The opening round at the DP World India Championship faced a nearly five-hour delay due to lightning. The siren went off at 11:04 am, and officials resumed play at 4:00 pm. With the inclement weather gone, stars like Rory McIlroy, Tommy Fleetwood, Robert MacIntyre, and others now face the consequences as management tries to cover the delay.

With the trio scheduled to begin their second rounds at 4:50 p.m. Friday, they may have little time to make significant progress before darkness interrupts play again. Now, the revised schedule leaves several of the biggest names with a potentially punishing weekend workload. In fact, 12 players, two groups from each side (front and back nine), won’t even tee up today.

“The final two groups on each side (35, 36, 47, 48) will not start their second round today,” The DP World Tour said.

Among those who won’t tee up on Friday are Ricardo Gouveia, Sebastian Garcia, Ross Fisher, Ryan Peake, Shaurya Bhattacharya, and others.

However, these guys still have it better than Rory McIlroy and others who will tee up only to play a few holes before play is suspended. With sunset listed at around 5:50 p.m. in Delhi, the clock is firmly against the late starters.

The marquee group of McIlroy, Fleetwood, and MacIntyre finished their first round yesterday despite the weather delay. The Northern Irishman and Fleetwood both carded two-under 70s, while the Scottish pro finished two strokes ahead of his playing partners with a four-under 68.

But they won’t be able to even complete nine holes today.

Many other players will tee off after the six-time major winner. This includes Laurie Canter, Nacho Elvira, Niklas Norgaard, and others.

If these players complete three or four holes on Friday, they will still have 14 or 15 holes left in the second round when they return on Saturday.

Suppose they make the cut, which is very likely for Rory McIlroy (T34), Fleetwood (T34), and MacIntyre (T16) if you look at their current standings. In that case, they could be playing around 30 holes if they have to complete their third rounds on Saturday.

That scenario remains conditional on the tournament’s eventual schedule and the players’ progress. However, it highlights how hectic Saturday could be for the leading names as officials try to make up for lost time.

McIlroy had already acknowledged the uncertainty after his opening round.

“So we’ll see how much we play tomorrow, we’re not sure,” the Northern Irishman said on Thursday. “But yeah, it’s a solid start and obviously still a lot of golf left to play.”

His late tee time has now turned that uncertainty into a practical concern.

The scheduling problems are not limited to players trying to climb the leaderboard. Niklas Nørgaard, who established the Thursday clubhouse lead with a six-under 66, is scheduled to begin his second round at 5:10 p.m. from the tenth tee.

That leaves around 40 minutes between his scheduled start and sunset. Like McIlroy, Nørgaard could have a substantial portion of his second round left when play resumes on Saturday.

The late tee times also affect India’s players. Om Prakash Chouhan opened with a four-under 68 to lead the Indian contingent and will tee off at 5:10 p.m. alongside Dylan Frittelli and Rikuya Hoshino.

A compressed Saturday is unusual but not without precedent. At the 2023 Masters, rain left the third round unfinished, forcing Jon Rahm and Brooks Koepka to play 30 holes on Sunday. Rahm recovered from a four-shot deficit to win the tournament, which finished on schedule over 72 holes.

The 2024 Wyndham Championship offered another example of an aggressive recovery effort. After Tropical Storm Debby disrupted the opening round, organizers compressed the closing stages into Sunday. Aaron Rai played 36 holes that day and won his first PGA Tour title. However, Matt Kuchar had to return on Monday to finish his final hole.

These examples show that a demanding schedule does not automatically derail a contender. However, they also demonstrate the limits of recovering lost playing time, particularly when daylight is scarce.

But Rory McIlroy and others face another challenge at the DP World India Championship.

MacIntyre has already described Delhi Golf Club’s setup in stark terms.

“It’s absolute carnage,” he said, highlighting the difficulty of the tee shots and the need for precision. McIlroy has also noted that the course is playing tougher than last year because of the longer rough.

This makes it harder to play consistently for 30 or more holes. Players may need to complete unfinished holes, reset mentally and physically, and then prepare for another competitive round.

For now, the immediate challenge is to get as much golf completed as the remaining daylight allows. With Rory McIlroy, Tommy Fleetwood, and Robert MacIntyre among those facing late starts, Saturday could become a race against both the clock and the course at the DP World India Championship.