When international sporting icons are well-read, well-informed, and possess nice communication abilities, listening to them turns into not solely a pleasurable expertise but in addition pure schooling.
Certainly, Rory McIlroy and Tommy Fleetwood are the prize catches of the inaugural $4m DP World India Championship. If the previous World No. 1 Rory is right here, armed with a uncommon profession Grand Slam after profitable this 12 months’s Masters, Fleetwood arrives as the distinguished FedEx Cup winner.
Blessed with the particular ability units on the golf course, additionally they share their inclination for issues religious.
On a lighter vein, Rory stated, “Look, there’s little or no I haven’t tried to win the Masters (laughs). If I heard that they had good concepts on the moon, I might most likely learn these, too,” however shortly added, “I gravitate extra in the direction of stoicism and the traditional Greeks and that kind of stuff. ”
On his half, Fleetwood stated, “I bear in mind this enormous part… throughout the worst interval of golf that I had, meditation was an enormous a part of all the selections that I made to attempt to get my recreation again. I nonetheless try this to at the present time. I could be a bit sporadic with it, however I actually really feel prefer it’s a strong device, and I really feel prefer it’s essential.”
“Through the worst interval of golf that I had, meditation was an enormous a part of all the selections that I made to attempt to get my recreation again.” – Tommy Fleetwood.
| Picture Credit score:
SHIV KUMAR PUSHPAKAR
“Through the worst interval of golf that I had, meditation was an enormous a part of all the selections that I made to attempt to get my recreation again.” – Tommy Fleetwood.
| Picture Credit score:
SHIV KUMAR PUSHPAKAR
As soon as off the course and given a selection, Rory would have beloved to look at a cricket match in India and in addition, go sightseeing with Taj Mahal expectedly topping his listing of preferences.
“I’d like to go watch a cricket match, an IPL match. I don’t assume there’s something on till subsequent month possibly. I’d love to come back again and try this. I really like sitting down and watching Take a look at matches. I’m going to be in Australia later this 12 months, when the Ashes goes to be on. In order that’s one thing I’m fairly enthusiastic about — I don’t assume I’ll have the ability to get to a recreation however I’d love to try this.”
Speaking about Taj Mahal, the 36-year previous from Northern Eire stated, “I’d love to come back again at a while in years to come back, deliver again the household and expertise that collectively.
“It’s clearly a really huge nation, and there’s lots to see. We’re simply round Delhi, however when you head south, you will see that numerous different fantastic locations. I hear the southwest coast is gorgeous. There’s a lot to see.”
Returning to golf, Rory sounded pragmatic. “I’m hoping to play a superb two days, no less than be right here for the weekend and hopefully benefit from the weekend after that.”
READ: DP World India Championship: A chance like by no means earlier than for the home-grown aspirants
However how does he deal with the course the place, contemplating the punishing bushes lining the fairways, the significance of touchdown within the pitching areas stays paramount, Rory stated, “I don’t assume I’ll hit a driver this week. I simply don’t really feel like the chance is definitely worth the reward. I’d reasonably depart myself two or three golf equipment again and hit a 7-iron right into a par 4 as an alternative of hitting a wedge the place when you simply get it off-line right here and the ball is gone. You’re hitting it into the jungle and also you’re not going to have the ability to get it out. You may rack up a really huge quantity in a short time.
“So, being strategic and being good along with your play off the tee, particularly, is essential. I can see why S. S. P. Chawrasia (winner of the 2008 Indian Masters right here on the DGC) has executed so effectively round right here. You simply hold hitting it down the center, hit it 260-250-260 yards each single time, and when you try this, then you are able to do very effectively round this golf course.”
Fleetwood, whose lengthy look ahead to a PGA title led to August, mirrored on his technique in coping with success and disappointments.
“When issues are going effectively, one of many hardest issues that any sports activities individual has to take care of is their very own expectations. You must handle your individual expectations. Like I say, various things have totally different challenges.
“You recognize, I’ve missed out on profitable so many instances that I at all times knew that I wasn’t going to let one win change something. My recreation remains to be what it was and the place it was the week earlier than Atlanta. And even on Sunday, my recreation remains to be the identical, even once I walked off the 18th inexperienced, and I do know I’ve to enhance to be the very best participant I really feel like I will be. I simply need to hold engaged on that.”
This week, belief Rory and Fleetwood to deliver out their finest to take care of a course that poses a really totally different form of problem for any first-timer. Equally, they want no reminding that they’ve a status to guard.
Printed on Oct 15, 2025