Rory McIlroy trades slim fit for wide trousers in India

Image: Rory McIlroy at Delhi Golf Club during the week of the 2026 DP World India Championship. Photo: Getty Images, via CBS Sports.

Rory McIlroy arrived in New Delhi with a different silhouette. The fitted, tapered trousers that have been part of his golf wardrobe for years have made way for a wider grey pair with pleats and a straighter leg. It is a small change by golf standards, but on one of the sport's most recognisable players it immediately became part of the conversation.

The new look made its debut during the DP World India Championship at Delhi Golf Club. McIlroy paired the trousers with a white patterned Nike polo, white cap and white shoes. The colours are familiar. The volume through the leg is not.

Fleetwood provided the inspiration

McIlroy did not pretend the idea was entirely his own. In an interview shared by the DP World Tour, he said he had watched and admired Tommy Fleetwood's move towards wider trousers. McIlroy had already started wearing roomier fits away from the course and decided to try the same shape in competition.

There was no emergency alternative in the suitcase. McIlroy travelled to India without his usual trousers, even though he admitted the new fit was not quite right yet. The waist sits a little lower and the legs are slightly shorter than he normally wears. His verdict was concise: it is still "a work in progress".

That makes the experiment more interesting than a simple change of colour. McIlroy is not wearing an established uniform in a different shade. He is testing a new proportion in public, while still deciding where the waistband and hem should sit.

A practical choice in the Delhi heat

The wider shape also has a practical side. New Delhi is hot and humid during the tournament week, and more space around the legs allows for better airflow. On a long day that can matter, especially on a course where concentration is already under pressure.

Delhi Golf Club is narrow, heavily tree-lined and unusually demanding from the tee despite measuring only 6,912 yards. McIlroy left both his driver and 3-wood out of the bag, relying on a 5-wood, 2-iron and long irons to find position. The same week therefore produced two deliberate departures from his usual image: less power at the top of the bag and more fabric below the belt.

The trousers passed their first tournament test

McIlroy opened with a 70, two under par, in a first round interrupted by almost five hours of weather delays. He ended the day four shots behind leader Niklas Nørgaard. The DP World Tour's first-round report placed the sporting focus on the Race to Dubai, but visually the trousers remained difficult to ignore.

The timing is notable. Wider trousers have been returning to menswear for several years, while golf has largely held on to a narrow, technical fit. Fleetwood showed that a fuller leg can still look sharp on a modern tour player. McIlroy's version is less settled, but its slightly awkward first outing may be exactly what makes it feel genuine.

Whether the trousers survive beyond India is still unknown. McIlroy has not presented them as a permanent uniform, and the fit will probably change if they return. The direction, however, is clear. One of golf's most familiar wardrobes has loosened up, and Tommy Fleetwood can take some of the credit.

Read also: Can Rory McIlroy still catch the leaders at the Genesis Scottish Open?