Jam-packed July has a Celtic connection
Ireland and Scotland take centre stage as a month-long feast of golf including the 150th Open awaits — sandwiched between two LIV events
WhateVer the climate in the world of golf at the moment has done to your appetite for the game, one thing is for sure, July is here with a varied and veritable feast of golf — and superstars — on the menu.
With the second LIV Golf Invitational Series event taking place at the start of the month in Portland, New Jersey, Greg Norman’s new series is only adding to an already packed schedule this month.
There is a strong Celtic connection in a hectic few weeks ahead for both the men and women, and the DP World Tour gets the ball rolling — literally.
First up is the Horizon Irish Open at Mount Juliet Estate, Thomastown in County Kilkenny, where Australia’s Lucas Herbert will be looking to defend the title he won 12 months ago at the same venue. With the prize money doubled this year to $6 million, there will certainly be plenty to fight for in the build-up to the Open Championship.
As soon as the Irish Open is concluded, the golfing circus hops over to Limerick for the ever-popular JP McManus Pro-Am as the big guns come to town.
There is an absolutely stacked field set to play at Adare Manor, including nine of the world’s top 10. The likes of Scottie Scheffler, Justin Thomas and Collin Morikawa will be joined by newly crowned US Open champion Matt Fitzpatrick, following his dramatic victory over Will Zalatoris at The Country Club, Brookline.
The fun event is a who’s who of golf with Bryson DeChambeau, Patrick Cantlay, Dustin Johnson and Jon Rahm all set to take part in the two-day competition alongside Irish hopes Rory McIlroy, Shane Lowry, Padraig Harrington, Graeme McDowell and Seamus Power — oh yeah, and some guy named Tiger Woods is also playing.
I don’t think there is a stronger field for an independent pro-am on the planet.
In an unrelenting, delightful schedule, next up is the co-sanctioned Scottish Open, the traditional warm-up for the Open itself. There are many added incentives this year for the players, as the links at The Renaissance Club, North Berwick, is only a short trip away from St Andrews, where this year’s Open Championship is to be held. Also — as part of the DP World Tour Rolex Series — a tidy $8 million is on offer to the insanely strong field (do you think they are preparing for something big around the corner?).
A-listers set to compete and acclimatise themselves with the unpredictable Scottish weather include (deep breath) major winners Hideki Matsuyama, Justin Rose, Francesco Molinari, Danny Willett and Jordan Spieth, along with Olympic champ Xander Schauffele, 2021 FedExCup winner Patrick Cantlay, Tommy Fleetwood, Tyrrell Hatton, defending champion Min Woo Lee, Sam Burns, Billy Horschel and Scotland’s own Robert MacIntyre. Hero of the moment Fitzpatrick is sure to get a warm welcome, too, just north of the English border.
Then comes the big one as we celebrate the 150th edition of the world’s oldest major at the ‘home of golf’ in Scotland — St Andrews.
The final major of the year (is it only July? I am still getting used to this new calendar) will see Morikawa defend the title he won at Royal St George’s last year when he confirmed his spot at the top table in golf at the age of 25. With the likes of Scheffler, Burns, Zalatoris, McIlroy and that man Fitzpatrick in toasty-hot form, it is anyone’s guess who will come out on top.
Make sure you get there early if you are planning to attend, as those winding country roads on the east coast of Fife are tough to negotiate at the best of times, never mind with an additional 300,000 or so visitors on the tarmac. The event has long-since sold out and, with the chance of catching a glimpse of ‘Miracle Man’ Tiger on the fairways once again following his horror, life-threatening car crash 16 months ago, the Open is sure to see attendance records smashed along with the deepest, socialdistance-defying galleries.
The ladies also have a packed July as the Amundi Evian Championship, the fourth of five women’s annual majors, takes place at Evian-les-Bains in France, only a few weeks after the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship. Evian defending champion Minjee Lee is one of the big names who will be living out of a suitcase for weeks as she and many others will head to Ayrshire from France for the Scottish Open at Dundonald Links. With Jennifer Kupcho (2022 Chevron Championship winner) and 15 other major winners set to compete, this is as strong a field you will get in a Ladies European Tour/LPGA event outside of the majors.
All of which will take us to the end of the month, and if you haven’t had your fill of mouth-watering golf events by then, you can always take the belt out a notch and tuck back into LIV Golf as the third round takes place at Trump National Golf Club, Bedminster, New Jersey.
Enjoy your meal!
“There is a stacked field at Adare Manor, with nine of the world’s top 10”