Rory McIlroy and his love for curries would probably be the last thing you would have thought of hearing. But it is not. Apparently, the five-time major winner has an appetite for a good, hearty curry. Anirban Lahiri, attending the DP World India Championship in New Delhi, recently revealed a West Palm Beach’s exclusive insider information regarding this.

Lahiri, attending the press conference at Delhi Golf Club, was asked about the time Rory McIlroy and he were in West Palm Beach. McIlroy, interestingly, had approached Lahiri and asked if he could teach him and his wife, Erica Stoll, the recipe. To this, Lahiri narrated the actual incident. “I mean, he’s Irish, and most people from that part of the world get exposed to curries. I wouldn’t call them Indian by any stretch of the imagination,” he said sarcastically.

The story’s backdrop involves a small gathering hosted by Lahiri in his West Palm home. Friends like Camilo Villegas, Jamie Lovemark, and Keegan Bradley were the usual attendants.”I think we had just hosted a few of our friends in West Palm: Camilo and Jamie Lovemark, and Keegan, and a lot of them, when I was living there, and obviously word got out that the curry was amazing, so I’m sure they would have heard,” Lahiri further continued.

This likely triggered McIlroy’s culinary interest, and he could not stop himself from approaching the LIV golfer.

“Rory and I used to play and practise at the Bear’s Club, so one of those days he’s hitting balls and I’m hitting balls, and he came up to me because obviously he enjoys a good curry. I’m still he’ll get his fill this week,” says the LIV golfer who has faced the Irishman on the pro course on several occasions. From the 2015 DP World Tour Championship, where McIlroy triumphed while Lahiri got a T34 finish, to the 2016 Masters and 2017 PGA Championship.

Moreover, the Bear Club, as any golf enthusiast would know, is a swanky, guard-gated enclave in Jupiter, Florida. Like Lahiri’s other friends, McIlroy too has been living in the area for much of the past decade. The area is a golfer’s haven with world-class courses, luxurious real estate, warm weather, and, of course, zero state income tax. So no wonder these guys living in such proximity would host parties now and then, some of them involving a rich, spicy-filled curry.

What is more fun is to imagine the very disciplined McIlroy, whose food likely involves high-protein, gluten-free meals like fillet steaks, grilled chicken, seafood, and so on, getting his mouth watered for an Indian curry. While he has previously talked about his love for Domino’s pizza, dark chocolates, and a well-poured glass of Opus One, this ‘curry love’ definitely stands out.

One can only imagine Rory and Erica jotting down the recipe to try at home. Whether it ever matched Lahiri’s version is anyone’s guess, but knowing them, the spice was probably dialed down a few notches. Either way, as Lahiri points out, Rory can always try his luck this week in India with some authentic curry

Meanwhile, he is not the only golfer who is a sucker for good Indian food.

Golf stars keep eyeing India and its food

If Rory McIlroy surprised you with his love for Indian curry, the next few names will take that surprise up a few levels.

American golfer and former Ryder Cup captain Zach Johnson once admitted that he could not stop thinking about Indian cuisine. Speaking exclusively to Golf Digest India back in 2014, Johnson revealed his love for tandoori-grilled dishes, korma, saag, lentils, and, of course, a good curry – preferably spicy (impressive).

He shared how he kept looking for an Indian restaurant but could not find one. “Every week I try to find an Indian restaurant because I love Indian food…Obviously, the Indian naan bread is great, and I love the Indian mixed vegetables. It just seems fresh to me. There is actually a really good one (Indian restaurant) right down the street near a golf course.”

Joining Zohnson, Tommy Fleetwood is another name who has an appetite for Indian food. Like McIlroy, Fleetwood too will be competing at the Delhi Golf Club for the DP World India Championship, and he can’t wait to try Indian food. “I can’t wait to get back to Delhi for the DP World India Championship. It’s such an amazing place — the people, the food,” he said recently.

Fleetwood, who played a significant role in propelling Europe to the Ryder Cup victory (15-13), had a great year, with his first PGA Tour victory at the TOUR Championship. At the same time, he is currently enjoying a career-high rank of 5 on the OWGR.

This surely calls for a celebration. And what better way to do it than with some good Indian food and its legendary curries?