Luke Donald is in the field here at The K Club where he will be seeking to address a run of poor form, which has seen him suffer four straight missed cuts in recent appearances on the DP World Tour.
Of course, former world number one Donald has had other things on his mind apart from his own golf game, with Ryder Cup matters occupying most of his time.
However, with the selection of his six wild card picks and now the appointment of Sweden’s Alex Noren as his fifth vice-captain to complete his back room team, Donald might get the chance to focus on himself for a change.
Of adding Noren to a ticket which already included brothers Francesco and Edoardo Molinari, Thomas Bjørn and José María Olazábal, Donald said: “I love Alex’s demeanour, his work ethic, how he goes about things. It’s full steam ahead now. I’m extremely excited to have everything in place, the last pieces of the puzzle. The team is set, the VCs are set, and we’re ready to go.”
Birdies in the hand for Irish charity
If you want to make a wish for this Amgen Irish Open, then you could do worse than hope there will be a flock of birdies throughout the four days of the tournament.
Make-A-Wish Ireland will benefit from every birdie that ends up in a tin cup on the first hole, with the DP World Tour pledging to donate €300 for each one recorded on the par-4 as part of the tour’s Birdies for Wishes initiative.
Then there are the contributions promised by Shane Lowry, Pádraig Harrington and Séamus Power, who have each committed to adding to the fundraising effort by pledging €500 for every birdie and €1,000 for every eagle they make during the tournament.
Cork teen gets a taste of tour life
Alone he stands, Cork teenager John Doyle the only amateur in the field after receiving his invite from Golf Ireland through the high-performance pathway exposing up-and-coming players to tour life.
The 18-year-old Fota Island player – who has an upcoming appointment in Bethpage where he has been selected to play on the Europe team against the United States in the Junior Ryder Cup match – has enjoyed a standout season, winning the Irish Boys’ and Munster Men’s championships.
“This experience will be invaluable to his development and he deserves this opportunity,” said Golf Ireland high-performance director Neil Manchip.
Manchip is also the coach to Shane Lowry, who famously won the Irish Open as an amateur at Baltray in 2009.
From Stradbally to Straffan
No, it’s not Electric Picnic by any stretch of the imagination ... but there is still an impressive line-up of artists to entertain spectators post-golf in the tented village on Saturday and Sunday.
Galway band The Stunning, who have had a few number one hits in the Irish charts, will be brewing up a storm on Saturday, while up-and-coming Kerry band Simple Things – who actually were at EP – will perform their mix of pop, rock and soul on Sunday evening after the closing ceremony.
Quote
“I remember standing in the grandstand on the first tee watching everyone tee off, which was really cool.” – Rory McIlroy recalling his experience of the Ryder Cup in 2006 when, as a young fan, he attended the final day at the K Club.
Number: 7
There are seven Major champions competing this week: Rory McIlroy, Brooks Koepka, Pádraig Harrington, Shane Lowry, Francesco Molinari, Danny Willett and Patrick Reed.
