The former World Number One and two-time Ryder Cup winning Captain will make his first appearance at Trump International Golf Links Doonbeg from September 10-13, 2026.

Donald will again lead Team Europe in the 2027 edition of the Ryder Cup at the J.P. McManus-owned Adare Manor, where the English golfer will bid to become the first Captain to lead a Ryder Cup team to three consecutive victories, having claimed back-to-back victories at Marco Simone in 2023 and Bethpage Black in 2025.

Local Favourites

The world-class Amgen Irish Open field also features defending champion Rory McIlroy, past champions and Major winners Pádraig Harrington and Shane Lowry, alongside local hopes Séamus Power and Tom McKibbin, adding further star power on Ireland’s west coast.

“I had the chance to play at Doonbeg in 2010 and it was a great experience,” said Donald. “I’ve always loved competing in Ireland – the atmosphere, the passionate fans and the challenge of links golf make it such a special place to play, and I’m really looking forward to being part of the Amgen Irish Open.”

Tyrrell Hatton, marking his fourth Ryder Cup appearance, secured the half point that sealed victory in New York last year, as Team Europe defeated the United States 15-13 to record a first away Ryder Cup win since 2012.

“The Amgen Irish Open is always one of the tournaments you look out for on the schedule,” said World Number 21 Hatton. “The fans create a fantastic atmosphere every year and links golf is a challenge that all of us enjoy. I’m looking forward to getting to Doonbeg and hopefully putting myself in contention.”

Former winner Højgaard to compete

Rasmus Højgaard held off the challenge of home favourite McIlroy to win his fifth DP World Tour title at the 2024 Amgen Irish Open, hosted at Royal County Down. His efforts saw him finish second on the Race to Dubai that year and secure the final automatic qualification spot for Bethpage Black, making his Ryder Cup debut in Donald’s victorious 2025 side.

“Winning the Amgen Irish Open was one of the highlights of my career so far and it’s always special returning to a tournament as a past champion,” said Rasmus. “The support we receive from the Irish fans is incredible and I’m excited to be back in Ireland and hopefully make some more great memories.”

Nicolai Højgaard will also arrive at Doonbeg in strong form after recording runner-up finishes on the PGA TOUR at the Truist Championship and Texas Children’s Houston Open, alongside three further top-ten finishes worldwide this season. The Dane enjoyed an impressive Ryder Cup debut at Marco Simone in 2023, helping Team Europe regain the trophy on home soil.

“I’ve always enjoyed playing in Ireland and the atmosphere at the Amgen Irish Open is among the best we experience all year,” Nicolai added. “The course looks like it will provide a great test and I’m excited to be part of such a strong field.”

Amgen Irish Open part of Back 9

The Amgen Irish Open once again assumes a key position on the DP World Tour’s Global Schedule as part of the Back 9, which encompasses nine of the Tour’s most historic tournaments and national opens.

It features an esteemed roll of honour of champions, including Seve Ballesteros, Sir Nick Faldo, Bernhard Langer, Harrington, Lowry, McIlroy, Colin Montgomerie, José María Olazábal, Jon Rahm and Sam Torrance.

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The 2026 DP World Tour global schedule features a minimum of 42 Race to Dubai tournaments in 25 different countries.

Three Distinct Phases

The schedule, announced on Wednesday, will once again comprise three distinct phases, beginning with five ‘Global Swings’ followed by the ‘Back 9’, with the season then culminating with the ‘DP World Tour Play-Offs’ in November 2026.

Members will compete for a record total prize fund of $157.5 million (outside the Major Championships) on golf’s global Tour next season.

The Estrella Damm Catalunya Championship, will be the first tournament on the European Swing, and will take place from May 7-10 at Real Club de Golf El Prat in Barcelona.

In addition to the ISCO Championship from July 9-12, DP World Tour members will also have access to the PGA TOUR’s Corales Puntacana Championship in the Dominican Republic, which features as part of the Race to Dubai for the first time from July 16-19.

