There is something wonderfully circular about India’s Shubhankar Sharma walking back onto the Delhi Golf Club for the DP World India Championship, scheduled for October 15-18 at the storied golf course. This is the place where, as a young golfer, he spent hours learning the game, building memories and dreaming of playing on the biggest stages. He returns to the US$ 4 million event as one of India’s established international professionals who will rub shoulders with some of the world’s best, including three of the four reigning Major champions from 2026. In short, it is also a reminder of just how far the game has taken him.
The DP World India Championship, tickets for which are on sale now here, at District by Zomato, brings together a field that would quite easily make it one of the strongest outside of the Majors in 2026 and by far the strongest in Asia.
Sharma, for whom the DGC is woven into his golfing memories, the DP World India Championship is also an opportunity at home.
He said, “I am really looking forward to the DP World India Championship at DGC. It is a very, very special venue. Not just for me, but for all Indian players and we have been talking about it whenever we meet each other.
“I think the excitement is building up even amongst all the DP World Tour’s top players, many of whom came there last year and really liked that experience. I’ve heard from a lot of players and caddies who think that DGC is one of the best courses that they play all year, just because of the history and how old-school the golf course is. Those things count a lot for golfers.
“Also, the DP World India Championship within a year has become one of the biggest events of the year on tour. Three of the four major champions from this year are playing there, apart from a host of other superstars. So, it’s going to be a blockbuster event.”
Rory McIlroy, who won back-to-back Masters in 2025 and 2026, is back again as the headlining act. He is joined by Aaron Rai and Ryan Fox, and that means the Masters, PGA Championship and Open Champions will all be seen in action in Delhi. Add to them the defending champion of the DP World India Championship, Tommy Fleetwood.
Also teeing up will be Masters winner Patrick Reed, joined by heavyweights such as former US Open winner Justin Rose, Open winner Shane Lowry and many more.
Right in the middle of this constellation of stars will be Sharma, playing in front of a home crowd that adores him, on a course that feels far more familiar to him than it does to most of his illustrious rivals.
It has not been the easiest season for the Indian. His results have been less than modest as he went through a series of missed cuts. A shift in equipment, including new shafts in clubs, added another layer of adjustment. Yet, there have been glimpses that the game is not far away.
At the Omega European Masters in September, Sharma produced a superb six-under 64 in the opening round, going bogey-free and briefly reminding everyone of the player who once rose rapidly through the DP World Tour ranks. He eventually slipped back over the weekend, but those first 18 holes were an important reminder that the quality remains.
On what the event means for Indian players and fans, he added, “For us Indians, it means a lot. I don’t think I can say more. I can’t say enough about how special the event is and how special and iconic the venue is.”
“Personally, we’re looking forward to the event. I have some very special memories at the Delhi Golf Club, from my days as a kid, when I even attended a clinic by Ernie Els!”
“As for my own form, it has not been where I want it to be. Yet, I feel I am just one week from feeling the way I used to when I won on the DP World Tour or the Asian Tour or on the domestic Tour. Last year at the DGC I had a 66, I think on the second day and was striking it so well.”
“Right now, in my last few starts (this season), I think I have sorted out a few things. My game is trending as well. I’m putting together some good rounds. I just need to put all of them together – one week, four rounds – and I’m hoping I can do that here.”
He concluded, “Last year was the first time that such a big event was happening in India. So I was really happy and excited about the success of the event last year. Now it is going to be even bigger.”
“There’ll be a lot of people who will come and support. It is the biggest event in India ever, and the crowds make it even more special. Everyone in every club in India is looking forward to this event. The DP World Tour and the DP World PGTI have given it a premium feel.”
For Sharma, the field and the stage are not intimidating but a great opportunity. He knows what it feels like to belong at this level. He won twice on the DP World Tour as a 21-year-old and became one of the youngest Indians to win on the Tour. Now, as the DP World India Championship comes around for a second time, for Sharma it could even be the light at the end of the tunnel.
And Delhi could be the place where that light gets a little brighter, with Diwali, the Festival of Lights, just around the corner.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a press release)
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