The Amgen Irish Open’s strategic rescheduling to September within the DP World Tour calendar was made in the hopes of attracting American players who have completed their PGA Tour seasons. However, as seen in the latest event held at the fully packed Royal County Down, the star players are mainly home-grown talent, including world number three, Rory McIlroy.
Now in its second year, the tournament’s transition from a July slot to a September one, set in the week before the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth, aimed to lure a significant number of PGA Tour players who have reached the FedEx Cup playoff grand final, famously known as the Tour Championship.
Of the thirty sportsmen who played at East Lake, only McIlroy, Shane Lowry, Bob MacIntyre, and Aaron Rai have reached Royal County Down. Billy Horschel could have increased the tally to five, but the American player had to withdraw due to a hip/back injury needing medical attention and recovery.
Interestingly, the Procore tournament taking place in California, the current PGA Tour stop, has a higher ranking coefficient than the Irish Open. The Procore tournament boasts a field strength of 204 and allocates 35 world ranking points to the winner, while the Irish Open sits at a strength of 167, granting 28 points to the victor.
Shane Lowry spoke in favour of the shift to the September date, suggesting in his comments this year at the Amgen’s Irish Open inauguration that a later timing would garner better results. He alluded to the week preceding The Open as their top choice which, unfortunately, wasn’t feasible. Therefore, they opted for a consecutive schedule with Wentworth, creating two exciting weeks in succession.
Adding to this, Lowry commended Amgen for their continued sponsorship after taking over Horizon, describing that it depicts the tournament’s successful journey up until now and how they foresee its potential for substantial growth.
This week’s Irish Open is anticipated to be a highly competitive tournament, despite the absence of certain American big-names. The presence of golfers such as McIlroy, Lowry, and others, along with the rising Scottish star MacIntyre, make it a must-see event on the DP World Tour.
The 156-strong field includes 11 representatives from Ireland, with three past national open winners – McIlroy, Lowry and Harrington. Other notable names include Power, McKibbin, M. Power, Purcell, Hurley, Thornton (who qualified via the Irish regional PGA standings), and amateurs Kennedy and Keeling.
Furthermore, the depth of the field is highlighted by the inclusion of 15 DP World Tour victors this season, giving the event an undeniable competitive edge. Champions like McIlroy, MacIntyre, Migliozzi, Hoshino, Van Driel, Olesen, Frittelli, Elvira, Canter, Katsuragawa, Lacroix, Ravetto, Ferguson, Norgaard and Hall will be taking part.
In addition, six additional Irish participants have been announced for the Challenge Tour’s Portugal Open in Vau Obidos. These include O’Rourke, McElroy, Mullarney, Murphy, Sharvin and Caldwell.
For Leona Maguire, this week’s Solheim Cup represents a chance to continue demonstrating her exceptional matchplay skills, following her outstanding contributions to the winning 2021 European team and the successful trophy retention in Spain last year.
Maguire, who travelled with the team to Washington DC on Sunday, is set to partake in her third professional match at the Robert Trent Jones Golf Club in Virginia. Suzann Petterson’s team will kick off their preparations on Tuesday, prior to the commencement of the match on Friday.