The Lodhi Championship Course at the Delhi Golf Club was built in the 1930s. The first Indian Open was held here in 1964. Peter Thomson redesigned the course in 1977, and Gary Player Design expanded it in 2019. The course also hosted the first DP World Tour event in India, as well as the Hero Indian Open in 2015 and 2016.

The course is a Par-72 at 6,320 meters. The longest hole is No. 18 at 508 meters, and the shortest is No. 17, a par-3 at 152 meters. Last year, 58 of the 138 players (42 percent) chose not to use a Driver. Justin Rose expects tee shots of around 229 meters and emphasizes that long and mid-irons will be crucial. Bermuda grass, grainy greens, and difficult chip shots make the course even more challenging.

Favorites: McIlroy, Reed, and Rai in the Spotlight

Rory McIlroy is a two-time Masters champion and is returning to Delhi following his debut in 2025. As the world No. 2, he is also among the contenders for the top spot in the Race to Dubai. Patrick Reed currently leads the season standings. He won the Hero Dubai Desert Classic and the Qatar Masters in 2026 and claimed the Green Jacket in 2018.

Aaron Rai (world No. 16) won his first major title in May at the PGA Championship. His wife, Gaurika Bishnoi, is also a professional golfer, and his family has roots in India and Kenya. Ryan Fox (No. 22) won his first major, the Open Championship, in July. Justin Rose (No. 18), another major champion, is also in the field. The Englishman won the U.S. Open in 2013 and took Olympic gold in 2016. Shane Lowry (No. 40) won the Open Championship in 2019 and recently claimed the Irish Open on the DP World Tour. A total of seven major champions are in the field.

Defending champion Tommy Fleetwood and the tournament’s history

Tommy Fleetwood won the inaugural tournament in 2025 with a score of 22 under Par, two strokes ahead of Keita Nakajima. He secured the victory with a final round of 65. According to the DP World Tour, Fleetwood cited the downtown location, the traffic noise behind the narrow Fairways, and the crowd as special elements of the week. He experienced his most emotional moment on the 18th green: After his victory, his son Frankie was allowed to run onto the green and celebrate with him. Just before the tournament, Fleetwood’s son had reminded his father that he had never had the opportunity to do so before.

In 2025, Fleetwood also won his first PGA Tour title at the Tour Championship. He also played a key role in Europe’s Ryder Cup victory at Bethpage Black.

Race to Dubai, Playoffs, and Points

The top 70 players in the Race to Dubai standings qualify for the Playoffs in Abu Dhabi. The top 50 players from there then advance to the season finale in Dubai. The Genesis Championship in Korea (October 22–25) is the last chance to break into the top 100 of the season standings and secure Category 10 status for 2027. The top ten players in the season standings who do not hold any other status will earn playing rights on the PGA Tour for 2027. Chacarra, Jarvis, McIlroy, and Reed could all be at the top of the Race to Dubai on Sunday and hold the best starting position.

Local Players and Storylines

The PGTI Order of Merit will also be decided on Sunday. The winner will receive a Category 17 DP World Tour card for 2027. Saptak Talwar leads the standings but could still be overtaken by Khalin Joshi or Veer Ahlawat. Subash Tamang will become the first player from Nepal to compete in a DP World Tour event.

On Thursday, McIlroy, Fleetwood, and MacIntyre will tee off at 7:15 a.m. local time from the 10th tee; MacIntyre will be making his debut in the tournament. Aaron Rai returns to the capital one year after serving as his wife’s caddie. He describes the course as a test of strategy, skill, and precision rather than driving distance. A decisive week thus begins for the defending champion, the Race to Dubai, and the major winners.