Rory McIlroy believes the Masters offers him the best chance to bulk up his Major CV, and he plans to be even more selectively aggressive this year as he looks to make more history at Augusta National.

The Holywood star's heart-stopping 2025 triumph was a rollercoaster of emotions as he blew a four-shot lead playing defensively coming down the stretch before regrouping thanks to some epic attacking play.

He said in the aftermath of his play-off victory over Justin Rose that he'd look for new ways to attack this year, and he's looking forward to the chance to become just the fourth man after Jack Nicklaus, Nick Faldo and Tiger Woods to win back-to-back green jackets.

Having asked the press after his win last year, "What are we going to talk about next year?", winning back-to-back has become the most frequent question he's heard from the patrons.

"I think the nice thing now is instead of it being 'Come on, Rory, you know you can do this, it's 'Back to back," he said. "There's a real positive connotation to it instead of, geez, Rory, we've been waiting a while. When are you going to get this done?

"But it is so nice to walk around the property or be out on the golf course and, yeah, just not have that hanging over me, like it feels that it's a big weight off my shoulders.”

Attacking golf is his forte and after taking seven at the par-five 13th last year by conservatively laying up  and then dumping his third shot in Rae’s Creek, he’s looking to attack more this year.

"Look, you're always going to have to pick and choose your spots around here, where to be aggressive and where not to, but I definitely think there are places where I could be more aggressive off the tee," McIlroy said in a relaxed 28-minute press conference.

"I guess how uncomfortable I felt on some tee shots last year, so like the seventh through the 14th and the 17th.

"For me, if I'm going to hit 5-wood or 3-wood into the trees anyway, I may as well hit driver and get it close to the green.

"Yeah, there's a few tee shots out here where I'll just try to be a bit more aggressive, and then if you do hit a good tee shot, you turn a potentially tough hole into a birdie hole."

Winning more Majors is McIlroy's goal for the next decade, and while he'd love to win an Open at St Andrews and a US Open at Pebble Beach, he feels the Masters is the event that offers him the best chance of matching Nick Faldo's tally of six Major wins and going on to become the most successful European of all time.

Asked which of the four Majors he felt offered him the best chance to add to his tally, he said: "I think this one.

"I think when you've had the experiences that I've had around here, good and bad, I think that can stand to you.

"You come back -- the other major venues, we don't go back to the same place every year.

"So I think that is something I feel like I'm still young, but I'm very experienced. I've been doing this for a long time. This is my 18th start.

"I do feel like I've got another hopefully 10 good shots at this. Not that I don't at the other majors, but I just think that everything here is a little more predictable.

"You know the golf course pretty much. There are subtle changes year after year, but the hole locations are always in similar spots."

Having ended his 11-year Major drought by completing the career Grand Slam last year, McIlroy is a man without a worry in the world this week.

He arrived on Saturday to watch the final round of the Augusta National Women's Amateur before playing the course with his father, Gerry and taking in the Drive, Chip & Putt contest on Sunday.

"I would have never gotten up here this early," he said of the difference a year makes. "I would have never arrived on a Saturday. I usually arrive on Sunday night, but probably on Monday or Monday evening.

"I think for the past 17 years I just could not wait for the tournament to start, and this year I wouldn't care if the tournament never started (laughter). That's sort of the difference."

His chats with mental coach Dr Bob Rotella remain the same as those they had before he won the Masters, and he's realised that winning last year did not mean he was at the end of the road.

"I think the story, as it relates to me, is what do I do from now onwards? What motivates me? What gets me going? What do I still want to achieve in the game? I think that's the story," he said.

"And there's still a lot that I want to do. You think every time you achieve something or have success that you'll be happy, but then the goalposts move, and they just keep nudging a little bit further and further out of reach.

"I think what I've realised is, if you can just really find enjoyment in the journey, that's the big thing because honestly I felt like the career grand slam was my destination, and I got there, and then I realised it wasn't the destination."

As for the dinner he was preparing to host and the elaborate menu, he joked: "People keep asking me why didn't you go more Irish? And I said, because I want to enjoy the dinner as well."

He revealed he'd put more thought into the speech he planned to give in front of legends like Jack Nicklaus, Tom Watson and Ben Crenshaw than he had put into the menu.

With Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson, the two big absentees, he said of his speech: "I've thought about it a lot. Honestly, I've probably thought about that more than the food.

"So many legends of the game there. Obviously, there are two that won't be with us this year, which is a shame, but hopefully they will be with us in the future, and I'm sure they will be with us in the future.

"But talking in front of that group, I want to say the right things and make sure I get my feelings across of how grateful I am to be a part of that group."

Shane Lowry insists he’s ready to “give it a good” run as he leads off the Irish contingent in the 90th Masters on Thursday.

The Clara man will be the first of the Irish to set out at Augusta National in round one alongside Australian Jason Day and 2020 champion Dustin Johnson at 2:43 pm. Irish time.

“I feel like my game's okay,” Lowry said today. “The last week has gone well. Practice has gone well. But as we all know, that doesn't mean anything when you send out a first tee on Thursday.

“You know, it’s between your ears and you have to take a few punches out there on this course at certain stages and take them well and move on and it a give it a good run.  “But yeah, I'm here. I'm ready to give it a run and see what happens.

Defending champion Rory McIlroy will begin his bid to become just the fourth player to win back‑to‑back green jackets alongside Cameron Young and US Amateur champion Mason Howell at 10.31 am local time (3.31 pm Irish time).

Making his Masters debut, rising Holywood star Tom McKibbin, is grouped with Americans Andrew Novak and Brian Campbell at 11.15 am ET (4.15 pm Irish time).

McKibbin (23)  has already played in all four majors and will be looking to make the cut in all four by playing on the weekend at Augusta on his debut.

Elsewhere, Two-time Masters champion and world number one Scottie Scheffler is paired with Scottish left-hander Robert MacIntyre and Gary Woodland in the afternoon wave.

Jon Rahm and Ludvig Åberg also go out in the afternoon, as will Jordan Spieth, Justin Rose and Brooks Koepka.

Selected tee times (Irish time)

Tee times

Round one

Irish time (* amateur)

2:43  pm-Dustin Johnson, Shane Lowry, Jason Day  
2:55 pm Patrick Reed, Tommy Fleetwood, Akshay Bhatia
3:07 pm Bryson DeChambeau, Matt Fitzpatrick, Xander Schauffele
3:19 pm Hideki Matsuyama, Collin Morikawa, Russell Henley  
3:31 pm Rory McIlroy, Cameron Young, *Mason Howell (USA)
3:43 pm Viktor Hovland, Patrick Cantlay, Alex Noren
4:15 pm Andrew Novak, Tom McKibbin, Brian Campbell
6:08 pm Jon Rahm, Chris Gotterup, Ludvig Aberg
6:20 pm Jordan Spieth, Justin Rose, Brooks Koepka
6:32 pm Sepp Straka, Ben Griffin, Justin Thomas
6:44 pm Scottie Scheffler, Robert MacIntyre, Gary Woodland  

Jon Rahm remains convinced that his stand-off with the DP World Tour will be resolved before September's Amgen Irish Open and that he will be a member of the European Ryder Cup team at Adare Manor next year.

The Basque has withdrawn his appeal against the fines issued by the DP World Tour for playing LIV events without a release.

He has turned down a deal accepted by eight fellow LIV Golf stars that requires him to pay his fines and play six events to remain a member of the Tour — two of them designated by the powers at Wentworth.

But he still firmly believes that he can resolve his differences with the DP World Tour and remains convinced that he will be able to play the Irish Open at Doonbeg from September 10-13 and the Spanish Open in Madrid in October.

"I didn't think that going the legal route and going to court was good for anybody, so I have faith in us and the DP World Tour that we're going to find a resolution for both of us," Rahm said at Augusta National.

Asked if he was confident he would be available to play in the Ryder Cup at Adare Manor next  year, he said firmly: "Yeah."

Rahm has no plans to play on the DP World Tour until after the LIV Golf League concludes its season at the end of August.

But while he had no idea if he would be eligible to play a DP World Tour event before then, he's positive that a deal will be done with the DP World Tour that will allow him to play in the autumn.

"I truly don't know," he said of his status with the Tour right now. "I'm not planning to play until September. So that's a bit of a positive.

