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Rory McIlroy breaks new ground by playing in India this week as he returns to action for the initial occasion since the Ryder Cup.

As the golf superstar widens his golfing horizons, the DP World Tour enters the final phase of this year's season-long championship. McIlroy is in the leading spot to claim the season-long title for the fourth consecutive year and seventh time overall.

There are only three additional tournaments after the India Championship; the subsequent week's Genesis Championship in South Korea - which wraps up the second half of the tour calendar - and then the final two tournaments in the Middle East.

These big money 'play-off' events in the UAE capital and the emirate are exclusively available for the top 70 and then top 50 in the season rankings.

But for the likes of Fleetwood and Shane Lowry, who are also in this week's field in India, there is less pressure than you might imagine.

Sitting outside the top 70, at initial inspection it would appear both need high finishes from their trip to the Delhi Golf Club to keep alive their seasons. Yet, actually, they are guaranteed in advance of their places in the UAE and the final event.

This is due to a little publicised but practical exception whereby participants of the European squad are also considered qualified for the upcoming season finale events.

The English golfer, who triumphed in the American playoff series with his stirring win at August's Tour Championship in Atlanta, lies 94th in the European tour's season-long table. Lowry, who sank the winning stroke that retained the team trophy, is 155th.

Additional squad members who can potentially benefit are Ludvig Aberg (seventy-second) and Sepp Straka (147th).

This could question the integrity of a play-off system, which by definition is intended to bring intense high-stakes drama, but this situation also illustrates realities faced by the headquartered European circuit.

The tour is dependent on big backers such as the title partner, who are also the naming sponsors of this current tournament in the Asian nation. They need the top players at their premier tournaments to justify the investment, which amounts to substantial funding.

The talented golfer has enjoyed one of his most successful seasons, highlighted by his first win on US territory at the Atlanta course just under eight weeks past.

Fleetwood represents one of European golf's superstars and, frankly, it would be unthinkable to stage the 2025 season finale without him.

Practical considerations overrides competitive integrity, even though the top-ranked player - a Dubai resident - has reserved his strongest showings for tournaments that do not count on his domestic circuit.

The Englishman has so far played only four European tournaments and been unable to place in the top 20 at any tournament; the Middle Eastern event, Scottish Open, flagship event 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 sole high finish in the major events. But on the US tour he enjoyed seven top-five finishes.

The European star was also Europe's top points scorer at Bethpage last month. It seems absurd for him not to be taking his place alongside the circuit's top performers at the end of the campaign.

Although in the past the American and European circuits were fierce competitors they are now inextricably linked thanks to the cooperative partnership that supports European tour financial rewards.

As the English golfer, recent champion of the Open De Espana, has positioned himself in McIlroy's wing mirrors as his closest rival at the summit of the Race to Dubai, much of the attention for the rest of the season will have an US focus.

The narrative will be driven by the scramble for 10 places on the American circuit for those who do not currently possess playing rights in the United States. The rising star, with three DPWT wins, is assured of what is widely regarded as advancement to the US circuit.

The Clitheroe-based pro, who also guaranteed invitations to the Augusta National and Open with his Madrid victory, is not in the India field but will mount a final push to try to overhaul the leader at the peak of the rankings.

Meanwhile the English competitor, the man the champion defeated in the Madrid play-off, is one of four other Britons in the thick of the competition for a 2026 PGA card.

Yorkshireman Parry and the Bath duo of Smith and Canter also currently occupy positions that would provide a golden ticket for next year.

Some observers see this scenario as evidence that the DP World Tour is now nothing more than a feeder for big brother on the American continent.

However the DP World Tour argue it is a crucial system that underpins their tour calendar, a essential and attractive feature that maximises competitive chances for its members.

Undoubtedly this is the season period where the realities and necessary adjustments of elite golf competition seem at their clearest display.