Rory and Fleetwood—Raring to flourish, with reputation to protect
When global sporting icons are well-read, well-informed, and possess fine communication skills, listening to them becomes not only a pleasurable experience but also pure education.
Indeed, Rory McIlroy and Tommy Fleetwood are the prize catches of the inaugural $4m DP World India Championship. If the former World No. 1 Rory is here, armed with a rare career Grand Slam after winning this year’s Masters, Fleetwood arrives as the prestigious FedEx Cup winner.
Blessed with the special skill sets on the golf course, they also share their inclination for things spiritual.
On a lighter vein, Rory said, “Look, there’s very little I haven’t tried to win the Masters (laughs). If I heard they had good ideas on the moon, I would probably read those, too,” but quickly added, “I gravitate more towards stoicism and the ancient Greeks and that sort of stuff. ”
On his part, Fleetwood said, “I remember this huge phase… during the worst period of golf that I had, meditation was a huge part of all the decisions that I made to try and get my game back. I still do that to this day. I might be a bit sporadic with it, but I really feel like it’s a powerful tool, and I feel like it’s very important.”
“During the worst period of golf that I had, meditation was a huge part of all the decisions that I made to try and get my game back.” – Tommy Fleetwood.
| Photo Credit:
SHIV KUMAR PUSHPAKAR
“During the worst period of golf that I had, meditation was a huge part of all the decisions that I made to try and get my game back.” – Tommy Fleetwood.
| Photo Credit:
SHIV KUMAR PUSHPAKAR
Once off the course and given a choice, Rory would have loved to watch a cricket match in India and also, go sightseeing with Taj Mahal expectedly topping his list of preferences.
“I’d love to go watch a cricket match, an IPL match. I don’t think there’s anything on until next month maybe. I’d love to come back and do that. I love sitting down and watching Test matches. I’m going to be in Australia later this year, when the Ashes is going to be on. So that’s something I’m quite excited about — I don’t think I’ll be able to get to a game but I’d love to do that.”
Talking about Taj Mahal, the 36-year old from Northern Ireland said, “I’d love to come back at some time in years to come, bring back the family and experience that together.
“It’s obviously a very big country, and there’s a lot to see. We’re just around Delhi, but if you head south, you will find a lot of other wonderful places. I hear the southwest coast is beautiful. There’s so much to see.”
Returning to golf, Rory sounded pragmatic. “I’m hoping to play a good two days, at least be here for the weekend and hopefully enjoy the weekend after that.”
READ: DP World India Championship: An opportunity like never before for the home-grown aspirants
But how does he tackle the course where, considering the punishing bushes lining the fairways, the importance of landing in the pitching areas remains paramount, Rory said, “I don’t think I’ll hit a driver this week. I just don’t feel like the risk is worth the reward. I’d rather leave myself two or three clubs back and hit a 7-iron into a par 4 instead of hitting a wedge where if you just get it off-line here and the ball is gone. You’re hitting it into the jungle and you’re not going to be able to get it out. You can rack up a very big number very quickly.
“So, being strategic and being smart with your play off the tee, especially, is very important. I can see why S. S. P. Chawrasia (winner of the 2008 Indian Masters here at the DGC) has done so well around here. You just keep hitting it down the middle, hit it 260-250-260 yards every single time, and if you do that, then you can do very well around this golf course.”
Fleetwood, whose long wait for a PGA title ended in August, reflected on his method in dealing with success and disappointments.
“When things are going well, one of the hardest things that any sports person has to deal with is their own expectations. You have to manage your own expectations. Like I say, different things have different challenges.
“You know, I’ve missed out on winning so many times that I always knew that I wasn’t going to let one win change anything. My game is still what it was and where it was the week before Atlanta. And even on Sunday, my game is still the same, even when I walked off the 18th green, and I know I have to improve to be the best player I feel like I can be. I just want to keep working on that.”
This week, trust Rory and Fleetwood to bring out their best to deal with a course that poses a very different kind of challenge for any first-timer. Equally, they need no reminding that they have a reputation to protect.
Published on Oct 15, 2025