Rory McIlroy will appear in next September’s Horizon Irish Open at the K Club in County Kildare.
The event begins on 10 September, and will see McIlroy return to the scene of his maiden professional victory in Ireland in the 2016 tournament. McIlroy explained he is excited to return to the venue, where he will be making preparations for the Ryder Cup later that month. He said: “The Irish Open is a tournament that I grew up not just watching on TV but attending as a kid, seeing all my favourite players there over the years.”
The tournament has a rich history of illustrious winners. As well as McIlroy’s three-shot win six years ago, other winners have included Seve Ballesteros, Sir Nick Faldo, Pádraig Harrington, Colin Montgomerie, José María Olazábal and Jon Rahm. Last year, Adrian Meronk created his own piece of history in the tournament, becoming the first Pole to secure victory after he beat New Zealander Ryan Fox by three shots.
McIlroy, who controversially skipped the tournament in 2019, and last appeared in it in 2021, explained he is also looking forward to savouring the support and atmosphere at the tournament, which helped him produce a birdie-par-eagle finish to win in 2016. He said: “It’s always been such a well-supported event. I’ve had my fair share of support and great memories at that tournament and going back to The K Club, it’s where I’ve had the most success and I’m obviously excited to get back there. The atmosphere was electric during that final round in 2016 and I’m looking forward to seeing the fans out in force at The K Club once again.”
The tournament marks the first of an eye-catching month on the DP World Tour. After McIlroy's return to the K Club, the Tour’s flagship event, the BMW PGA Championship, takes place at Wentworth before the Open de France at Le Golf National. Finally, 29 September sees the start of the Ryder Cup, where McIlroy will be hoping he can help Team Europe regain the trophy they lost to Team USA at Whistling Straits in 2021.
As well as next year's event, the K Club - which also hosted the 2006 Ryder Cup - will be the venue for the Irish Open in 2025 and 2027. Tickets are on sale for the 2023 Horizon Irish Open via the DP World Tour's official website.
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