"If I were unable right now, it doesn't matter since I'm not planning to tee it up until after August, like I have done in my career.

"I do intend to continue to support the DP World Tour. I've been very thankful to be a member. I've been very thankful to support the Tour and play some wonderful events.

"The Irish Open has been very good to me, and I would love to make a return. Wentworth has been fantastic every single year, the Spanish Open, maybe even the Dunhill.

"We have some events like the French Open and the Omega. Those are events that I'd love to have the chance to play."

While he has yet to pay his fines, believed to total over $3 million, Rahm says he's already made a concession to the DP World Tour by offering to get LIV Golf to pay them on his behalf.

"I think I already have," he said of efforts to reach a compromise. "We've already told them many times. I just don't know, so I think this is not the week to be talking about this, this being the first major of the year and how important this is for the game of golf in general and for all of us.

"We keep talking to them, and we keep trying to negotiate. I have given in quite a bit in a few things, which I think I made -- I talked about on my last press conference.

"We're going to work it out. It's going to work out. As of now, the DP World Tour is doing what they need to do and following the channels they need to follow, but I'm confident this will be sorted out before I tee it up in September."

Asked later by the Spanish press if the ongoing uncertainty about his Ryder Cup future was a distraction that's affecting his performances in the Majors, he said he was used to the questions and "optimistic" that all will be resolved.

"I am positive it will be sorted out," he said. "I don't want to put it in any doubt that I will be playing the Spanish Open in October.

"I think it will all be sorted out long before we get to that time of year."

As for Tiger Woods' recent accident and his decision to step away from the game to seek help after his latest driving under the influence arrest, Rahm backed the 15-time Major winner to bounce. eback.

"So I haven't had any conversations with anyone about it," he said of his fellow players. "All I can hope is that he gets the help that he can get and he can come back in a better position after that.

'I mean, he is arguably the king of comebacks. If there's somebody that has the mental strength to come back from an issue like that, it will be him."

Tom McKibbin will make his Masters debut this week, but rather than dreaming about becoming the first rookie winner since Fuzzy Zoeller in 1979, his only thought is about making the drive down Magnolia Lane a yearly pilgrimage.

The Newtownabbey talent (23) will become the 18th Irishman to tee it up in the game's most exclusive Major, and he doesn't want it to be a one-and-done experience, but a regular occurrence as he looks to follow in the footsteps of Rory McIlroy and don that coveted green jacket someday.

The overwhelming desire to come back hit him on Monday and Tuesday last week, when he played the course for the first time with his LIV Golf teammate, Tyrrell Hatton.

"I was sort of like, wow, this is cool," he said after playing nine holes on Monday this week with the Englishman and former Masters champion Jon Rahm, another of his Legion XIII teammates. 

"I think it was one of those moments where you say to yourself, I'll try and work really hard to make sure I play a lot more of these."

It says everything about Augusta National and the spiritual experience golfers have when they walk in the footsteps of their heroes that McKibbin felt genuine nerves when he stepped onto the hallowed turf for the first time.

"It was probably the first time in a long, long time that I'd been nervous playing a golf course," McKibbin admitted. "With nobody here, nothing on the line, I was like, this is so cool, and I didn't want to play the round like an absolute idiot the first time.

"It was definitely a little bit daunting with nobody here but even coming back today, there are a lot of people around, and the fairways look a little bit narrower off the tee and they are on the par threes and stuff."

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That he's here at all is thanks to Augusta National's decision to award Masters spots to the winners of more national opens, and McKibbin's second win as a professional in last year's Hong Kong Open also earned him his third start in The Open.

"It's phenomenal," he said. "The reason I went there and played was to be able to have this opportunity to come and play the Masters. It's something that I've watched for countless years, and to finally be here and see it in real life is pretty cool.

"This is the one that I've watched since I was nine years old. It's probably the first, sort of like, I would say, pinch me moment, I've watched it so much. 

"I've always wanted to play here and play the Masters. And to have that dream come true is really cool."

It speaks volumes about the size of McKibbin's talent that if he plays all four rounds this week, he will have made the cut in all four Major championships before his 24th birthday.

The only blemish on his Major CV came in his second appearance in The Open at Royal Portrush last year, where he missed the cut on a course he knew better than almost anyone in the field. 

"I don't know, I mean, as you say, to be able to say, 'I made the cut in all four of them,' would be nice," he admitted. "The thing that's tricky here, from what I've heard, is how different the course changes from today until Thursday. So I don't know what to expect.

"It's such a difficult golf course, especially around the greens, that one bad hole….. It's tricky.  "But I mean, I'd love to play four rounds and put four solid scores together. I think that would be a nice first Masters appearance."

He's clearly a single-minded youngster, and apart from the chance to set up his family financially for life, one of the reasons why he opted to sign for LIV Golf was that it would give him the chance to play every week alongside Major winners like Rahm and Bryson DeChambeau, two of the hot favourites this week.

He knows Rahm better than most and absorbs any nugget of Masters knowledge the Spaniard is willing to give away.

"A lot of it is around the greens and getting used to seeing how much some of the putts break and how fast some of them are," he confessed.

"It's been good, getting to go out and play with someone that's won here very recently, and is playing very well. And I'm sure he'll be up there this week as well. 

"Just to get to spend some time with him and see the course and try and take little bits here and there has been good."

They say it takes as many as 40 competitive rounds to build up the course knowledge required to win the Masters and McKibbin has already started that learning process.

"I think you definitely develop it the more you play," he said. "When I came here 10 days ago with Tyrrell, he was showing me some of the putts, and I'm like, I do not see that (break) at all. 

"The more I've hit them and the more I've played, you can definitely remember it and see it. The more knowledge you build up, it definitely means there's a little bit less guesswork.

"Honestly, it's a lot of precision golf into the greens. What I find tricky is that my depth perception is really weird. It looks like the ball goes absolutely nowhere off some of the tees. 

"But besides that, I've really, really enjoyed it, and I think the more I played it, the more comfortable I've gotten and I now know where to hit it a little bit more."

What makes Augusta National different is the weight of history and with every corner of the golf course holding a Masters memory, McKibbin now has an even greater appreciation for the past champions.

Amen Corner — that magical run that starts with the vertiginous approach to the water-guarded 11th and those heart-stopping shots at the 12th and 13th — has had a massive effect on him. 

"I think that stretch from the second shot on the 11th to the second shot on the 13th—all those shots I was looking forward to hitting," McKibbin said. 

"I definitely came to appreciate some of the shots you see on TV and how good they are, especially in some of the pressure moments that these guys are playing. I definitely have a lot more respect for some of them."

It's easy to forget that modern sporting superstars are mini-corporations employing dozens of people whose sole function is to serve the boss and keep the show on the road.

In the case of Rory McIlroy, quickly closing in on billionaire status, 30 employees (and business partner/manager Séan O'Flaherty) work hard to help an elite athlete perform and maintain his image while simultaneously satisfying the needs of blue-chip sponsors.

At the age of 36, it might seem a tad early for a McIlroy biography, given the Holywood man may have another decade of elite golf ahead of him.

But last year's Masters win was such a great story that Alan Shipnuck's publisher insisted he get typing. Fast.

The result, "Rory - The Heartache and Triumph of Golf's Most Human Superstar" (Simon & Schuster, €17.99), hits the bookshops this week, and it is neither a hatchet job nor a hagiography but a sympathetic portrait of a complex superstar.

It's also unauthorised, which is no surprise given that one of Shipnuck's most recent efforts is an explosive and devastating biography of Phil Mickelson.

Shipnuck quoted the six-time major winner, now with the Saudi-funded LIV Golf League, describing the Saudi regime as "scary motherfuckers to get involved with... We know they killed [Jamal] Khashoggi and have a horrible record on human rights. They execute people over there for being gay."

To say McIlroy was cagey about the prospect of being the subject of Shipnuck's latest book would be an understatement.

When he spotted him talking to O'Flaherty during last year's US Open at Oakmont, he told him to "fuck off" because he found his presence distracting as he warmed up on the range.

They later spoke in the Oakmont car park, and McIlroy made it clear that he had a problem with the book.

"You fucked Phil," McIlroy said.

"Actually," Shipnuck replied, "Phil fucked himself."

