The 2026 DP World India Championship takes place at Delhi Golf Club in New Delhi from October 15‑18 with a cast of big names bidding for victory.
The tournament returns for its second edition with a $4 million purse, the largest prize fund offered by a DP World Tour event in India.
Delhi Golf Club’s par‑72 layout measures 6,912 yards and features tight, densely tree-lined fairways. Accuracy and sensible positioning should be more important than outright distance.
Defending champion Tommy Fleetwood’s winning total of 22-under last year demonstrates the scoring opportunities are still available to players who control their long game.
Rory McIlroy heads the betting market, followed by Fleetwood, Aaron Rai, Shane Lowry, Min Woo Lee and Robert MacIntyre.
The championship is the penultimate event of the DP World Tour’s Back 9, adding further significance as players chase places in the season-ending Playoffs.
Current 2026 DP World India Championship Odds
| Player | Betting Odds |
|---|---|
| Rory McIlroy | 7.50 |
| Tommy Fleetwood | 9.00 |
| Aaron Rai | 15.00 |
| Shane Lowry | 15.00 |
| Min Woo Lee | 17.00 |
| Robert MacIntyre | 17.00 |
Leading DP World India Championship Contenders
Rory McIlroy
Rory McIlroy returns to India after finishing tied 26th in last year’s inaugural championship in New Delhi.
His first visit to Delhi offers a more encouraging picture than the finishing position alone suggests as McIlroy elected not to carry a driver and only had his putting prevent a stronger result.
If the world number 2 converts more of his chances this time, he has a clear route to going close to another victory.
Tommy Fleetwood
Tommy Fleetwood won the inaugural event at 22-under, closing with a seven-under 65 to beat Keita Nakajima by two shots.
That performance provides a proven blueprint for handling Delhi’s narrow fairways without sacrificing scoring opportunities.
Fleetwood’s title defence will depend on reproducing the balance of controlled positioning and accurate approaches that worked so effectively last year.
Aaron Rai
Aaron Rai looks particularly interesting on a course that places such a premium on finding fairways.
He did not play the inaugural championship, but Rai’s accuracy is a substantial reason to take his chances seriously.
If he combines his usual control with productive putting, Delhi should give him opportunities to challenge the favourites in what is the country of his parents’ birth.
Shane Lowry
Shane Lowry finished tied third at 18-under last year, four shots behind Fleetwood, and demonstrated that he can create plenty of birdie chances around this layout.
Lowry’s short-game quality adds another dimension to his challenge, particularly when missed fairways force players to recover rather than attack.
If he builds on last year’s performance and keeps himself close to the leaders from the opening round, he has a convincing case for another Sunday challenge.
Min Woo Lee
Min Woo Lee adds another prominent international contender to the leading group but Delhi’s narrow corridors make this a test of choosing the right moments to attack.
With four par 5s ranging from 507 to 556 yards, there are scoring opportunities available, but positioning remains essential.
Lee’s challenge will be taking advantage of those holes without allowing an ambitious strategy to create costly recovery shots elsewhere.
Robert MacIntyre
Robert MacIntyre completes the featured group and is one of six players inside the world’s top 25 taking part, underlining the quality assembled in New Delhi.
On a layout where accuracy can narrow the gap between players, his route to contention will be built on disciplined tee shots, controlled approaches and making the most of the accessible scoring holes.
James is an avid golfer and reviews golf equipment and new gear for GolfReviewsGuide.com as well as providing the latest golf news. You will find him on a golf course wherever possible.