Three competitors have pulled out of the DP World India Championship following the "absolute carnage" of the opening round's impact.

Andy Sullivan, Grant Forrest and Anthony Quayle withdrew on Friday after difficult first rounds at Delhi Golf Club. Sullivan cited illness, while Forrest and Quayle withdrew due to injuries. Rory McIlroy, who lost friendships over his stance on LIV Golf, is among the competitors in New Delhi.

The withdrawals follow a demanding opening day in India, where competition was halted for 5 hours due to an extended thunderstorm. Some competitors never teed off, and half the field returned at dawn on Friday to finish their first rounds.

One-time Ryder Cup player Sullivan finished seven over after an opening round featuring six bogeys and a double. He will leave with no points this week, dealing a significant setback to his aspirations of securing a PGA Tour card through the Race to Dubai rankings.

Scotsman Forrest, who claimed victory at last week's Spanish Open, struggled to overcome his post-win slump and withdrew after reaching six over par. Meanwhile, Australia's Quayle carded a nine-over-par 81.

Delhi Golf Club ranks among the most challenging venues on the circuit. The layout is exceptionally tight, with slender fairways bordered by thick rough and impenetrable jungle, severely punishing wayward shots.

However, players who find the fairways from the tee box encounter numerous birdie chances. This has created a divided leaderboard, with several competitors posting low scores while others have struggled badly. South Africa's Dylan Naidoo occupies last position following a 16-over-par 88.

Two-time Ryder Cup representative Bob MacIntyre performed considerably better than many competitors, posting a four-under-par 68 to trail 18-hole leader Niklas Norgaard by two strokes, though he admitted never feeling at ease on this challenging layout.

"It's absolute carnage," MacIntyre said. "It's tough. You've got to make sure you've managed the ball well, make sure you're on the fairway, because if you're not, it's really difficult. The rough's up. Greens are running fairly well; when you land on them, you're not spinning them, so it's tough to get near pins. It's an absolutely brutal test of golf. It's not long. It's a short, old-style golf course, but what a test.

"It's probably the most uncomfortable I've ever been on the majority of tee shots on par fours. Just knowing that if you hit a poor shot, you're going to be OK, but if you hit a bad shot, you're really punished, which I think that's the way it should be in golf.

"You should be severely punished if you hit a bad shot. But yes, I mean, 4-irons, 5-irons off the tees, and you're still worried about the disaster."

Thursday's weather disruption has only amplified the difficulty. With sunset arriving at 5:50 p.m. in New Delhi, 12 players are unlikely to tee off at all on Friday, while competitors including MacIntyre, McIlroy and Tommy Fleetwood will manage just a handful of holes before nightfall, setting up a grueling Saturday schedule.