NEW DELHI — Aaron Rai decided to don a coat as an extra layer of protection after yanking a tee shot into the jungle at the DP World India Championship.

Reigning PGA champion Rai was playing the par-four sixth hole at Delhi Golf Club on Friday when his tee shot turned over a tad too much and came to rest up against a bush to the left of the fairway. Typically, the primary threat to guard against is the animals inhabiting the course's wild areas, but Rai was concerned about razor-sharp thorns.

In 90F heat and sapping humidity, it was not a day for extra layers. But the Englishman smartly slipped into a jacket and protected his skin from being slashed. He punched out, but could not clear the thick rough and make it back to the fairway, falling victim to a punishing layout that Bob MacIntyre described as "absolute carnage."

With the coat now back in the bag, Rai did well to make a bogey after taking four shots to find the putting surface. He made a birdie at the par-five eighth — the penultimate hole of his round — to improve to three under for the week as he tried to climb into contention.

But he was suddenly at risk of missing the cut after needing to hit two provisional balls off the ninth tee. He sprayed his first two attempts into the trees on the right before finding the fairway with his third.

Call it bravery or foolishness, he used his driver for all three tee shots at a course where many players have left the big stick in the hotel room due to the extremely tight fairways.

He feared the first two balls were lost, meaning he would be hitting six from the fairway. But both balls were found in the undergrowth, and after taking an unplayable, he battled for a double bogey to drop to one under.

That will be good enough to make the cut, which is projected to land at level par, but Rai will rue his errant play off the tee as he fell further adrift of the leaders.

He is seven shots off the lead shared by Angel Hidalgo, Adrian Meronk, Joost Luiten and Thomas Detry after carding a two-over-par 74.

Rai will face a lengthy wait to tee off on Saturday, with half of the field yet to complete their second rounds after a five-hour thunderstorm on Thursday put the tournament behind schedule.

Twelve players did not see the course at all on Friday and will have to play 36 holes on Saturday if they make the cut.

Rai faced a similar challenge after only squeezing in four holes before darkness descended on Thursday. He returned at the crack of dawn on Friday to card a three-under-par 69 in his first round before a frustrating second loop.