McIlroy retorted, "I'm not going to make the same mistake."

He added: "It pisses me off that you're making money off my name."

Fair enough, there was to be no co-operation on the project, but Shipnuck was not surprised, given what he perceives as the Co Down man's desire for full control.

In a recent chat about his book, he explained that McIlroy initially passed on what became the recently launched Amazon documentary until he could produce it himself.

"I know a lot of talented Hollywood people pitched Rory," Shipnuck told me. "And ultimately he went with his own production company because he wanted control.”

The former Sports Illustrated scribe describes the resulting two-hour film as "very safe and very predictable and almost a little boring" and suspects an authorised biography will eventually come out because McIlroy has been "banking interviews with people around him for some kind of book project in the future."

As for this tome, McIlroy read Chapter One, shook the author's hand publicly and said: "It was good. It made me laugh."

Those looking for "dirt" on McIlroy's now resolved marital problems will be left disappointed, though Shipnuck has fun with the rumours surrounding his late arrival for his singles at the 2012 Ryder Cup, where he first met his future wife.

McIlroy's camp blamed a time zone mix-up, but tournament officials received a winking emoji when they texted a colleague who worked alongside Erica Stoll.
McIlroy's manager "declined to discuss any aspect of his boss's personal life."

Reporters who have spent two decades following McIlroy will be 'au fait' with McIlroy's decision to leave Chubby Chandler's ISM and go to boutique Irish agency Horizon Sports, run by Conor Ridge and Colin Morrissey, with O'Flaherty a lower-level employee.

Lee Westwood treated McIlroy "like a pesky little brother,” Shipnuck writes. He was making "little comments that were funny but a bit harsh," says former ISM man Stuart Cage.

A row over commissions led to McIlroy taking Ridge and Co to court, though O'Flaherty—the same man Ridge once grabbed by the scruff of the neck in front of Shipnuck and asked, "Have you ever seen a more punchable face?"—remained loyal and joined Rory McIlroy Inc.

Some of the more interesting takes on McIlroy come from Padraig Harrington and Paul McGinley.

"The thing about Rory, he's quite stubborn," McGinley says. "And he has a heightened sense of justice. If he feels he has been wronged, he won't give an inch."

McGinley also notes that McIlroy "rarely gives praise to anybody around him. He has a very high sense of his value. He feels like, I'm the guy who does the donkey work out there—nobody else is allowed to take any praise off my back."

That said, McGinley also admires McIlroy's unswerving loyalty to his team.

"When it goes wrong, he never throws anybody else under the bus. You ever heard him criticise anybody around him? He has ownership of everything."

Harrington clearly admires McIlroy's winning mentality, comparing it to a penalty shootout in soccer.
"I would choose five players to take those penalties who want to score over five players who don't want to miss," Harrington says. "It's a different mentality.

"The players who aren't afraid to score might very well miss the target completely, but they are also the ones who are going to win you the game. The problem is, in a high-pressure situation, if a player misses the goal, he's the one who's hung out in the papers the next day.

"Whereas if another player hits an average penalty kick and it's saved, he doesn't get hung out—we celebrate the keeper! So it's safer to try an average kick than to try to be extraordinary, but you're going to win a lot less. I think it's pretty obvious which personality Rory is."

Unlike Woods or Mickelson—"consumed by their vices and addictions, drenched in scandal"—Shipnuck ultimately loves that McIlroy shows "an incredible gratitude for this life" and successfully walks the tightrope between "ruthless control" and being a genuinely decent person.

As the book's subtitle suggests, golf's most human superstar remains endlessly fascinating.

Roganstown teenager Mark Cadden said it was dream come true as he claimed the Connolly Motor Group West of Ireland Men’s Amateur Open Championship following a thrilling 20th hole victory over Wawrrenpoint’s Colm Campbell.

The powerful 6-feet 5-inch 19-year-old showed his class all day in County Sligo, but he was unable to wriggle free of last year’s beaten finalist Campbell, who won the 17th to force the match down the last.

And there were two extra holes before Cadden sunk a 15-foot putt to scenes of jubilation, with his parents Paula and Michael, along with more family and friends from Roganstown and beyond, as the celebrations began on the 20th green.

“It’s pretty emotional now,” said Cadden, who is coached by Geoff Loughrey from the Made In Holywood Golf Academy based at Roganstown.

“Just put so much time and effort into it, and to finally get something in return, it’s just unbelievable. My dad and mam, just the support they give me is unbelievable, all my family.

“My sister was watching that match the whole time in Australia, it’s about 2.30 am there now. She was in tears on the phone. It was emotional.

“Played great all day, really, Colm just holed so many putts in the first eight holes and then a few coming in. He just wouldn’t back off, 17 he made some par, every time he had the putter in his hands I was expecting him to make it.

“I knew I was due a putt and thankfully it just went my way.”

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Cadden continued his impressive week with a 3&1 win over fellow teenage prospect Alex Kerins (Carton House). The two 19-year-olds battled it out, and Cadden assumed a 2-up lead when he birdied the sixth. He was unable to pull away down the back nine, but when Kerins stumbled on 15, it left the door open, and Cadden advanced.

Campbell was made to work hard for his place in the final by Cian Harkin (The Island). The Donegal native took a 1-up lead on the 5th, but Campbell bounced back. He went 1-up after the turn, and although Harkin clawed the deficit back again on 12, Campbell went in front on 16 and moved on.

In the ISPS Handa G4D at The West, Paul O’Kelly (Portmarnock) signed for a second round 86 to hold on for a narrow one-shot victory over Fiona Gray (St Patrick’s). A closing par was crucial as he claimed the Standing 2 Category.

“Didn’t play as well as I did yesterday but I managed to do enough and hold on in tough conditions again,” said O’Kelly.

“Just keeping the ball in front of me, keeping it low when it was needed and avoiding the big mistakes. That was the plan for the two days, and I managed to do it for the most part.”

Killarney’s Tom Doherty won the Standing 1 Category after he finished eight shots ahead of his nearest challenger, Chris Faloon (Galgorm Castle). James McParland (Roganstown) won the Standing 3 Category. He earned a narrow three-shot win, just ahead of Conal Flynn (Athenry).

Faloon finished on top of the Net Stroke Play leaderboard on +5, while Gray finished runner-up again (+11) and Flynn was back in third (+12).

Meanwhile, one of the highlights of the closing round was when Ballinrobe golfer Jarlath King landed his first hole-in-one on the Par 3 13th.

West of Ireland Amateur Open, sponsored by Connolly Motor Group, Co Sligo GC

Semi‑finals

Mark Cadden (Roganstown) bt Alex Kerins (Carton House) 3/1

Colm Campbell (Warrenpoint) bt Cian Harkin (Island) 1 up

Final

Mark Cadden (Roganstown) bt Colm Campbell (Warrenpoint) 20th

View the scoring from the West of Ireland Amateur Open Championship here

View the scoring from the ISPS Handa G4D @ The West here

Patrick Reed does not believe he’s golf’s forgotten man as he chases his second Masters title at Augusta National this week.

The Texan held off Rory McIlroy to win in 2018 and after winning twice on the DP World Tour this season to top the Race to Dubai, he tees it up this week believing he can win another green jacket.

“I never feel overlooked when I come back to being a past champion at Augusta,” said Reed, who has finished in the top ten four times since he outgunned McIlroy six years ago.

“Obviously, love being in this room. It means you're doing something well.

“No, anytime I come out here, it's just kind of one of those things that you put your head down. The stresses over every single golf shot you have here at Augusta, it's one of those places that you're not really thinking about what's going on outside and everything else.

“You're trying to grind every little moment that you are inside the ropes when you're out there on the golf course playing. Hopefully we'll be in here Thursday through Sunday.”

With McIlroy and world number one Scottie Scheffler clearly fancied to win and LIV Golf star’s Jon Rahm and Bryson DeChambeau expected to challenge, Reed is coming in under the radar after a three-week break and feeling confident.

“I always feel really good coming in,” he said. “It's one of these things that, being the first major, you always try to come in and obviously be in great form, but it's very easy to kind of put too much pressure on yourself being the first major.

“The first time I actually kind of decided just to let go and play golf was '18, and that got the job done.”

