“I’d love to go and see a game of cricket. I don’t think there’s anything on until next month maybe. I’d love to come back and do that. I mean, I love sitting down and watching Test matches. I’m going to be in Australia later this year, and The Ashes is going to be on. So that’s something I’m quite excited about – I don’t think I’ll be able to get to a game but I’d love to do that,” the Northern Irishman said.

The glitz of the Indian Premier League (IPL) has got him hooked too. A few minutes into his media interaction on Wednesday, he enquired when the next edition of IPL would begin. Then, there’s the Taj Mahal and a long overdue trip to the DLF course in Gurugram, known for its challenging greens and daunting design. “I’d love to play the DLF. I think it’s become this infamous golf course around the world, just the bunkering, and that 17th hole seems to be an absolute menace of a golf hole. I’d love to get there and play at some point. I don’t think I’ll be able to make it happen this week,” he said.

That’s because this week McIlroy will be the star attraction at the DP World India Championship, boasting of a prize purse of $4million. “I guess my immediate thing that I’m hoping for right now is to play a good first two days at least and make the cut for the weekend. Hopefully, I will enjoy the weekend after that,” he said.

“India is a very vibrant place. I haven’t had a chance to see a lot of the country or a lot of the city, but the welcome has been incredible and everyone that I’ve met has been wonderful. I’m excited to play a golf tournament in a place that I’ve never played before.

“Eighteen-odd years into a professional career and to still be able to do things for the first time is something that excites me. I’ve watched tournaments on this golf course over the years on TV, and the course certainly lives up to its reputation. I think over the last few years, I’ve enjoyed it even more. I’ve enjoyed the travel. I’ve enjoyed getting to play in front of people that I’ve never played in front of before,” said McIlroy, who likes to read Greek mythology as a means to achieve stoicism.

McIlroy’s encomiums are no exaggeration. He has been the toast of the veritable golfing town ever since he touched down here. From aspiring golfers to seasoned pros to grizzly veterans of the DGC, everyone seems to want a piece of him. As for the course, the world No.2 seems to have had the measure of it after his Pro Am.

Hitting straight, he said, will be important as will be the short game. Not surprisingly, he invoked SSP Chawrasia, who won the 2016 Indian Open and the 2008 Indian Masters, here.

For world No.5 Tommy Fleetwood, staying in the moment will be the key. Fleetwood ended his long wait for a PGA win this year, and the spells of disappointment have only turned him wiser.

“Whatever happens, what’s the point in letting it have a negative effect on whatever happens next? It’s just pointless,” he said.

“There are times when I’ve played tournaments and I’ve been really happy finishing 20th because I had a good Sunday. So, there’s so much good there, that that’s the stuff you should focus on,” Fleetwood added.

A good Sunday indeed is what they’ll be hoping for.