DP World India Championship 2026 preview picks analysis

Tommy Fleetwood returns to defend his India Championship title this week and will look back with great memories on how he felt 12 months ago. He had finally broken his duck on the PGA Tour, winning the season-ending Tour Championship and the FedEx Cup, then helping Europe to a famous Ryder Cup victory on American soil before rounding it all off with a famous win in India that saw him climb inside the top five in the world rankings.

Fleetwood joined several of his victorious Ryder Cup team-mates at the inaugural DP World India Championship, where he claimed a two-shot win before celebrating victory on the 18th green with his son Frankie for the first time.

It was his eighth DP World Tour title but first since January 2024.

"I apply myself in trying to achieve the best possible at all times, and there's plenty of times where things haven't gone my way," Fleetwood said after his win. "The last two tournaments I've been in contention, I've won, so maybe things are starting to even out a little bit.

"Not being where I want to be, in terms of the Order of Merit and things and how I've played when I have played this tour, was something that was bothering me. This means a lot, this win.

"I'm really looking forward to getting home and practising and preparing for those last two events and seeing what we can do in those. I really wanted to qualify for those last events and there was that sort of added pressure as well."

Tommy Fleetwood

(Image Credit: Kevin Diss Photography)

After this week, only the Genesis Championship remains before the season-ending playoffs in Abu Dhabi and Dubai and that means many players are drinking at the last-chance saloon as they try to keep their playing privileges.

Not that any of that will concern the likes of Rory McIlroy, Ryan Fox, Patrick Reed, Eugenio Chacarra, Casey Jarvis, Aaron Rai, Min Woo Lee and Justin Rose.

Rose is a 12-time DP World Tour winner who seems to improve with age. He is now 46, easily the oldest player in the top 20 in the world rankings. But it may surprise you to learn that his most recent victory on his home tour came eight long years ago.

The second edition of this tournament has drawn an all-star cast.

Naturally, the big attraction is McIlroy, who is eyeing a record-equalling eighth Race to Dubai title and has closed the gap on Patrick Reed, who has led the way for most of the season after an incredible start to the year in which he won twice and also finished second.

McIlroy made a successful defence of his Masters title in April but otherwise has had a pretty poor season by his own very high standards. He was third at the Dubai Invitational back in January, tied seventh at the Scottish Open and tied second at the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth. He is breathing down Reed’s neck in the Race to Dubai but a win here would change everything. And he is due another victory.

The top 70 in the Race to Dubai will be heading to Abu Dhabi and ahead of the Open de Espana there were still some surprising names struggling to secure their places. These included Tom McKibbin (89th), Thomas Detry (96), Viktor Hovland (98), Marco Penge (95), Nicolai Hojgaard (103) and Rasmus Hojgaard (108).

Of course, Penge and Rasmus Hojgaard have rather more pressing business on their minds as they attempt to retain their playing rights on the PGA Tour, while McKibbin and Detry have attempted to mix their time between the tour and LIV, with limited success. Detry has already made it clear that if he fails to finish in the top 100 then he will be heading to qualifying school, and if that fails he is prepared to spend 2027 on the HotelPlanner Tour.

However, it is a testimony to Hovland’s commitment to the DP World Tour that he is giving it everything to make it to the playoffs.

The problem is that he says he is really unhappy with his game. In truth, there is nothing new here. This is the golfer who won the FedEx Cup and then decided it would be a good idea to rebuild his swing - with disastrous results.

Tournament Winners:

Tommy Fleetwood won the inaugural event 12 months ago.

The Course:

Delhi Golf Club was established in the 1930s and was redesigned by Peter Thomson in 1977. It is heavily tree-lined. It is a par 72 measuring 6,912 yards and puts a premium on accuracy from the tee.

Form Guide:

Would you bet against Rory McIlroy adding yet another title to his glittering collection? He is surely ready for another victory.

Prize Money:

Total prize money is $4m, with 5,000 Race to Dubai points awarded to the winner along with 1,500 Ryder Cup points.

How to Watch:

Thursday, October 15, Sky Sports Golf, 6.30am; Friday, October 16, Sky Sports Golf, 7.30am; Saturday, October 17, Sky Sports Golf, 7.30am; Sunday, October 18, Sky Sports Golf, 7am.