Woods And McIlroy Play Ballybunion In Open Championship Tune-Up

The pair were on-site at the famous Ballybunion Golf Club in preparation for next week's 150th Open

Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy pose for a photo
(Image credit: Facebook: Mags Bowden-Lynch/Twitter @TWlegion)
Elliott Heath
By
last updated

Tiger Woods has been tracked down in Ireland after refusing to tell the media where he was planning to practise his links golf ahead of next week's 150th Open.

"I am," Woods confirmed if he was planning to remain in Ireland following the JP McManus Pro-Am before denying to tell media where he was heading. "No, I don't want to tell you because I don't want everyone coming down and watching us," he said. 

Good thinking from Woods who was followed by a helicopter earlier this year when scouting out Southern Hills ahead of the PGA Championship.

Well, the 15-time Major winner was spotted playing Ballybunion on the west coast along with four-time Major winner Rory McIlroy. The two friends and Florida residents have skipped this week's Scottish Open at the Renaissance Club, with McIlroy not being a fan of the course and Woods currently still playing a Majors-only schedule following his car accident in February 2021. 

Images emerged on social media of the pair playing one of the best golf courses in Ireland on Tuesday after apparently arriving by helicopter courtesy of JP McManus. Woods has always tended to tune up his links game in Ireland ahead of Open week and this year looks to be no exception.

They're not the only tour pros to have visited Ballybunion over the last week, with Scottie Scheffler, Justin Thomas, Jordan Spieth and Rickie Fowler all playing the course, as well as Lahinch, prior to the JP McManus Pro-Am.

Social media coverage of Woods and McIlroy at Ballybunion:

Elliott Heath
Elliott Heath
News Editor

Elliott Heath is our News Editor and has been with Golf Monthly since early 2016 after graduating with a degree in Sports Journalism. He manages the Golf Monthly news team as well as our large Facebook, Twitter and Instagram pages. He covered the 2022 Masters from Augusta National as well as five Open Championships on-site including the 150th at St Andrews. His first Open was in 2017 at Royal Birkdale, when he walked inside the ropes with Jordan Spieth during the Texan's memorable Claret Jug triumph. He has played 35 of our Top 100 golf courses, with his favourites being both Sunningdales, Woodhall Spa, Western Gailes, Old Head and Turnberry. He has been obsessed with the sport since the age of 8 and currently plays off of a six handicap. His golfing highlights are making albatross on the 9th hole on the Hotchkin Course at Woodhall Spa, shooting an under-par round, playing in the Aramco Team Series on the Ladies European Tour and making his one and only hole-in-one at the age of 15 - a long time ago now!

Elliott is currently playing:

Driver: Titleist TSR4

3 wood: Titleist TSi2

Hybrids: Titleist 816 H1

Irons: Mizuno MP5 5-PW

Wedges: Cleveland RTX ZipCore 50, 54, 58

Putter: Odyssey White Hot OG #5

Ball: Srixon Z Star XV

Latest
You might also like
View More ▸