Five Rolex Events

The Genesis Scottish Open, at the Renaissance Club from July 9-12, will once again be co-sanctioned with the PGA TOUR and is one of five Rolex Series events on the 2026 global schedule, along with: the Hero Dubai Desert Classic (January 22-25), the BMW PGA Championship (September 17-20) and the two Play-Off events, the Abu Dhabi Championship (November 5-8) and DP World Tour Championship (November 12-15), where the 2026 Race to Dubai Champion will be crowned.

In total, the DP World Tour will play three times in Dubai in 2026, with the Dubai Invitational (January 15-18) returning to the schedule after alternating with the Team Cup during the current 2025 season.

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The Irish golfer birdied the third extra hole to delight the home crowds and claim his first victory on European soil since becoming Europe’s first player to complete the career grand slam at the Masters in April.

Eagle Putt Forces Play-Off

Five-time Major winner McIlroy holed a 28-foot eagle putt on his 72nd hole to finish on 17 under par alongside Lagergren and force a play-off in the third of the DP World Tour’s Back 9 tournaments.

Both players went close to eagles at the first time of asking before tidying up for matching birdies in the $6 million event.

McIlroy’s approach on the second extra hole only just cleared the water. Both players achieved the same result as they both claimed a birdie four.

At the third extra hole, Lagergren found the water hazard, allowing McIlroy to win it with two putts and emulate his 2016 Amgen Irish Open victory at the Co Kildare venue.

Delight for McIlroy

McIlroy was full of praise for the home supporters, admitting:

“I feel just so lucky that I get to do this, I get to do this in front of these people. The support has been absolutely amazing all week.

“I thought it was going to be a nice homecoming, obviously coming home with the Green Jacket and all that, but this has been absolutely incredible. This has exceeded all of my expectations. Just so, so happy I could play the way I did this week for all of them and get the win.”

The Co Down golfer continued:

“Hopefully we get a bit of it in a few weeks’ time at the Ryder Cup. But this is absolutely incredible. I love coming home. I love playing in this atmosphere. Moments like this, these are the things you’re going to remember well after your career is over. This is a really special day.

“To do what I did earlier in the year and then to come home and win my National Open, no matter what happens for the rest of the year, that’s a pretty cool year. 2025 is going to go down as one of the best, if not the best of my career.

“I’ve got a big week next week at Wentworth and then obviously everyone’s looking forward to the Ryder Cup. I’m just so happy my game’s in good shape. I feel like I’m playing well and I’m so excited for what’s coming up.”

Final round 66 for Lagergren

Joakim Lagergren emerged from a five-way tie for the lead on Sunday’s back nine at The K Club with a superb round of 66 to finish runner-up in Straffan.

Spaniard Rafa Cabrera Bello made a hole-in-one at the par-three third as he joined countryman Angel Hidalgo in a share of third on 15 under par, while another Spaniard Angel Ayora was two shots further back in fifth alongside overnight leader Adrian Saddier.

McIlroy bogeyed the first, his first dropped shot in 38 holes, but bounced back with a 38-foot putt for birdie at the second and saved par with a good up-and-down at the next.

The now 20-time DP World Tour winner birdied the fourth and then holed from 43 feet at the fifth to move two under for the day and 13 under for the week. He birdied the ninth to join a five-way tie on 14 under as he made the turn.

McIlroy holed a steely par-saver at the 12th and to the delight of the home crowd, before his six-foot putt at the 13th made a full circuit of the hole to drop back in the front edge.

Cabrera Bello joined him at the top with a birdie at the par-five 16th as Hidalgo dropped a shot at the 14th and Ayora set a clubhouse target of 13 under after a 67.

Lagergren eagle on 16th

Lagergren made a spectacular eagle at the 16th to go 16 under as Cabrera Bello’s 67 lowered the clubhouse lead to 15 under and Hidalgo, with a birdie at the 16th, and McIlroy, who parred the 17th, were also on that mark.

