Shane Lowry fired an opening eight-under 64 to lead the DP World India Championship, with Rory McIlroy five shots back after leaving his driver out of the bag.

Irishman Lowry, who missed the cut at last week’s Open de Espana, birdied six of his last eight holes to lead Japan’s Keita Nakajima by one shot.

Lowry and McIlroy’s Ryder Cup team-mate Tommy Fleetwood and captain Luke Donald both shot four-under 68.

Playing for the first time since Europe’s Ryder Cup triumph in New York last month, McIlroy fired six birdies and three bogeys in an up-and-down opening round.

The world number two chipped in from the fringe on the 10th – his opening hole – before slipping to back-to-back bogeys.

He picked up shots on the par-fives 14th and 18th and gained three more shots on his back nine before a bogey six at the eighth.

Despite opting for a safer approach off the tee, Northern Ireland’s McIlroy said he still found Delhi Golf Club trickier than expected.

“You’re just really trying to be as conservative as possible off the tee and then you’re trying to pick off birdies on the par-fives and then maybe pick up a couple more, but it’s a tricky golf course,” said the five-time major winner.