Five hidden reasons behind Rory McIlroy’s surprise entry into $4m India Championship
At the end of a career-defining year, the decision of Rory McIlroy to travel to India does not, on the face of it, make a great deal of sense.
At the start of 2025 the Northern Irishman told the BBC: “Winning the Masters, winning an Olympic medal and another away Ryder Cup, they are my three goals for the rest of my career.”
As the year hurries towards a close he has achieved two of those three aims and many might expected him to take an extended break this winter.
But, in addition to playing this week’s DP World Tour Championship at Delhi GC, McIlroy will also compete in December’s Australia Open.
It contrasts markedly with the schedule of Jon Rahm who, after a downbeat performance in last week’s Open de Espana, announced he would not be seen again on a golf course until 2026.
What are McIlroy’s motivations for taking a different route?
There are perhaps five so let’s look at them in order.
1. Regaining purpose
Winning the Masters took its toll on McIlroy.
He was not only completing a lifelong dream in triumphing at Augusta National, he was also exorcising memories of past failures there, ending a 14-year major championship drought and completing the Career Grand Slam.
At the year’s next major, the PGA Championship, he said: “I think everyone saw how hard having a north star and getting over the line is.”
So began a season-long attempt to come to terms with not only what he had achieved but also how to reset his career.
“I dreamed as a child of becoming the best player in the world and winning all the majors,” he said. “I’ve done that.”
At the RBC Canadian Open, he admitted: “Grinding on the range for three or four hours every day is maybe a little tougher than it used to be.”
And when he got to the U.S. Open he said: “You dream about the final putt going in at the Masters, but you don’t think about what comes next.”
When asked if he had a plan for the future he could only reply: “I don’t have one. I have no idea. I’m taking it tournament by tournament at this point.”
It was only when he reached the Scottish Open that he began to get to grips with his task.
“It’s amazing what two weeks of detachment can do for you, sitting there being with your own thoughts for a while,” he said. “I don’t want the Masters to be my last great moment in the game. There’s plenty more that I can do.”
So he’s been trying to come to terms with the state of his life – and that informs his decision to head to new places.
2. The Fatigue and Federer Factor
At this year’s BMW PGA Championship, McIlroy talked of his end-of-year schedule.
“You know, I don’t want to name a tournament, but when you’re going back to the same place and experiencing the same thing 15 or 20 years in a row, it can get a little bit monotonous and a little bit tedious.
“I had a chat with Roger Federer a few years ago at the end of his career. He was saying he wanted to go and play a lot of the places he could never play in his career, some of the smaller events where not a lot of people had seen him play.
“I think as time goes on and I get to this stage of my career, I get excited about doing that sort of thing.
3. Seeing the world
But why India specifically?
“I want to go and play in different places in the world, and experience things that I haven’t experienced before,” he said at Wentworth. “To travel to India for the first time, that excites me.
“At this point I want to play in the locations that I love to go to, and I want to play the majors and the Ryder Cup. That’s it. I’ll obviously do my bit to make sure I keep my membership on certain tours, but I’m going to play where I want to play.
“I feel like I burdened myself with the Career Grand Slam stuff, and now I want to enjoy the last decade or whatever of my career.”
4. Nostalgia
In September he told The Guardian: “There are times that I yearn for a little anonymity and having a quieter life.”
He also admitted that being well-known comes with the quest he has set for himself so he has to accept it.
But he also referred back to the early years of his professional career, talking of, “a simpler time in life where I was just so happy to travel the world and play golf.”
5. Appearance fee
Yes, let’s also face it: he’s won the Career Grand Slam and that gives him huge potential in terms of appearance fees.
He’ll want for nothing in India and Australia.
He’ll have a great time and he’ll leave having made a lot of money wherever he finishes on the leaderboard.