The former LIV star, who will return to the PGA TOUR fold later this season as he focuses his attention on Europe, made no secret of his desire to win a second green jacket.

“Driving up Magnolia Lane, you always sit there and you always feel really good driving in, especially as a past champion,” he said.

“But hopefully we can make some more memories. The one jacket is getting a little lonely. Might need one more.”

He will attend the Masters Club dinner hosted by McIlroy on Tuesday but there will be Tiger Woods or Phil Mickelson present for the first time since 1994.

“With Tiger, I think everyone is probably in the same boat, that they're just very grateful that he's okay and that everyone else that was involved is okay,” Reed said of Woods and his decision to seek help for the issues that led to a recent car crash and driving under the influence arrest.

“Hopefully he's able to kind of get a speedy recovery and get back here to golf as fast as he can.

“Let's be honest, without Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson in the events, in golf, when they both step away, honestly I feel it hurts the game of golf, but at the same time, we want them to come back and be healthy and ready to go.”

As for his decision not to accept his contract renewal offer from LIV Golf, he insisted it came down to family in the end.

“No, we had an offer, but at the end of the day, it was kind of one of those that, when I sat down at the end of the day and talked with my wife and my team, I just felt like the best decision for us was to come back and join the PGA TOUR so I could be closer to home and with the family,” he said.

“Yeah, there's nothing that I felt like was going on between LIV and us or anything like that.

“Like I said, we had a contract, had a deal, but at the end of the day, I felt like the best thing for us was to come to the PGA TOUR again.”

Teenagers Mark Cadden and Alex Kerins will face off for a place in the final of the Connolly Motor Group West of Ireland Amateur Open Championship.

Roganstown talent Cadden (19) saw off former winners Barry Anderson and Caolan Rafferty as Carton House’s Kerins (19) beat Conor Stapleton and leading qualifier Jonathan Keane from Lahinch.

“Played great today, very, very steady stuff,” said Cadden after beating Anderson 4 and 3 and Walker Cup star Rafferty from Dundalk by a whopping 6 and 5.

“I was lucky enough to finish on 16 and 13, nice finish and put the feet up now for the rest of the day

“It’s matchplay, so anything can happen, just put your head down and grind away. Just try and make no mistakes.  

“Caolan is such a good golfer, he has won so many championships in Ireland, and (played) Walker Cup. I knew it was going to be a tough match playing him.”

In the other semi-final, last year’s beaten finalist, Warrenpoint’s Colm Campbell, will take on The Island’s Cian Harkin.  

Campbell edged out 2024 champion Keith Egan on the 18th in his quarter-final as Harkin defeated home favourite Aodhagan Brady 3 and 2.

West of Ireland Amateur Open, sponsored by Connolly Motor Group, Co Sligo GC

Last 16

Jonathan Keane (Lahinch) bt Seán McLoughlin (County Sligo) 2/1
Alex Kerins (Carton House) bt Conor Stapleton (Westport) 5/4
Mark Cadden (Roganstown) bt Barry Anderson (Cork) 4/2
Caolan Rafferty (Dundalk) bt Eoin Sullivan (Portmarnock) 3/2
Aodhagan Brady (Co Sligo) bt Rían Carvill (Warrenpoint) 4/3
Cian Harkin (Island) bt Robert Abernethy (Dun Laoghaire) 3/1
Keith Egan (Carton House) bt James Fox (Portmarnock) 2/1
Colm Campbell (Warrenpoint) bt David Shiel (Enniscrone) 5/3

Quarter‑finals

Kerins bt Keane  3/2; Cadden bt Rafferty 6/5;  
Harkin bt Brady 3/2; Campbell bt Egan 1 up.

Semi‑finals

8:00 Kerins v Cadden;  
8:10 Harkin v Campbell.

Final (1.0).

Rory McIlroy was reluctant to admit he's “basking” in the glory of his Masters win, but he hopes he can enjoy a "mind shift” and be ready for his title defence come Wednesday night.

The Holywood star watched the final round of the Augusta National Women’s Amateur yesterday and got a swift reminder of the disasters that await around Amen Corner as 36-hole leader Asterisk Talley (17) made a quadruple bogey seven at the par-three 12th and shot 75 to finish six shots behind the winner, Colombia’s Maria Jose Marin.

One of the perks of winning the Masters is that McIlroy can take his father, Gerry, out for a round at Augusta today before catching the end of the Drive, Chip and Putt contest.

He’ll have three more days to practice as he bids to become just the fourth man after Jack Nicklaus (1965–1966), Nick Faldo (1989–1990), and Tiger Woods (2001–2002) to successfully defend the title.

But it won’t be until after he hosts the Masters Club Dinner on Tuesday and plays the Par-3 on Wednesday that he will truly get a chance to put on his game face.

“Yeah, it's amazing,” McIlroy said yesterday, dressed in his green jacket. “The atmosphere is incredible. Coming back here after doing what I did last year, it's nice to spend a little extra time. 

“I get to play golf here with my dad tomorrow, which will be a really cool experience for both of us. And, I've watched the ANWA every year since it was started, and I feel like it's a really cool kickoff to the entire week here at Augusta National.”

After winning the Masters at the 17th attempt to end a near 11-year Major drought last year, McIlroy plans to enjoy his title defence.

“Yeah, look, I think the first few days, it is all about enjoying — I don't want to say basking in but enjoying what I did last year,” he said. 

“Enjoying the perks, being able to play with my dad tomorrow, and being able to go to the dinner on Tuesday night. 

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“But I think once Tuesday night's over, you know, serious business begins. Obviously, we're going to have fun at the Par-3 with Poppy and Erica and all that. 

“But I think there will hopefully be a mind shift change on Wednesday where I'm really, like, just focused on the tournament and, trying to, trying to win another Masters.

“Yeah, it's a dream come true. I've gotten up here quite a bit over the last few weeks, and I know this is just my first year coming back and doing it all in the green jacket, but I'm pretty sure it won’t get old.”

As McIlroy enjoys Augusta National, Leona Maguire will be in Las Vegas looking to chase down Lauren Coughlin in the $4m Aramco Championship at Shadow Creek.

She’s one of only five players in red figures after three rounds, carding a two-over 74 to sit alone in fifth on one-under, six shots off the lead.

Coughlin shot 73 but leads by two strokes on seven-under par from Nelly Korda, who shot 69, and by four from Japan’s Miyu Yamashita and Denmark’s Nanna Koerstz Madsen. 

“Shadow definitely showed its colours the last couple of days,” said Korda, who beat Maguire 4&3 in the T-Mobile Match Play final at Shadow Creek in 2024. 

“It’s been playing brutally hard, just especially the back nine.”

Elm Park’s Anna Foster and The Island’s new touring professional, Lauren Walsh, suffered in round three.
Foster shot 79 to share 51st on 11-over with Walsh 71st on 14-over after carding a second successive 80.

At the weather-delayed Valero Texas Open, Masters-bound Robert MacIntyre and Ludvig Aberg face a marathon final day at TPC San Antonio today.

Third round play was suspended by thunderstorms just before midday, with MacIntyre just two strokes clear of Ryder Cup teammate Aberg on 15-under through six holes.

Play did not resume and officials will restart at 7:45 a.m. local time today.

There’s a lot at stake as Matt Wallace (T3/-11), Ryo Hisatsune (T3/-11), Chris Kirk (T5/-10), Chandler Phillips (T5/-10) and Tony Finau (T5/-10) are chasing the last spot in the Masters Tournament awarded to the winner.

Maria Jose Marin set a new Championship record by two strokes with a 14-under 202 to win the 2026 Augusta National Women's Amateur.

With this win, Marin becomes the first champion to represent Latin America in the history of the event as well as the first Colombian to win at Augusta National Golf Club.

Scores

The No. 7 amateur in the world, Marin started the final round trailing by one stroke and was three-under on the day through the first nine holes. A 20-foot par save at the par-4 10th hole kept her in contention before a quadruple bogey seven by 36-hole leader Asterisk Talley (T-4) at the par-3 12th – combined with a birdie by Marin at the 13th – catapulted Marin into the outright lead. 

After adding another birdie on No. 16, the University of Arkansas junior narrowly missed a long birdie putt on No. 18, tapped in, and finished the final round with a 68 to become the second player in Championship history to shoot three rounds in the 60s (65–69–68).                          

