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Rory McIlroy breaks new ground by playing in India this week as he makes his comeback to competition for the initial occasion since the prestigious team event.

While the golf superstar widens his competitive experience, the European golf circuit enters the final phase of this year's Race to Dubai. McIlroy is in pole position to secure the annual championship for the fourth consecutive year and seventh time overall.

There are only three additional tournaments after the Indian event; the subsequent week's Genesis Championship in Korean venue - which wraps up the second half of the schedule - and then the final two tournaments in the Arabian region.

These particular big money 'play-off' events in Abu Dhabi and Dubai are reserved for the top 70 and then top 50 in the standings.

But for players such as Tommy Fleetwood and Shane Lowry, who are also in this week's field in the subcontinent, there is less pressure than you might imagine.

Comfortably outside the top 70, at initial inspection it would appear both require high finishes from their trip to the Delhi Golf Club to keep alive their campaigns. Yet, in fact, they are already assured of their positions in Abu Dhabi and the final event.

This is due to a little publicised but practical exception whereby participants of Europe's Ryder Cup team are also considered qualified for the upcoming season finale events.

Fleetwood, who triumphed in the PGA Tour's play-offs with his stirring win at the season-ending event in Atlanta, sits ninety-fourth in the European tour's season-long table. Lowry, who sank the putt that secured the team trophy, is one hundred fifty-fifth.

Other European team-mates who can potentially benefit are Ludvig Aberg (seventy-second) and Straka (147th).

This could question the integrity of a play-off system, which by nature is supposed to bring intense competitive jeopardy, but this scenario also demonstrates practical considerations faced by the Wentworth-based DP World Tour.

They are dependent on major sponsors such as the title partner, who are also the naming sponsors of this week's event in India. They need the biggest stars at their premier tournaments to justify the investment, which runs to substantial funding.

The talented golfer has enjoyed one of his most successful seasons, highlighted by his first win on American soil at East Lake just under two months ago.

He is one of European golf's elite players and, honestly, it would be inconceivable to stage the upcoming season climax without him.

Common sense overrides pure competition, even though the world number five - a local resident - has reserved his strongest showings for events that do not count on his home tour.

The Englishman has so far played only four DP World Tour events and been unable to place in the leading twenty at any of them; the Middle Eastern event, UK tournament, BMW PGA Championship or Alfred Dunhill Links Championship.

Major championships also count on the Race to Dubai and his share of 16th at the British Open was his only top 20 in the big four tournaments. However on the US tour he enjoyed seven placements in the top five.

Fleetwood was also the team's highest contributor at Bethpage last month. It seems ridiculous for him not to be participating with the circuit's top performers at the end of the season.

Although in the previous era the PGA and European tours were deadly rivals they are now inextricably linked thanks to the cooperative partnership that supports European tour prize funds.

While Marco Penge, last week's winner of the Spanish Open, has positioned himself in close pursuit as his closest rival at the top of the Race to Dubai, much of the attention for the rest of the season will have an US focus.

The storyline will be driven by the scramble for ten spots on the PGA Tour for those who do not already have playing rights in the US. The rising star, with three DPWT wins, is guaranteed of what is generally considered as advancement to the American tour.

The Lancashire golfer, who also secured invites to the Masters and Open with his Spanish success, is not in the India field but will mount a final push to try to overtake the leader at the peak of the rankings.

Meanwhile Dan Brown, the player the champion defeated in the Madrid play-off, is one of several British golfers in the midst of the competition for a 2026 PGA card.

Northern golfer Parry and the Bath duo of Jordan Smith and Laurie Canter also presently hold positions that would yield a valuable opportunity for the coming season.

Some observers see this development as proof that the DP World Tour is now nothing more than a development tour for the larger circuit on the other side of the pond.

However the organization argue it is a crucial system that supports their tour calendar, a necessary and attractive element that optimizes competitive chances for its members.

Undoubtedly this is the time of the year where the realities and compromises of men's professional golf seem at their clearest display.