McIlroy seeks Race to Dubai gain at $4m India Championship

Rory McIlroy said the $4 million India Championship, which starts on Thursday, gives him a chance to narrow Patrick Reed’s Race to Dubai lead, the Times of India reported on Oct. 15.

The Oct. 15 news article said McIlroy, ranked World No. 2, is also pursuing Colin Montgomerie’s record of eight European Order of Merit titles, adding stakes beyond this week’s prize.

“Eugenio (Chacarra) jumped over me to second place last week in Spain. With Patrick missing the cut last week, I think this is really a good opportunity this week to cut into that lead and head to the Middle East in a really good spot,” McIlroy said, according to the article.

The event at Delhi Golf Club sits before the Middle East leg of the Race to Dubai schedule, making it a positioning week for players chasing the season title. The article identified Reed as the standings leader and said he played in Wednesday’s Pro-Am.

McIlroy framed his season goals more broadly. “Obviously the Majors will always be important. I want to make the Ryder Cup team,” he said.

He also described managing commitments across tours: “There’s international golf, but obviously the bulk of my play is in America.”

Tommy Fleetwood, identified by the article as the defending champion, is also in the field. The Times of India said McIlroy and Fleetwood were due to tee off together in the morning as tournament play begins on Thursday.

Source: news article, The Times of India, Oct. 15, 2026