The 19-year-old joins Jennifer Kupcho, Tsubasa Kajitani, Anna Davis, Rose Zhang, Lottie Woad and Maria Jose Marin as Augusta National Women’s Amateur champions.

Maria Jose Marin Quotes

• On her embrace with her family after winning...
  "When I got off of 18, of course my mom and my dad were there. We talked about it yesterday, not a lot, but we talked about what would happen if you win? I was like, I want you both out on the green. I want you there because I want you to be the first ones I hug."
  

• On what the victory means for Colombia and Mexico...
  "Of course this is a win for my country and just beyond proud to represent them. I am half Mexican too, so it is with great pride that I represent Mexico in the bottom of my heart too. I can just say dream big. Never give up on your dreams. I would never, ever think that I was going to be right here right now, but it's just because all of my hard work and my perseverance and the love that I have for the game."
  

• On her tee shot on No. 12...
  “So my plan on 12 was going to the middle of the green down the left. Of course the ball didn't turn down the left, it turned straight to the pin, and I think I got tricked with the wind because I felt it off my back. I think I've been kind of a victim of Amen Corner now because definitely gust of wind, it totally tricked me. It was into the wind; it was not downwind. When my ball stayed there -- I think it's a miracle that my ball stayed there. I just kind of have to make par and walk away out of here because this just happens once.”
  

• On her approach shot into No. 13 green...
  "On 13 I had around 190 into the pin, and from the crowds from behind, I knew it was going to be pretty close. Originally I had a plan to lay up into the hole and just have a wedge in, but I was kind of feeling my momentum and I was hitting the ball pretty, pretty solid. I just told Mr. Darren, I'm going for it. It's now or never, I'm going for it. It was perfect."
  

• On the Augusta National Women's Amateur...
  "I think Augusta -- well, the tournament's growth, Augusta National Women's Amateur growth, exponentially it just went up incredible. Since the tournament was made, it was broadcast on TV. It was accessible for all the people to watch and all the little kids to watch. Back home we knew about the tournament, but we didn't know a lot until we watched the last round. It was extremely inspirational for everyone. For my dad, he was the one that says, well, I think that tournament seems pretty good. We're going to do everything that's on our hands to get you in. I think, same as me, a lot of other Latinas and Colombians are hoping and dreaming of being here."

Talley hit her tee shot into the back bunker at the 12th and put her recovery in Raes Creek. She then dropped and did the same thing again before eventually getting up-and-down after a drop on the tee side of the stream.

“I’m just a little emotional, not only because I didn’t get it done today, but also just everyone is so supportive,” Talley said. “It’s hard when they have to watch that and see you not do well or not accomplish what you wanted. I still played fine today, even though that one hole just kind of got me.

“Other than that, it doesn’t define me as a golfer. I know what kind of player I am.”

Talley was bogey-free for 58 holes until the 11th hole. What happened next was a killer..

“I didn’t think I would have to be in that situation at all,” Talley said. “It shows how hard that hole is and how much it has messed up other people as well. Obviously, it’s tough from any position if you’re not on the green.”

Miscellaneous

• Marin becomes the first Augusta National Women's Amateur champion to win after missing the cut the previous year. Her four-stroke victory matches Jennifer Kupcho (2019) for the largest margin of victory in Championship history. 

• Marin led the field in bogey avoidance (three) and tied for first in birdies or better (17). She had just one three-putt all week. 

• Runner-up Andrea Revuelta began the final round five strokes back from the lead after finishing even in the second round but rallied to shoot 68 in the final round and finish at 10-under 206.

• Five players shot 68 at Augusta National (Marin, Andrea Revuelta, Soomin Oh, Yunseo Yang and World No. 1 ranked amateur Kiara Romero).

Lahinch’s Jonathan Keane topped the qualifiers as Storm Dave swept across Rosses Point and the second strokeplay qualifying round for the West of Ireland Championship was abandoned due to high winds.

While officials had hoped to complete the second qualifying round before the worst of the wind, it proved mission impossible.

With balls moving on some of the more exposed greens, the round was abandoned, and the top 64 after round one declared the qualifiers for the first round of matchplay combat on Easter Sunday.

“The events today unfolded, unfortunately, as predicted by our colleagues in Met Éireann,” tournament director Enda Lonergan explained on Ocean FM’s In The Clubhouse podcast.

“It was a great disappointment, I must admit, to the championship team, because I was the eternal optimist at the start of the day, and I genuinely believed we'd get it done.

“It wasn't pleasant. Admittedly, I think the wind chill factor was the biggest obstacle for players out there today. The wind and the rain were not anything they're unused to playing in Irish golf, and certainly playing golf in the west of Ireland.

“We were left with probably no other option, really, and at around three o'clock, when the wind amped up considerably, and I had positioned referees on the second, the fourth, the ninth and the 12th greens in anticipation, almost in sequence simultaneously, my phone was beeping from all four.

“Balls were moving everywhere, and we were just at the beginning of the storm, so we had no option, as predicted or as advertised to the players on Thursday evening, and abandonment ensued, and we are where we are now.”

The first round has thrown up some fascinating clashes with Robbie Cannon taking on Matthew McClean after carding an outstanding but ultimately non-counting 75 in the worst of the wind and rain.

Co Sligo’s highly fancied Aodhagan Brady will face East of Ireland champion, David Howard while defending champion Dylan Holmes takes on Paul O'Hanlon, who lost in the final to Rory McIlroy 20 years ago.

West of Ireland Amateur Open, sponsored by Connolly Motor Group, Co Sligo GC (Par 71)

First round. - Sunday, 5 April

07:30 Jonathan Keane (Lahinch) v Sean Flanagan (Portmarnock);

07:39 Maximilian Pieck (Essen-Heidhausen, GER) v David Reddan (Castleknock);

07:48 Ryan Griffin (Ballybofey & Stranorlar) v Seán McLoughlin (County Sligo);

07:57 Quentin Carew (The Heritage) v Jamal Sabir (Moate);

08:06 Dylan Keating (Seapoint) v Thomas Abom (Edmondstown);

08:15 Darragh Flynn (Carton House) v Alex Kerins (Carton House);

08:24 Conor Stapleton (Westport) v Eddie McCormack (Galway Bay);

08:33 Harley Phipps (Co. Louth) v Gary Collins (Rosslare);

08:42 Matthew McClean (Malone) v Robbie Cannon (Balbriggan);

08:51 Ross Latimer (Knock) v Mark Cadden (Roganstown);

09:00 Barry Anderson (Cork) v Edward Reed (Royal Birkdale);

09:09 Conor Hickey (Dooks) v Evan Farrell (Co. Louth);

09:18 Caolan Rafferty (Dundalk) v Seamus Cullen (Slieve Russell);

09:27 James Hewitt (Tandragee) v James Walsh (Douglas);

09:36 Martin Shone (Bossey, SUI) v Bruce MacDonald (Lisburn);

09:45 Eoin Sullivan (Portmarnock) v Evan Monaghan (Tullamore);

09:54 Aodhagan Brady (Co Sligo) v David Howard (Fota Island);

10:03 Sean Downes (The Royal Dublin) v Padraig O'Dochartaigh (Gweedore);

10:12 TJ Ford (County Sligo) v Oscar Murphy (Royal Portrush);

10:21 Rían Carvill (Warrenpoint) v Paul Coughlan (Castleknock);

10:30 Dylan Holmes (Greystones) v Paul O'Hanlon (Carton House);

10:39 Robert Abernethy (Dun Laoghaire) v Jordan Boles (Carton House);

10:48 Shea Dorman (Bangor) v Ian Lynch (Rosslare);

10:57 Cian Harkin (Island) v Ben Cahill (Dundalk);

11:06 Cormac O'Muirithe (Belmullet) v Rory Gallagher (Galway Bay);

11:15 Patrick Curran (Edmondstown) v James Fox (Portmarnock);

11:24 Keith Egan (Carton House) v Louis Goodman (Co. Louth);

11:33 Ryan O'Doherty (Enniscrone) v Stephen Coulter (Warrenpoint);

11:42 Edward Farr (Monkstown) v David Kitt (Athenry);

11:51 Kyle McCarron (North West) v Colm Campbell (Warrenpoint);

12:00 Charlie McDonnell (Concra Wood) v Gordon Sillett (Ballykisteen);

12:09 Aaron Marshall (Lisburn) v David Shiel (Enniscrone).