Lagergren’s birdie at the last left McIlroy needing an eagle to force a play-off – and after two blows onto the green, he delivered exactly what was required.

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McIlroy, the career Grand Slam winner, claimed his first Irish professional title when winning the Irish Open by three strokes at the venue back in 2016.

Tee off times for round 1

McIlroy happy to be back

Remembering that victory, the County Down-native admitted:

“It’s lovely to be back. I’ve got some great memories of the K Club. I came here to watch the Ryder Cup in 2006 with my dad and to win my only Irish Open here nine years ago. It’s got a lot of great memories for me, and hopefully I can add to them this week.”

The five-time Major Champion will join fellow Irish golfers Shane Lowry, Pádraig Harrington and Séamus Power at the Palmer North Course as action gets underway on Thursday morning.

The former winner will start at 8am on the tenth hole as part of group 17.

Amgen Irish Open Ticket Information

Easy for Lowry to motivate himself

Lowry, like McIlroy, will attempt to win the Irish Open for a second time, having taken the title as an amateur at Baltray 16 years ago.

Speaking ahead of the start of this year’s Amgen Irish Open, the Offaly man, who tees off at the 10th hole at 7.50am Thursday morning with American Brooks Koepka and Frenchman Martin Couvra, said:

“I’m very excited. It’s good to be back here at a place I know pretty well. I get to stay in my own bed for a few days, which is nice. Things have been going pretty well and the week has been going very nice so far.

“I’ve got an exciting few weeks ahead, starting with this week. I think, as a golfer, as an Irish golfer, as a European golfer, if I can’t get myself motivated and ready and up for what’s to come over the next month, starting with Thursday at the Amgen Irish Open, I should pack it in.”

30 not out for Harrington

Three-time Major winner Pádraig Harrington will make his 30th consecutive appearance in the Irish Open.

Thinking ahead to the tournament, Harrington, who tees off at 7.40am on Thursday morning on the 10th hole, stated:

“I kind of now know that if I go out there tomorrow and I smile and don’t get too stressed, don’t get angry or anything like that, I pretty much can hit any shot, and they’ll still like me out there and still give me a few claps. I’m a little bit more relaxed about it. I’d love to play well and compete, but if that doesn’t happen, I will wave to the crowd, smile and wave at the crowds and enjoy it.”

Event Information & FAQs:

All the details you need, to be prepared for the #AmgenIrishOpen this week!

— Amgen Irish Open (@IrishOpen_) September 2, 2025

To win would mean everything to Power

Waterford golfer, Séamus Power, spoke today of his delight at playing in front of a home crowd.

The US-based golfer said:

“I don’t get to play in front of Irish fans that often but when I do it’s always great. They’re cheering you on every step of the way. Seeing friendly faces and stuff in the crowd, it goes a long way. In the afternoon with a rough stretch or something like that, it will keep me going. I suppose it’s rare for me, so that makes it even more special.

“It would mean everything to win this week. We were talking last night and going through Shane Lowry’s win at this event in 2009, and winning that, it would mean everything for me. I feel like in Ireland we really, really appreciate our own sports people. Golf is actually a sport that’s so popular now, and just to be part of the heritage of the tournament would be amazing. It would be a dream come true.”

Ryder Cup Captain Donald competing

Europe’s Ryder Cup Captain Luke Donald is also in this week’s field. The Englishman made his Captain’s Picks at the beginning of the week, and will be joined by three of the 12 players who will make up his team in New York later this month – McIlroy, Lowry and Englishman Tyrrell Hatton.

Birdies for Wishes Campaign

Title Sponsor Amgen have once again partnered with the DP World Tour for the Birdies for Wishes campaign, with Amgen and the DP World Tour donating €300 combined to Make a Wish Ireland for every birdie or better carded by the field on the first hole during the four tournament rounds.

The three Amgen ambassadors – Harrington, Lowry and Power – have committed to the fundraising effort, pledging to donate €500 for every birdie and €1,000 for every eagle they card during the week.

