Ollie Schniederjans and Max Rotluff experienced contrasting fortunes on day two of International Series India presented by DLF, and both welcome the chance to compete for the rankings title over the course of the season, having qualified through the LIV Golf Promotions event last term.
Both earned full exemptions for the 2025 season after securing top-10 finishes at last year’s LIV Golf Promotions event in Saudi Arabia.
Schniederjans of the USA finished his round on a four-under-par total following a three-under-par 69, which included four birdies in his last four holes, just two behind clubhouse leader Joaquin Niemann.
German Rotluff shot a 75 to finish on five over at DLF Golf and Country Club in Gurugram, on the outskirts of Delhi.
The tournament has been affected by weather delays, with 53 players set to resume their second round tomorrow.
Schniederjans finished in joint fourth place on the LIV Golf Promotions event in December, while Rotluff finished in solo seventh, allowing them to both experience their debut International Series tournament this week in India.
Schniederjans was “excited” about the experience, playing in a field deep full of LIV Golf talent including Bryson DeChambeau, Paul Casey, leader Niemann and Anirban Lahiri.
The 31-year-old said: “I'm really excited about playing The International Series this year. I think getting to play against some of these names again, play at great golf courses, I am very excited to do it. Actually, I am more excited than I would have been if I had made it through Q School, so it kind of worked out and this is a great start.
“I played hundreds of events against Bryson DeChambeau early on. It's been a while because I was injured and I came back to Korn Ferry, spent three years out there after being out. It's been a while since I've got to play with those guys. I saw some of them, like Baan (Anirban Lahiri) and Bryson, I'm saying hi to them again, I haven't seen him in five years.
“I've been looking at having a base here in Asia, possibly. I haven't figured that out so I’m talking to some of the other guys as of right now so I'm just going back and forth for just now. I'd love to play out here honestly in the future, so I want to figure that out for sure!”
Schniederjans has recently been competing on the Korn Ferry Tour, while Rotluff has been playing on the DP World Tour, where he last teed it up at DLF Golf and Country Club, finishing T13 at the Hero Indian Open.
Rotluff is embracing his time in India, celebrating his 32nd birthday on Wednesday while enjoying his first taste of The International Series.
“I love coming here (India), I love the food, I love everything about it.
“It is my first International Series event. I genuinely had such a good time at the LIV Golf Promotions. To me, even this week has been such an enjoyable week out here, everyone is so nice, the staff are fantastic, all the players are great.
“The entire build-up of the tournament is fantastic. You get phenomenal player names, everyone is taken care of really well.”
The International Series is the most prized pathway in golf. It consists of 10 elite tournaments sanctioned by the Asian Tour and offers the year-long Rankings leader promotion to the LIV Golf League