Qualifiers

The second round (Saturday, April 4) was abandoned due to high winds (Storm Dave)

66 Jonathan Keane (Lahinch) leading qualifier;

71 Aodhagan Brady (Co Sligo);

72 Cormac O'Muirithe (Belmullet), Matthew McClean (Malone), Caolan Rafferty (Dundalk), Edward Farr (Monkstown), Dylan Holmes (Greystones);

73 Dylan Keating (Seapoint), Conor Stapleton (Westport), Shea Dorman (Bangor), Charlie McDonnell (Concra Wood), Martin Shone (Bossey, SUI), Barry Anderson (Cork), Keith Egan (Carton House);

74 TJ Ford (County Sligo), Ryan Griffin (Ballybofey & Stranorlar), Quentin Carew (The Heritage), Rían Carvill (Warrenpoint), Ryan O'Doherty (Enniscrone), Conor Hickey (Dooks);

75 Eoin Sullivan (Portmarnock), Aaron Marshall (Lisburn), Cian Harkin (Island), Harley Phipps (Co. Louth), Darragh Flynn (Carton House), Robert Abernethy (Dun Laoghaire), Kyle McCarron (North West), James Hewitt (Tandragee), Ross Latimer (Knock), Patrick Curran (Edmondstown);

76 Sean Downes (The Royal Dublin), Maximilian Pieck (Essen-Heidhausen, GER), David Reddan (Castleknock), Padraig O'Dochartaigh (Gweedore), James Fox (Portmarnock), Mark Cadden (Roganstown), James Walsh (Douglas), Colm Campbell (Warrenpoint);

77 Jordan Boles (Carton House), Alex Kerins (Carton House), Gary Collins (Rosslare), Ben Cahill (Dundalk), David Shiel (Enniscrone), Evan Monaghan (Tullamore), Evan Farrell (Co. Louth), Stephen Coulter (Warrenpoint), Paul Coughlan (Castleknock), Jamal Sabir (Moate);

78 Seán McLoughlin (County Sligo), Oscar Murphy (Royal Portrush), Louis Goodman (Co. Louth), Edward Reed (Royal Birkdale), Bruce MacDonald (Lisburn), Gordon Sillett (Ballykisteen), Ian Lynch (Rosslare), Eddie McCormack (Galway Bay), Thomas Abom (Edmondstown), Paul O'Hanlon (Carton House);

79 David Kitt (Athenry), Seamus Cullen (Slieve Russell), Robbie Cannon (Balbriggan), Rory Gallagher (Galway Bay), David Howard (Fota Island), Sean Flanagan (Portmarnock).

Non‑qualifiers

79 Paddy Quill (Cork), Fergal Coyle (Athenry), Simon Walker (Roscommon), Mikkel Bergum Johansen (Drøbak GK, NOR), Patrick Tuffy (Strandhill), Adam Allahbachani (Powerscourt), David O'Malley (Black Bush), Harry Fanagan (Milltown), Conor Clarke (Balmoral);

80 Conor McCarthy (Headfort), Eoin Murphy (Dundalk), Padraig Curry (Castlecomer), Jonathan Hayden (The Royal Dublin), Niall Conneely (Ballinasloe), James O’Rourke (Naas), Ryan Lyons (Blarney), Joe Lyons (Galway), William O’Riordan (Greystones), Cian Poland (Elm Park), Freddie Bracken (Portmarnock), Jack Moffett (Fortwilliam);

81 Matthew Dodd (St Anne’s), Mark Muldoon (Royal Dublin), James Temple (Portmarnock), Sean Reddy (Douglas), Ian O’Connell (Castleknock), Darren Kelleher (Blarney), Greg O'Mahony (Fota Island), Harry Gillivan (Portmarnock), Conor Madigan (Kanturk), Andrew Mulholland (Castlerock), Barry Howlin (The Heritage), Adam Smith (Mullingar), Ruairi O'Connor (Co Sligo), Patrick Greene (Holywood), Shane McGlynn (Portmarnock);

82 Jamie Anderson (Greystones), Kevin Robinson (Castlewarden), Frederik Richardson (Byneset GK, NOR), Mikie Grealy (Galway Bay), Evan Hogg (Belvoir Park);

83 Liam Abom (Edmondstown), Mark McKenna (Dun Laoghaire), Joe O'Neill (Berehaven), James Everard (Kilkenny), Brian Doran (Millicent), Ryan Murray (Balmoral), Jack McDonnell (Royal Dublin), Richard Sykes (Dun Laoghaire), Tommy McGowan (Woodbrook), Jonny Hall (Galgorm Castle);

84 David Brady (Straffan), Finley Gastrau (Ostschweizerischer, SUI), John Dillon (Lahinch);

85 Oscar Cuthbert (Harpenden Common), Andrew Gavin (Black Bush), Shane McDermott (Slieve Russell), Samuel Gammell (Naas);

86 Bob Casey (Lahinch);

87 Gavin McKenna (Ormeau), Luke Cunningham (Galway Bay);

88 Roy O'Riordan (Fermoy).

Leona Maguire showed her love for Shadow Creek and her bad-weather credentials to battle her way into contention at the $4 million Aramco Championship in Las Vegas.

The Co Cavan star arrived in Nevada on the back of two missed cuts.

But at a venue where she reached the final of the T-Mobile Matchplay two years ago, she chiselled out a one under 71 to share second place with Korea’s Hyo Joo Kim, five shots behind leader Lauren Coughlin on three under.

“It's almost bordering on a US Open-style setup,” said Maguire, who was one of just ten players under par. 

“You see how few people are under par. It feels a little bit like a major without being a major.”

High winds and firm greens made the course a massive challenge, but Coughlin fired a three-under 69 to lead on eight under from Maguire and Kim, who is chasing her third LPGA win in a row.

It's an event co-sanctioned by the LET, and Elm Park’s Anna Foster joined LPGA players Maguire and Lauren Walsh in making the cut.

While Walsh shot 80 to slip to 48th on six over, Foster’s second successive 74 left her tied for 31st on four over.

“Outside of the majors, this is one of the biggest there is and a huge opportunity for everyone early in the year to do well, and on one of the best golf courses in the world,” Maguire said.

“I know a lot of the LET girls were a little intimidated but excited to be here, and the same on the LPGA side. 

“We've been treated so well. Staying in the Bellagio and playing a golf course like this, we're pretty lucky to get to do what we do.

“We were joking on Tuesday night. I went to Cirque du Soleil with my sister (Lisa), Lindy (Duncan), and Lydia (Ko). 

“As stressful as this golf course is, I think being a Cirque du Soleil performer is a lot more stressful, and we decided we would take playing here instead.”

As for the challenge, it suits a grinder like Maguire, even if she's one of the shorter hitters.

“We played here a few years ago when it was stroke play into match play and the conditions were worse,” she said.

“The rough was worse. Wind was worse. So today maybe didn't -- it was bad, but didn't feel as bad, so I think that maybe helped as well.”

She lost 4&3 to Korda in that Matchplay final two years ago, but she still feels a comfort level around the course.

“I think it helps,” she said. “The more you play this golf course, you know the banks and certain things.

“It's extremely tough either way…It's a fantastic golf course. It's one of the best courses we play all year. I think you could have a major championship here in the morning, and no one would think twice about it.

“Yeah, like I said, it's one of my favourites of the year. I always enjoy coming here. 

“I was disappointed when the match play wasn't coming back and excited when I heard this was coming.”

As for catching the leader, she planned to simply do “more of the same”.

“I don't think you can chase anything on this golf course,” the Ballyconnell star said. “Just trying to hit a lot of fairways, greens, and leave yourself in good spots even if that's not on the greens sometimes.

“Yeah, just try and sort of chip away at it one by one. If the leaders come back, great. If not, just try and post as good a number as we can.”

At the PGA Tour’s Valero Texas Open, Scottish left-hander Robert MacIntyre fired an eight-under 64 to lead by four shots clear of Ryder Cup teammate Ludvig Aberg.