The post Strong Irish challenge for Amgen Irish Open at The K Club appeared first on SportsNewsIreland.

The two major champions will tee it up alongside fellow Major champions Rory McIlroy, Shane Lowry and Pádraig Harrington at the Horizon Irish Open.

Scott, who won the Masters Tournament in 2013, three years before Willett claimed the coveted Green Jacket in 2016, will also be making his 250th DP World Tour appearance that week.

“I’m looking forward to returning to Ireland to play in the Horizon Irish Open,” said Scott. “We’re coming up to a very exciting time in the DP World Tour season and I’m excited to play in front of the Irish crowds again after a few years.”

Adrian Meronk, the defending champion, will tee it up at The K Club alongside two-time Ryder Cup player Tyrrell Hatton and PGA TOUR winners Séamus Power and Tom Hoge. Hoge ranked 44th on the Official World Golf Ranking, will be making his first appearance in a regular DP World Tour event next month.

Poland’s Meronk will defend his title in the company of a number of Ryder Cup hopefuls, including the Højgaard twins, Nicolai and Rasmus, and Yannik Paul, with Luke Donald, also set to tee it up at The K Club, making his six Captain’s Picks on the Monday of event week.

Meronk made history at last year’s Horizon Irish Open as he became the first player from Poland to win on the DP World Tour. He has since won his second and third DP World Tour titles, with all three of his victories coming at national opens – the Horizon Irish Open, ISPS HANDA Australian Open and DS Automobiles Italian Open.

Last year, he added his name to a roll of honour that includes the likes of Seve Ballesteros, McIlroy, Jon Rahm, Nick Faldo, Colin Montgomerie, Harrington and José María Olazábal.

The Horizon Irish Open returns to The K Club this year for the first time since 2016, when McIlroy won his first professional title on Irish soil. The prestigious venue, which hosted the Ryder Cup in 2006, will also host the Irish Open in 2025 and 2027, when the tournament will celebrate its 100th anniversary the same year as Ireland hosts The Ryder Cup at Adare Manor.

There will be live music at the conclusion of play on Saturday and Sunday, with chart-toppers Scouting for Girls taking to the main stage on Saturday September 9 and The Stunning, from Galway, bringing festivities to a close after the final putt has dropped on Sunday September 10.

All tickets have sold out for Sunday September 10, with General Admission tickets selling fast for Saturday’s third round.

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The 20-year-old displayed maturity beyond his years as he battled home favourites Max Kieffer and Marcel Siem for the title at Green Eagle Golf Courses.

The three players shared the lead at one stage on the back nine. McKibbin, who made the turn three under par, recovered from dropped shots on the 11th and 13th holes with a birdie on the 15th to move clear on eight under par.

What a great win by @tommckibbin8. Not just a very talented golfer, he really is a nice lad. The future of Irish golf, European golf and Ryder cup golf is in good hands. So happy for Dave Mcneilly too, he did a fine job letting Tom play to his strengths. @DPWorldTour https://t.co/epz1GRDfxo

— Padraig Harrington (@padraig_h) June 4, 2023

Kieffer narrowly missed an eagle putt on the 18th which would have taken him to eight under, settling for a seven under par total. Siem joined him on that score with a birdie on the 72nd hole, as did Frenchman Julien Guerrier who also shared second place.

Big move up Race to Dubai Rankings

Tom McKibbin, who could now move to to 22nd on the Race to Dubai Rankings after this win, hit his drive on the 18th just right of the fairway, but then hit a nerveless five iron into the heart of the green, two-putting for birdie, a three under round of 70 and a nine under par total.

He joins Holywood Golf Club course mate Rory McIlroy as a winner on the 2023 Race to Dubai after the four-time Major Champion’s triumph at the Hero Dubai Desert Classic in January.

