Jon Rahm will launch his defence of the Dubai Duty Free Irish Open hosted by the Rory Foundation in the company of Graeme McDowell and Rafa Cabrera Bello when play gets under way in the fourth Rolex Series event of the year.
With Ballyliffin Golf Club, on the north coast of Ireland, set to host the European Tour’s finest this week,Rahmreturns to the Emerald Isle one year on from his dominant six-shot victory at Portstewart.
The Spaniard, who set a new tournament record winning score of 24 under par 12 months ago, is out at 08.20 on Thursday morning alongside home favouriteGraeme McDowell and Spain’sCabrera Bello, who has four top ten finishes in the Irish Open to his name.
Elsewhere, four-time Major Champion and 2016 winnerRory McIlroy tees off at 13.20 on Thursday in what will be his fourth and last Irish Open acting as tournament host before the honour passes to other Irish golfing luminaries from 2019.
McIlroy triumphed in this event at the K Club in 2016, and will hit the links over the first two days alongside England’sMatt Fitzpatrickand DaneThorbjorn Olesen, who won the second Rolex Series event of the year at the Italian Open last month.
After triumphing in his debut as an amateur in the Irish Open back in 2009, this isShane Lowry’s tenth appearance in his national Open, and the Irishman will be out at 13.30 on Thursday in the company of 23-time European Tour winnerLee Westwoodand Belgium’sThomas Pieters.
Meanwhile,Matt Wallace is still flying high after winning his third European Tour title in just 39 starts at the BMW International Open two weeks ago, and he’ll be out from 13.10 in the first round with Ireland’sPaul Dunne and FrenchmanAlex Levy, while ever-popular home heroPadraig Harrington, a winner in this event back in 2007, is off at 08.30 with Thailand’sKiradech Aphibarnrat and England’sChris Wood, who finished joint runner-up at the HNA Open de France last week.
Veteran EnglishmanMark Foster will get the 2018 Dubai Duty Free Irish Open under way at 07.30 on Thursday morning.
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