He was pleased with his decision to play before the Masters, but a sixth successive start proved too much for Seamus Power.

Obliged to take every opportunity as he looks to regain fully exempt status, his one over 73 left him two shots outside the cut mark on level par.

Lahinch’s Jonathan Keane made light work of a stiff northwest wind and fired an incredible five under 66 to set the pace in the Connolly Motor Group West of Ireland Amateur Open at Rosses Point.

Running high on confidence after breaking through to win the South of Ireland Championship last summer, the Kilfenora man was the only player in the 126-strong field to break par in the first qualifying round.

“I’m delighted,” Keane said after making nine birdies at County Sligo, including three in a row from the 13th before closing with another. “It was tough, all right, to be fair.

“There was a lot of wind, and we got one or two showers of rain. So yeah, delighted with my round.”

WEST OF IRELAND MEN'S AMATEUR OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP (CO. SLIGO)

The big-hitting Co Clare man leads by five strokes from Co Sligo’s Aodhagan Brady and by six from defending champion Dylan Holmes, Walker Cup players Matthew McClean and Caolan Rafferty, Monkstown’s Edward Farr and qualifier Cormac O’Muirithe from Belmullet.

With Storm Dave expected to lash the west coast this afternoon, Championship officials advised the players before teeing it up yesterday that their opening rounds might be their sole qualifying round should the weather force the abandonment or cancellation of round two.

Winds gusting over 100 kpmh are forecast, and while it blew over 80 kmph at times on the opening day, Keane took advantage of the best of the early conditions and the confidence that comes with winning an Irish championship.

“I'm pretty used to wind like this, so it's pretty standard for me,” he said. “Last year was a great year for me. I got great confidence from it, and I was happy with how my pre-season went and how I had played in a few tournaments abroad.

“I was feeling good about my game, and I’m delighted to have a good score.”

Unlike 2016, when the second qualifying round was abandoned, players can have no complaints if round two is called off and the top 64 after round one are declared the qualifiers.

“We made a decision yesterday and notified the players last night that the intention was to try and complete the event within the allotted time and in its format, but there would be no extension to Wednesday,” Tournament Director Enda Lonergan explained.

“We told them that they should prepare themselves when going out today for the possibility of a cancellation or abandonment of round two, but it was our intention to start if the weather permitted on Saturday morning.

"We wanted everybody to know the importance of their first round and to take due diligence and due care in that round.”

On the PGA Tour, Scottish left-hander Robert MacIntyre fired an eight-under 64 to take the halfway lead in the Valero Texas Open.

At 14-under, he was four shots clear of Ryder Cup teammate Ludvig Aberg and pleased with his decision to play before the Masters.

“I've tweaked it this year,” the Scot said of his schedule. “I didn't play last year, just went straight into Augusta. This was an adjustment for that reason. I wanted to be sharp, or sharper going into Augusta.

“I prefer playing my way in whether it's one, two, sometimes three events before a major.”

It was Seamus Power’s sixth event in a row but a one over 73 left him two shots outside the cut mark on level par.

So what now for Rory McIlroy as he plays the fourth Major of his post-Grand Slam life and looks to the back nine of his career with the chance to clamber even higher up the Mount Olympus of golfing gods?

Will we get a repeat of the post-Augusta blues that saw him finish 47th in the PGA Championship, 19th in the US Open and seventh in The Open or more of the marauding monster that cast off that post-Masters malaise with an unforgettable Amgen Irish Open win at The K Club and went on to destroy the USA with a spectacular Ryder Cup performance in the face of outrageous provocation at Bethpage?

Whatever the answer, don't expect Brandel Chamblee and Paul McGinley to agree unanimously as they fill your TV screens with "Golf Central Live From The Masters" next week.

For the first time in recent memory, virtually every top contender arrives at Augusta National with a question mark next to their name.

Scheffler has finished outside the top 10 in his last three events — a "mini slump" by his high standards — while McIlroy's recent back injury has cast a small shadow of doubt over his form.

"Almost everybody entering this year's Masters has some question mark or caveat attached to their name," Chamblee said in a teleconference to promote the Golf Channel's Masters coverage.

"Nobody is the dominant favourite the way it was two years ago with Scottie, or even the way it was a year ago with Rory."

A two-week competitive layoff for nearly all the leading protagonists from McIlroy and Scheffler to LIV Golf stars Jon Rahm and Bryson DeChambeau leaves us wondering about who is truly the form horse for the first Major of the season.

But when it comes to the long-term and what Rory will do next now that he's thrown the Masters monkey off his back, is an equally enticing question.

Is McIlroy getting better with age, or, whisper it, is the window quietly closing?

McGinley falls firmly in the optimist's camp while Chamblee is more circumspect.

"He's a more complete golfer now than he's ever been before," the Dubliner insisted. "The stats will show you that. He's got so many different elements to his game that he didn't have before, even when he was winning Majors in the early 2010s."

The Dubliner points to McIlroy's newly perfected stinger off the tee, his ability to move the ball left-to-right, his improved distance control with the wedges and a putting game that's the envy of many thanks to the genius of Brad Faxon.

"He's more equipped to win Major championships, in my view, than he's ever been before."

That said, there's always a "but" when it comes to golf and McIlroy has many hurdles to overcome as he looks to match Nick Faldo (and Lee Trevino and Phil Mickelson) with six Major wins and edge closer to the greatest of the greats — Jack Nicklaus (18), Tiger Woods (15), Walter Hagen (11), Ben Hogan and Gary Player (9), Tom Watson (8), and seven-time Major champions Harry Vardon, Bobby Jones, Gene Sarazen and Sam Snead.

"The competition is stronger than it was when he was winning Majors the previous time," McGinley conceded. "I think that's a challenge. But the biggest challenge is a motivational one. Having completed the Grand Slam, it's a huge milestone in anybody's career.

"From a European perspective, Nick Faldo is still one Major ahead of him. And I'm sure he cannot unequivocally be called the greatest European player of all time until he passes Nick."

Motivation, McGinley insists, will not be a problem.

"I can assure you that he loves playing golf, he loves competing," added McGinley, who has spent considerable time recently with McIlroy at the TGL. "It's just a question of focus for Rory, like it always is – probably even more so now than ever."

Chamblee remains a McIlroy fan, but while he's impressed by his physical prowess– his ball speed has actually increased from 173 to the 184-185 mph range over the past decade – Father Time waits for no man.

"There's an ageing curve, and it's real; nobody escapes it," Chamblee said, pointing out that Nicklaus won 14 of his 18 Majors before turning 36. "Distractions multiply with age – business ventures, family, the weight of legacy."

McIlroy will celebrate his 37th birthday next month, but with many of his Masters ghosts now exorcised, it will be fascinating to see how he reacts next week and in the years to come.

Coming in cold might be an exaggeration, but one wonders how a two-week break will affect the Holywood star and his main rivals like Scheffler, Rahm, DeChambeau and Players Championship winner Young, to name just five of the top contenders.

"It's unbelievable how many guys are going cold into this Major championship compared to previous years," McGinley said. "The proof will be in the pudding. The guys who've played a little bit leading in – are they going to have an advantage? And the guys who are not – are they going to be slow coming out of the blocks?"

A fast start is not imperative at the Masters, but it helps.

"When you're as good as Scottie Scheffler or as good as Rory McIlroy, it's often one or two shots," he explained. "And those shots are not always gotten on the last nine holes on Sunday. Those shots can be gotten early in the tournament."

If not the big guns, then who?

McGinley sees the LIV Golf stars arriving with "pointy elbows" and a point to prove, but when it comes to a surprise package, he's looking at a left-hander from the west coast of Scotland, Bob MacIntyre.

"I think he's got the heart of a lion," McGinley said. "I think he loves the big moment. He's already had two top 10s in the Majors last year and a big finish in The Players this year. In fact, he nearly won The Players."

Notably, for McGinley, he stood up and delivered as the anchor man for Europe in the Ryder Cup singles at Bethpage.

"As a captain, you pick players for big moments, who've got big stomachs and big hearts, who can handle situations," he said. "Bob was right down the order at Bethpage. That's ominous. It shows what his peers think about him."

LPGA rookie Lauren Walsh birdied four of her last six holes to open with a two-under 70 and share 11th place with Leona Maguire at the Aramco Championship in Las Vegas.

