The DP World Tour inches closer to its season finale as it continues on with the ‘Back 9’ swing with this week’s Amgen Irish Open.
The nomadic event returns to the Royal County Down Links for the first time in nine years for this year’s playing. The DP World Tour last saw this venue in 2015.
The Irish Open has been a staple of the DP World Tour’s schedule since 1974 but prior to that has had spells of being absent from the schedule. It was known as the Carroll’s International in the 1970’s as well.
This year marks the 69th playing of the event.
The DP World Tour’s ‘Back 9’ consists of nine of the Tour’s most historic tournaments and national opens, which includes this week’s event.
The Field
Of course, Rory McIlroy makes his return to the DP World Tour this week to headline the field. McIlroy grew up in Holywood, which sits just an hour from the Royal County Down.
He won this event in 2016 and will look for his second Irish Open title this week.
McIlroy will be joined by Irishman Shane Lowry. Lowry won this event in 2009 as an amateur.
Tom McKibbin, a fellow countryman of McIlroy and one of the biggest names on the DP World Tour headlines the field of DP World Tour regulars. This will be his third appearance at this event as the 21-year-old looks to claim his nation’s open.
Seamus Power joins the list of Irishman looking to claim victory on home-ish soil as well.
Other notable names teeing it up this week include Aaron Rai, Robert MacIntyre, Rasmus Hojgaard, Nicolai Hojgaard, Thriston Lawrence, Bernd Wiesberger, Ryan Fox, Thomas Detry and Erik van Rooyen.
Vincent Norrman comes in as the defending champion as he looks to repeat as the Irish Open champion.
Soren Kjeldsen won this event back in 2015 at the Royal County Down. He too will be playing this week.
Other former winners of this event teeing it up this week include John Catlin (2020,) Mikko Korhonen (2014,) Ross Fisher (2010) and Padraig Harrington (2007.)
The Course
Royal County Down Golf Course in Newcastle, Northern Ireland plays as a Par 71 at roughly 7,186 yards.
Royal County Down offers a breathtaking and picturesque setting as the mountains of Mourne sit in the background.
The course was originally designed and constructed by Scottish school teacher George L. Baillie who embarked on a personal crusade to establish golf courses. The first nine-hole layout was opened in March of 1889.
The second nine was designed by Old Tom Morris and Harry Colt added further improvements to the course in 1925.
Over the years, the likes of Tiger Woods and Tom Watson had used this course in preparation for the Open Championship. McIlroy is a frequent visitor as well.
Royal County Down can best be described as a very tough links golf course that features thick and penal rough while offering breath-taking scenery.
The greens are fast and domed shaped. They are guarded by ‘bearded’ bunkers that feature overhanging lips of grass and heather.
Golfers will oftentimes be faced with blind shots and as with most links style courses, is protected by the wind.
The weather played its part in 2015, seeing just five golfers finish the week under-par.
This course has also hosted the Senior British Open in 2000, 2001 and 2002.
The Weather
As of the time of writing this, forecasts are calling for a 60-percent chance of precipitation on Saturday and a 40-percent chance on Friday. Sunday is calling for just a 20-percent chance of precipitation and Thursday a 10-percent chance. Winds will also be at the highest on Saturday, set for 19 miles-per-hour. Thursday is currently calling for 15 miles-per-hour winds, Friday 13 miles-per-hour and Sunday ten miles-per-hour. Temperatures will begin at 55-degrees on Thursday before peaking at 62-degrees on Saturday and settling at 61-degrees for Sunday. It appears that much like last week, the tournament will be won or lost on Saturday.
Key Stats
Greens in Regulation Percentage (GIR%)
Strokes Gained: Off the Tee (SG: OTT) / Total Driving
Strokes Gained: Approach (SG: APP)
Scrambling
Strokes Gained: Around the Green (SG: ATG)
Strokes Gained: Putting (SG: PUTT)
Bogey Avoidance
Par 5 Average Scoring Scoring
Sand Saves Percentage
Betting Card
Rasmus Hojgaard (+2400)
To lead things offs, I’m going with a smaller card this week with a crowded field of PGA Tour regulars teeing it up. With that being said, I do love Hojgaard this week. He’s currently 11th on Tour in SG: PUTT, 12th in sand saves percentage, 18th in SG: OTT, 34th in bogey avoidance, 36th in both scrambling and SG: APP, 47th in GIR%, 52nd in par five average scoring, 59th in SG: ATG and 77th in total driving. He’s also in some great form heading into this week. He placed T17th last week at the Omega European Masters and solo third at the Betfred British Masters the week prior. Looking back at links form, he made the cut at the Open Championship and placed T21st at the Genesis Scottish Open. If we wanted to take an even further look back, desert form is often linked to links play. He placed T11th at the Dubai Invitational, T11th at the Hero Dubai Desert Classic, second at the Ras Al Khaimah Championship, T8th at the Bahrain Championship and T6th at the Qatar Masters earlier this season.
Thriston Lawrence (+3000)
Lawrence is another guy in great form heading into this week. He placed T27th last week at the Omega European Masters but prior to that placed solo second at the Betfred British Masters. He also placed solo fourth at the Open Championship which is of course, super promising. Lawrence also has four runner-up finishes this season to go along with five top fives and eight top tens. It feels like a victory is coming and with the way he played at the Open Championship, this could be the week. He is also third on Tour in SG: PUTT, 11th in par five average scoring, 15th in scrambling, 17th in SG: OTT, 23rd in sand saves percentage, 26th in bogey avoidance, 46th in SG: APP, 60th in total driving, 61st in GIR% and 109th in SG: ATG.
Julien Gurrier (+10000)
Of course we had to get at least one long shot on that card this week and that comes in the form of Gurrier. I’ve been on Gurrier a lot as of late and that’s for good reason. He is currently 10th on tour in par five average scoring, 14th in bogey avoidance, 34th in GIR%, 36th in both SG: ATG and scrambling, 40th in SG: OTT, 79th in total driving, 83rd in SG: PUTT, 95th in SG: APP and 119th in sand saves percentage. Gurrier has made eight consecutive cuts coming into this week, including the Genesis Scottish Open. As of late, his best finishes include a T4th at the European Open, T13th at the BMW International Open, T20th at the Volvo Car Scandinavian Mixed and T22nd at the Italian Open. Looking back to the start of the year in the desert he placed T14th at the Dubai Invitational and T8th at the Bahrain Championship.
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