Irish Open, back in Ulster with Rory McIlroy

09/11/2024 04:43 PM

After 9 years, the Irish Open returns to the Royal County Down Golf Club, located in Newcastle, County Down, Northern Ireland. This is the fifth time that this course, built in 1889 by the quartet Old Tom Morris-George Combe-Harry Vardon-Harry Colt, has hosted the tournament. It is also one of the oldest in Ireland, and so highly regarded in the world that Golf Digest, the world golf website par excellence, has placed it at number 1 of the best courses in the world. Ahead of the Old Course of St. Andrews (third), Royal Portrush (fourth), Muirfield (sixth), Carnoustie (sixteenth), just to name a few of the most famous.

The second Irish Open in history was also held at Royal County Down, but it was only rediscovered in 2015 with the victory of the Danish Soren Kjeldsen. The year before (2014), Edoardo Molinari had come very close to victory at Fota Island, finishing second behind Mikko Ilonen. This year, together with the Ryder Cup vice-captain, there are seven other Italians, those who now habitually face the events of the DP World Tour.

Of these, it is interesting to note how Guido Migliozzi and Matteo Manassero are challenging each other with overtaking and counter-overtaking both for the number 1 in Italy in the OWGR and in the Race to Dubai. Right here, a very interesting prospect opens up: the two are 13th and 14th, but taking away five players (three of them superstars) who already have the card for the PGA Tour, here they become 8th and 9th among the 10 who can take the card to play in the United States in 2025. In short, if they play a great end of the season they will be able to fly to the States next year. Andrea Pavan will also be intent on continuing a clearly positive season, while Francesco Laporta, Renato Paratore, Filippo Celli and Lorenzo Scalise will fight to obtain good results.

Everyone against Rory McIlroy: the Northern Irishman, in practice, is competing at home. His only victory was in 2016 at the K Club (where he will return in 2025 and 2027), and now he will try to be one of those capable of winning in two different provinces of the four of geographical Ireland (even if Connacht has never hosted the Irish Open). With him also other prominent figures such as the Scotsman Robert MacIntyre and the Irishman Shane Lowry, as well as Seamus Power and the three-time Major winner Padraig Harrington (who continues to appear with pleasure on the greens). There will also be room for European Ryder Cup captain Luke Donald, who will have a lot to see in this very early stage of the qualification process for Bethpage Black 2025.