Reaction from new DP World Tour winner

Discussing his approach to today’s final round, the Co Down player, who could now move to a career-high 159th on the Official World Rankings, admitted;

“I approached it the same as the first three days. The course is hard, the way I played the first three days was good enough so I thought if I played the same sort of golf and shot three or four under it might be enough. I knew going out it was such a hard golf course that you didn’t have to force loads of birdies and there wouldn’t be too many people going too low. That helped a bit. I played it the exact same and fortunately played a little bit better.”

McKibben, who graduated from the European Challenge Tour by finishing tenth on the 2022 Road to Mallorca Rankings, become the second Ulster golfer to win the Porsche European Open following the success of Dungannon’s Darren Clarke in 2001.

Shot of the day. Shot of the week.

Take a bow, @tommckibbin8 #PEO23 pic.twitter.com/2JEOKs8gRj

— DP World Tour (@DPWorldTour) June 4, 2023

“(My hands on 18) were alright actually,” McKibbin stated. “I hit five iron. I picked a club I knew wouldn’t go in the water. I hit it right edge of the green and if it turned over I knew it would go further, so I had no worries. But it was such a good shot, it felt pretty amazing.”

So happy to get my first win at the @PorscheEuropeanOpen on the @DpWorldTour.
A huge thank you to my Mum & Dad, my team, my caddie Dave McNeilly & my sponsors for all their support.
To everyone who has supported me – thank you, I really do appreciate it!! pic.twitter.com/XokrY6vlzS

— Tom McKibbin (@tommckibbin8) June 4, 2023

“I’ve learned that I’m good enough to win. I always thought I was, but to prove it today was pretty special. I guess I’ve learned a lot from failures, missing cuts by a shot and missing things slightly. So to take those things I’ve learned and put them into play was nice,” said the Irish golfer, whose best finish this season had been tied-12th at the Singapore Classic..

Select Final Scores:

283 T MCKIBBIN 72 69 72 70,
285 M KIEFFER (GER) 69 71 75 70, M SIEM (GER) 71 73 70 71, J GUERRIER (FRA) 72 74 67 72,
287 F LACROIX (FRA) 73 73 71 70,
288 J SMITH (ENG) 70 71 72 75, D LAW (SCO) 75 66 72 75, J AXELSEN (DEN) 77 67 69 75, A BJ?RK (SWE) 72 72 69 75,
290 R LANGASQUE (FRA) 73 75 74 68, R GOUVEIA (POR) 76 73 70 71, C SYME (SCO) 73 77 69 71, P WARING (ENG) 71 72 72 75,
291 B EASTON (RSA) 77 69 76 69, F LAPORTA (ITA) 74 74 74 69, P FIGUEIREDO (POR) 73 74 73 71, R MACINTYRE (SCO) 76 68 74 73, F SCHOTT (GER) 71 75 72 73, E FERGUSON (SCO) 71 72 72 76,
292 M PAVON (FRA) 75 74 72 71, S TARRIO (ESP) 71 72 73 76,

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Meronk, in his 65th DP World Tour event, is the first player from Poland to win on the Tour.

A moment of history @AdrianMeronk | #HorizonIrishOpen pic.twitter.com/zAT27seb0Y

— DP World Tour (@DPWorldTour) July 3, 2022

A final round of 66 gave him a three shot victory over opening day leader Ryan Fox of New Zealand, with Thriston Lawrence of South Africa a further shot back in third.

Fox had posted the clubhouse lead with a final round 64 but Meronk ensured his victory with an eagle on the par 5 seventeenth hole.

Meronk’s round included 5 birdies and an eagle while Fox had posted the round of the day with an eight under par score which included seven birdies and an eagle. Fox’s double bogey on the final hole however left the door open for Meronk who was playing a few groups behind him.

Another first for Meronk

Meronk is used to achieving firsts in his short career so far: he became the first player from Poland to secure a DP World Tour card when he graduated following a 2019 Challenge Tour campaign that included ten top ten finishes; he was the first male Polish player to compete in golf’s four Major Championships when he qualified for the 2021 U.S. Open; he was the first Polish player to win on the European Challenge Tour when he won the 2019 Open de Portugal at Morgado Golf Resort.

