Rory McIlroy is coming off a PGA Tour season where he was second in Strokes Gained: Off The Tee and became one of the top two golfers to average more than 330 yards in driving distance.
“I’m here to win the tournament. I’m not here to hit the drivers,” he said in his pre-tournament press conference. “I thought the best chance would be to keep the driver in the bag or in the hotel room, so I didn’t even try to hit him.”
McIlroy is certainly not alone. Delhi Golf Club, which is hosting this tournament for the second consecutive year, is one of the most unique challenges of the DP World Tour.
Tour-inspired shape for a playful and balanced look at address. Strategically positioned CG for a penetrating ball flight with backspin for players who require long iron shots. INDIVIDUAL MASS OPTIMIZATION Featuring advanced thick and thin back wall construction, a sound stabilization bar, and deliberately distributed mass to maximize forgiveness. Each iron is uniquely designed with every gram strategically placed to achieve specific performance targets with a premium forged feel. OPTIMUM LAUNCH AND FORGIVENESS Designed to provide an easy launch, increased forgiveness and enhanced consistency. The new internal weighting structure combines with proven technology such as the forged 4140 OptiFace, Speed Pocket™ and up to 26 g of tungsten. THRU-SLOT SPEEDPOCKET Thru-Slot Speed Pocket™ provides increased face flexibility while preserving ball speed and distance on low face shots.
Measuring just 6,912 yards, Delhi Golf Club is one of the shortest courses on the DP World Tour schedule. With narrow fairways lined with thick, rough and dense jungle and even ancient tomb ruins, tee accuracy is crucial.
In pre-tournament press conferences, other players have confirmed that they are still playing without a pilot, noting that the rough is even bigger than it was when the championship debuted a year ago. By the time Tommy Fleetwood won last yearthe mini driver was the longest club in his bag. Fleetwood’s title-winning setup in Delhi as well including a 4 iron next to his 9-wood.
As of 2025, McIlroy seems likely to ditch his driver and 3-wood and play with a 2-iron, 5-wood, 3-iron at the top of his bag. He appeared to play the 2-iron off the tee on DGC’s longest, the 556-yard par-5 18th.
Hon The Locker Roompreview of the DP World Tour, McIlroy said he could win with just a bag full of irons this week, but the 5-wood offers some advantages.
“Five-wood might be needed for a couple of second shots on par-5s,” he said. “Or there are a couple of doglegs on the front nine where you can maybe get some height with a 5-wood and hit it on the corners.
“I’ll probably go 5-wood, 2-iron, which go the same distance; they’re just different trajectories.”
The U505 plays like an iron, but performs something more. From threading the needle off the tee to hitting home runs from unfathomable distances, U505 gives players the speed and control to hit clutch shots with confidence. Pure Muscle Look A high strength hollow steel body packs immense power into a pure package. Long Range Speed A new forged L-Face design increases ball speed and launch to take distant targets with confidence. Consistent Performance Enhanced Maximum Impact Technology helps generate consistent launch, speed, spin and carry to expand your box ability. Split Trajectory Controlled high density tungsten produces optimal CG with high stability for more forgiving spin. Iron Set Blending The U505 and T250U feature a player-preferred profile with minimal offset, allowing you to blend into the top end of a blended setup seamlessly.
Min Woo Lee, who, like McIlroy, is one of the longest players in professional golf, averaging 322.4 yards off the tee, called it a mental challenge. He too will go without a driver in his bag.
“I’m just telling myself it’s going to be a test,” he said. “To do such a repetitive thing — hitting long irons off the tee, hybrids off the tee and putting them in position — it can get a little repetitive, so I have to tell myself, you know, this is where we are this week. Just keep doing that.
“It will be a challenge for everyone. So I think I just tell myself, to stay in it and, yes, it’s just that everyone has to deal with it.”
Open Championship winner Ryan Fox said he thought this was the first tournament he had played without a driver in his bag.
Last season, 42 percent of the field went without a driver, according to Inside Tour Golf, the equipment hirer on the DP World Tour. But even the players who carried one used it sparingly.
The Mizuno Pro Fli-Hi has become a fixture with most Mizuno tour players. An easy to launch, powerful long iron replacement that slides seamlessly into either the Mizuno Pro M13, M15 or full iron set. With a chassis now fully upgraded to 4335+ Nickel Chromoly for high ball speed. TUNGSTEN INTERNAL WEIGHT: 26 grams low head weight for high launch compared to traditional long irons. HARMONIC IMPACT TECHNOLOGY: Applied to better match the vibration patterns that Mizuno tour players identify with a smooth muscle feel. INCREASED BOUNCE ANGLE: Increased by one degree for improved turf interaction.
Reed said he’s sticking with his normal setup, leaving the driver in the bag because he said he has nothing to replace.
“I mean, I forced myself today to allow myself to hit two drivers. Everything else was less than a driver,” said Reed. “Hit the fairway on 10 with driver, and then 18 I hit driver and hit that down the fairway well. So, yeah, two for two in driver. That’s good.
“The driver will remain in the bag … So I will stay with my normal configuration. It will be nice sitting here, but not be pulled out. That’s good for me. Just go out and play the hole with what I feel is the best way to go out and attack.
“Yes, the driver will be dusted by the end of the week”
Top Dodgers prospect Josue De Paula spoke ahead of his highly anticipated Major League debut after receiving a surprise call-up directly from Double-A. “You’re...
Josue De Paula celebrated his first National League West championship just days after making his major league debut with the Dodgers. De Paula described...
