Rory McIlroy slammed by PGA Tour member over reason he's currently playing in India

Kevin Kisner has slammed Rory McIlroy's reason for playing at the DP World India Championship, claiming he's only there to collect a reported $10million (£7.5m).

McIlroy entered the tournament one short of equalling Colin Montgomerie’s record of eight Race to Dubai wins, and it appears the two-time Masters champion will have to wait to reach that number.

On day three, the Northern Irishman dropped 10 shots off the lead and is completely out of contention as Eugenio Chacarra, the man he's chasing for the title, leads the India Championship heading into the fourth and final round.

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Why Rory McIlroy is playing in India as Kevin Kisner questions his reason

McIlroy is one of several huge stars promoting the tournament in India, joining the likes of Tommy Fleetwood and Justin Rose.

Earlier this week, the 37-year-old signed a multi-year deal to become Global Ambassador for UAE logistics company DP World, who became the title sponsor of the European Tour in November 2021.

“That’s why I’m proud to announce I’m joining DP World as Global Golf Ambassador. Excited to push the boundaries of performance together, backed by world-leading smart end-to-end logistics," McIlroy said in an announcement on social media after confirming his partnership with them.

McIlroy remains one of the most iconic names and biggest travellers in the sport. In 2026 alone, he's played in the USA, England, Scotland, Ireland, Australia, Dubai and India.

He's previously spoken about the importance of growing the game globally, but fellow PGA Tour star Kevin Kisner isn't buying that reason as to why he's competing in India, claiming he's only there for the financial benefits.

"That is such a dog s*** comment, but I guess for the right price we could all say that comment,” Kisner said on the Fore Play Podcast.

“He doesn’t want to globally expand in India; he wants to get his 10 million bucks and go play in India.

“I know there are a pile of guys who got paid for that event. How else would you get that event in India with eight billion people in the middle of the city?

“And Rory’s not even hitting a driver this week. You think he wants to go play a tournament where he can’t use his No. 1 weapon? So give me a break.”

The lucrative event is worth a reported $10million (£7.5m) to McIlroy without factoring in prize money from the event itself.

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DP World India Championship prize money breakdown

McIlroy controversially left his driver in his hotel room this week ahead of his return to action after two weeks, and given he's 10 shots off the lead, that is looking like a questionable decision.

Tommy Fleetwood won the inaugural event a year ago, and several are in the running to win the title heading into the final day, with Chacarra leading by two strokes on 14 under.

Angel Hidalgo, Joost Luiten (-12), Adrian Meronk, Scott Jamieson and Daniel Hillier (-11) are all strong contenders to usurp the Spaniard, but just how much is the tournament worth?

Here is a breakdown of what prize money the top 20 players get:

Winner - $680,000

2nd: $440,000

3rd: $252,000

4th: $200,000

5th: $169,600

6th: $140,000

7th: $120,000

8th: $100,000

9th: $89,600

10th: $80,000

11th: $73,600

12th: $68,800

13th: $64,400

14th: $61,200

15th: $58,800

16th: $56,400

17th: $54,000

18th: $51,600

19th: $49,600

20th: $47,000

Play will restart at 6.35am local time on Sunday.