Today’s Horizon Irish Open win will see him move to sixth on the DP World Tour Rankings and could move as high as 61^st in the Official World Golf Ranking – a career-best – when they are updated.

Shane Lowry ended the 2020 Horizon Irish Open as the leading Irish player. The Offaly man carded a final round 67 for a five under par round, leaving him in ninth place on -9, eight shots behind the winner.

The post Adrian Meronk wins Horizon Irish Open at Mount Juliet appeared first on SportsNewsIreland.

Lowry, who teed off at 11.40am, immediately birdied the opening hole. Following a run of pars on the next three holes, the Clara-native claimed his second birdie of the round at the 5th hole.

Further birdies on 10, 11 and and 14, with a bogey in between at the 12th was soon followed by his sixth birdie of the day at the penultimate hole. With a par on the last, Lowry finished the tournament on -12.

Pádraig Harrington had an incredible start to his final round at the Horizon Irish Open. The US Open Senior Champion made 6 birdies in the opening eight holes, and turned in 30.

The closing nine holes were not as successful for the Dubliner however. A double bogey at 10 saw him lose momentum. Bogeys at 16 and 18 with a birdie in between at the seventeenth hole saw the former dual Open Champion end the 2020 Horizon Irish Open on -3 for the round – his best of the week, on an overall score of -7.

Waterford’s Séamas Power had three birdies and an eagle at the par three 6th. He posted a round of four under par, finishing the tournament on seven under par.

Niall Kearney had four birdies and 2 bogeys in a two under par round of 70 and ends this year’s Horizon Irish Open on -4.

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The 29-year-old birdied three of the last four holes at Mount Juliet Estate on Saturday to sit top of the leaderboard on 14 under par.

“I’m quite excited,” admitted Meronk. “Just happy with my score so far. Played pretty solid again today. And, yeah, can’t wait for tomorrow for sure.

“To be honest, the conditions were quite tough. Our first eight holes I would say was just — the rain was on and off. It was actually raining pretty hard for three holes. So that was quite challenging. But you know, being in contention, seeing all these people, it’s quite exciting.”

Meronk was the first Polish player to win on the European Challenge Tour at the 57º Open de Portugal in 2018, before going on to become the first Pole to graduate to the DP World Tour later that year. In 2021, he became the first player to fly the Polish flag in a Major Championship when he teed it up at the U.S. Open at Torrey Pines.

Merink is one shot ahead of second round leader Jorge Campillo. The Spaniard currently shares second place with England’s Jack Senior and Paraguay’s Fabrizio Zanotti on 13 under par.

The 2019 Open Champion Shane Lowry currently leads the home charge, having posted a four under par 68 early on Saturday to move to seven under. The Offaly man is seven shots off the lead, however.

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The Waterford man carded a three under par round of 68 today and finds himself on -8, three shots behind the tournament leader Jorge Campillo of Spain.

US Open Senior Champion Pádraig Harrington posted a 72, a shot worse off than his opening round. Today’s round which included 6 birdies, 2 bogeys and a double bogey six on the seventh hole leaves the Dubliner on -3 for the tournament.

An incredible four birdies in the last four holes saw Shane Lowry stay involved at Mount Juliet for the weekend. Prior to the 15^th hole, the Offaly man had four bogeys and only two birdies on his card. His round of 70 left him on the cut-off mark of -3.

Niall Kearney, the joint-leading Irish player yesterday finds himself eight shots off the leader on -3 alongside Shane Lowry after shooting one over par round of 73 in the second round.

Amateurs Mark Power and Colm Campbell Jnr ended their tournament on with rounds of par and three-over par respectively.

The other Irish golfers John Murphy, Cormac Sharvin, Jonathan Cadwell, Paul Dunne and David Higgins all ended their involvement in the 2022 Horizon Irish Open when failing to make the cut.

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