DLF Golf and Country Club was a stern test for the world-class field at the International Series India presented by DLF last week. In the end only four players managed to finish the 72 holes in red figures: the winner Ollie Schniederjans (-10), Bryson DeChambeau (-6), Joaquin Niemann (-4) and Abraham Ancer (-4).

The unforgiving par 72 course was set up to maximum difficulty level, with trouble left and right off the tee plus firm and fast greens. This combined with difficult pin positions meant the cut was made at a whopping eight over par.

The 2020 and 2024 U.S. Open champion DeChambeau jokingly called it “diabolic” in a press conference before the tournament started. The average score for the week was 75.084, and the back nine played almost a shot and a half higher than the front at 38.255 verses 36.829. There were 1,073 birdies, 31 eagles and one albatross made during the week, but also 1,357 bogies, 308 doubles and 78 triples or higher.

Bryson Dechambeau. Picture by Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour.

Former PGA Tour player Schniederjans of the United States won the tournament by playing the difficult back nine much better than any of his closest challengers, posting scores of 35, 33, 33 and 34, for a total of nine under par, while DeChambeau played it in two over par and Niemann and Ancer in three over par. A staggering difference.

The winner excelled on the tricky greens at DLF topping the stats for both Putts per Round and Putts per Greens in Regulation (GIR) with 26.25 and 1.617 respectively. He also led the field with 23 birdies, three more than compatriot Chase Koepka who was second with 20. Schniederjans other statistic were: GIR 65.28% (T21), Driving Distance 285.33 yards (51^st) and Fairways Hit 51.79% (T64).

Fellow American DeChambeau did not have his best week on the greens ranking T15 and 37^th in Putts per Rounds and Putts per GIR with 29.5 and 1.784 respectively. However, posted good numbers in GIR where he ranked T4 with 70.83%. As demanding as the course was off the tee he would not have been able to use his immense power to his full advantage, but still had an impressive Driving Distance average of 310.88 yards ranking fifth while hitting 67.86% of the fairways for T19.

Chilean Niemann, who led after the second round, would have had a better chance to challenge for the title if not for a disastrous 77 in the third round, where he played the treacherous back nine in six-over-par 42. The reigning International Series Rankings champion was joint top of the fewest number of bogeys or worse table with 10, along with DeChambeau, and had a great week off the tee and into the greens, ranking T4 in GIR with 70.83%, second in Driving Distance with 313.25 yards and T13 in Fairways Hit with 69.64%.

Joaquin Niemann. Picture By Ian Walton/Asian Tour.

Unfortunately, his putting stats left a lot to be desired, ranking T50 in Putts per Round with 31 and 52^nd in Putts per GIR with 1.863.

Mexico’s Ancer posted four solid rounds of 72, 71, 71 and 72 and was the only player other than Schniederjans to not shoot a round over par at DLF. He had a good week with his approach game ranking T8 in GIR with 69.44%, but didn’t rank inside the top 10 in any of the other major stat categories. In both Putts per Round and Putts per GIR he ranked T29 with 30 and 1.76 respectively, 20^th in Driving Distance with 298.38 yards and T13 in Fairways Hit with 69.64%.

Statistics Categories leaders at the International Series India presented by DLF (of players making the cut):

• Putts per Round – Ollie Schniederjans (US): 26.25
• Putts per GIR – Ollie Schniederjans (US): 1.617
• GIR – Maverick Antcliff (AUS), Danthai Boonma: 73.61%
• Fairways Hit – Karandeep Kochhar: 80.36%
• Driving Distance – Scott Hend (AUS): 321.88 yards
• Most Eagles – Manav Shah (USA): 3
• Most Birdies – Ollie Schniederjans (US): 23
• Fewest Bogies or Worse: Kazuki Higa (JPN), Joaquin Niemann (CHI), Bryson DeChambeau (USA), Chonlatit Chuenboonngam (THA) 10
• Scrambling: Chonlatit Chuenboonngam (THA) 73.33%