New Delhi, India (AFP) — Rory McIlroy left the driver out of his bag as he made his debut in India with a three-under 69, but it was his Ryder Cup partner Shane Lowry who led after a superb 64 Thursday in the first round at the DP World India Championship in Delhi.

Lowry got up-and-down at the par-five 18th hole, despite a stray dog delaying his final putt, to complete a flawless eight-under-par round which included five straight birdies from the 11th.

The Irishman led a packed leaderboard by one stroke from Keita Nakajima of Japan who, like Lowry, rolled in eight birdies but dropped a shot at the sixth in his seven-under 65.

Lowry missed the cut last week in Spain on his return to action after the Ryder Cup but it was McIlroy’s first outing since inspiring the European team to glory in New York, albeit on a vastly different course to Bethpage Black.

The stunning Lodhi course at the historic Delhi Golf Club is a par-72 layout that is short by modern standards, at less than 7,000 yards, but is studded with the ruins of ancient tombs dating back to the Mughal Empire.

Its narrow fairways are bordered by treacherous dense vegetation on a course that is a throwback to a bygone golfing era, rewarding accuracy rather than distance.

“I feel like this type of golf course suits me,” said Lowry, the 2019 British Open champion.

“I spend half the year moaning about golf courses that are too wide. So when I get to somewhere like here, I need to take advantage and I did that today.”

“Hopefully I can keep doing that for the rest of the week.”