Rory McIlroy sits four off the lead despite leaving driver in clubhouse in India

By Carl Markham, PA

Rory McIlroy’s decision to leave the driver in his locker did not affect his ability to score as he carded six birdies around the narrow Delhi Golf Club but was let down by three bogeys in the opening round of the DP World India Championship.

The world number two got off to an ideal start by chipping in from the fringe at his first hole, the 10th, but his difficulties began at the next where he three-putted and then failed to get up and down for back-to-back bogeys.

Despite the absence of the longest club in his bag, McIlroy had no problems birdieing the two par fives to turn in one under and he picked up three more shots over the next seven holes.

However, he bogeyed the 522-yard eighth to finish with a three-under 69, four behind clubhouse leader Keita Nakajima.

“Dog (driver) was out of the bag, probably asleep in the locker. I was sort of thinking about it last night before I went to bed,” McIlroy said of his club selection in his post-round interview.

“Sometimes if you’re really conservative off a par-five today, you might have like a five-wood into the green, but I’m never going to hit driver.

“So I just thought I’ve got to two-iron, three-iron, four-iron all the way through, and then I’ve got a five-wood just in case I need to hit it for an approach shot on a par five.

“But I just don’t see any hole out there that I have to hit it more than say 260, 270 (yards) off the tee.

“It’s pretty tricky. You’re just really trying to be as conservative as possible off the tee and then trying to pick off birdies on the par fives and maybe pick up a couple more.”