'Tightest golf course I've ever played': Pros face suffocating test this week

For Patrick Reed, who has made 448 professional starts globally, this week's stop at the Lodhi Course at Delhi Golf Club for the DP World India Championship is a unique experience. Spanning just 6,912 yards, the course is notoriously tight, featuring pinched landing zones and ball-gobbling rough lined by jungle and historic ruins. Thomas Detry, a LIV Golf player, described it as the “tightest golf course I've ever played.” The challenge is so immense that players like Rory McIlroy and Detry have opted to leave their drivers in the hotel, relying on long irons instead to maintain accuracy. McIlroy stated, “I’m here to win the tournament. I’m not here to hit drivers.” Defending champion Tommy Fleetwood noted that the rough is significantly more penal this year, comparing the tactical demand to a U.S. Open, where missing a fairway often results in a forced recovery hack rather than a shot at the green. Patrick Reed, who initially expected a birdie-fest, now compares the course to a chess match, requiring players to use unconventional club selections to navigate the narrow fairways. Despite the difficult conditions, Niklas Norgaard took the clubhouse lead in a rain-shortened first round, while Detry managed a five-under 67.