The Castlewarden golfer was three over after three bogeys in a row from the 13th (her fourth), but birdied the 16th before coming home in 32 at Shadow Creek.

The Kildare star (25) has made just one cut from her first three starts as an LPGA cardholder but her hot finish has thrust her into contention alongside Maguire.

They are just three shots behind Lauren Coughlin and the Japanese duo Miyu Yamashita and Nasa Hataoka, who shot 67s to lead by a shot from Nelly Korda, Jing Yan and Korea's Hyo Boo Kim on five under.

Like Walsh, Maguire arrived in Las Vegas on the back of two missed cuts but mixed four birdies with just two bogeys in her 70.

It was also a positive day for Anna Foster, who birdied her last two holes to chisel out a 74 that left her joint 58th.

In Texas,  Seamus Power opened with a one-under 71 in the PGA Tour's weather-delayed Valero Texas Open.

Like dozens of other players in the field, the West Waterford man needs to win at TPC San Antonio to clinch a spot in the Masters next week.

But he was tied for 60th when play was suspended due to darkness and has his work cut out to catch Mark Hubbard, who shot a seven-under 65 to lead by a shot from Tony Finau, Davis Thompson, Andrew Putnam, Robert MacIntyre and Steven Fisk.

Hubbard birdied six of his last eight holes to shoot 65 and top the leaderboard on a day when play was delayed at the start by 90 minutes due to a thunderstorm.

Finau, who has slipped to 107th in the world, has not qualified for the Masters for the first time since 2017.

"I feel like I'm really close to putting together a string of good golf tournaments," Finau said. "I've had some good days during tournaments, whether that's in the first round, the final round.

"But I haven't been able to put together, I feel like, really strong finishes and four days of good golf.

"So I'm off to a good start this week. I'll just be looking to capitalise on three more days of good golf."

World number four Tommy Fleetwood, the highest-ranked player in the field, was just two shots off the lead in a group that also included fancied Masters contender Ludvig Aberg.

"I think, first of all, like a good result this week is a good result," Fleetwood said. "There's always something going on, always something to play for, and you've always got to focus on each tournament as it comes.

"That's why you're playing. But of course, you would rather be playing well and show a lot of good stuff going into Augusta.

"You try and have the mindset that each week is a new week, but as fickle as confidence can be, it's always nice to play well going into a big week."

There was no luck for Beth Coulter in the Augusta National Women’s Amateur, where she followed a 71 with a 79 at Champion Retreat to miss the one-under cut by seven strokes.

Last year’s runner-up, Californian Askerisk Talley (17) went bogey-free for the second day running, adding a 67 to her opening 66 to lead by a shot on 11-under par from Sweden's Meja Örtengren and Colombia's Maria Jose Marin.

All players get a practice round at Augusta National today with the 32 qualifiers set to do battle in the final round tomorrow.

Dylan Holmes returns to County Sligo Golf Club on Friday aiming to capture the Connolly Motor Group West of Ireland Men’s Amateur Open Championship for a second time.

Regarded as the traditional curtain raiser to the Golf Ireland Championships season, the West once again brings together leading amateur talent from across Ireland and beyond, with 126 competitors set to take to the renowned links at Rosses Point from April 3-7.

WEST OF IRELAND MEN'S AMATEUR OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP (CO. SLIGO)

Two rounds of stroke play qualifying on Friday and Saturday will reduce the field to the top 64 players, before one-on-one match play action takes over until a champion is crowned on Tuesday afternoon.

Now 19, Holmes secured his breakthrough victory on what was his debut in men’s championships, battling through testing conditions to defeat seasoned veteran of the West, Warrenpoint’s Colm Campbell, in an enthralling final.

The Greystones golfer produced a composed performance to secure a 2&1 victory that sparked emotional scenes among friends, family and clubmates who had made the trip from Wicklow to cheer him on.

“It was such a good week. It kickstarted my men's golf career,” said Holmes.

“My dad was up there for the whole week but my mum, my sister and a few of my cousins came out. I had a lot of family up there.”

“A good few Greystones members came too which was brilliant. They got to watch all the golf, and I could see how much it meant to them as well as how much as it meant to me.”

Following his victory, comparisons were quickly drawn between Holmes and a young Rory McIlroy, who claimed the second of his two West titles in 2006 at just 17 years of age. It is a comparison the Wicklow native is quick to keep in perspective.

“You can compare me to Rory in this, but he won it the year after and he won every other thing and then a few years later he won The Masters,” said Holmes.

“There's no real comparison really, but it's cool anytime you get to be compared to Rory, it's very cool.”

While Holmes returns hoping to defend his crown, the field is packed with a host of top contenders all vying to add their names to an illustrious list of past champions.

One of the standout groupings will lead out the field on Friday morning, as recently crowned regional slam winner Caolan Rafferty (Dundalk), 2024 Flogas Irish Men’s Amateur Open Champion, Matthew McClean (Malone) and former South, East and Irish Amateur champion Colm Campbell tee off at 7.30am.

“I've never played with Matt or Caolan, and I've only played with Colm in the final last year, but you just have to admire their consistency,” said Holmes.

“It's something to aspire to. Rafferty has won all four of the championships now. There are very few golfers in the amateur circuit who get to keep at that very high level for such a long period of time, it is brilliant.”

“When I look at their games, I'm often comparing myself to them and seeing how I can try and get to that next level of consistency.”

Holmes will begin the defence of his title at 7.41am alongside two other rising talents, local hopeful Aodhagan Brady (Co. Sligo) and reigning Irish Intervarsity Champion Patrick Curran (Edmondstown).

This year newly remodelled greens at the Par 5 third and 12th holes, refined fairways and a number of new tee boxes will present a fresh challenge, on the 102nd edition of the tournament.

For Holmes however, the approach remains simple as he looks to replicate the mindset that served him well 12 months ago.

“I try not to get carried away with goals or anything, because I try to stay as present as possible, because I tend to start imagining things, which usually isn't a great thing,” said Holmes.

“For me, I'm going to try and take one shot at a time and hopefully get into the match play and take it from there. That's what I did last year, and it worked out nicely, so hopefully we can try and do something similar.”

“I'm just going to try and enjoy it as much as possible. It's a brilliant event and there's such a buzz around the place.”

For James Sugrue, the road back to professional golf has been anything but straightforward.

The 29-year-old from Mallow, who captured the imagination of the Irish sporting public with his 2019 Amateur Championship victory and subsequent appearances in The Open, the US Open and the Masters, has endured a catalogue of setbacks that would have broken lesser spirits.

Yet, as he prepares for a pivotal 2026 season, there is a quiet steel beneath the easy‑going demeanour—a sense that the peaks and valleys of his career are finally beginning to level out in his favour.

Sugrue’s injury list began with a back issue that threatened to derail his progress just as he was finding his feet in the professional ranks.

Just as that problem was resolved, a freak accident—falling down stairs—resulted in a broken ankle that cost him another six months.

“I then became healthy last year on Clutch for like a first full season,” Sugrue said this week, reflecting on finishing in the top three on the mini tour to earn a HotelPlanner Tour card this season.

“So that was great, you know. And it was great to do something good in that season to get my card and stuff. It kind of showed to me that when I’m healthy, I can compete at a top level.”

The Cork man believes his achievement validates not only his talent but his resilience. After years of interrupted momentum, he finally has a clear runway ahead.

There’s no self‑pity or looking back on the litany of misfortunes that have befallen him since that glorious summer at Portmarnock.

“Everyone kind of says that to me, but I don’t really, to be honest, I don’t really think of it like that,” he says. “I don’t think we’re really like that myself, to be honest. I’m not like whinging about it, saying, ‘Oh, why all this me? When am I going to get my break?’

“I believe that things, swings and roundabouts, you know, it’ll come back around, and my good times will form, and I’ve had good times already. There are peaks and valleys in golf, and that’s just the name of it, I guess.”

Sugrue now holds a full category on the Challenge Tour, with his schedule set to ramp up significantly from May onwards.

“From here I’ll be getting into everything,” he explains. “So busy, busy time from May until kind of October, November, really.”

The coming months represent the sustained run of tournament golf he has craved. While he practices daily—whether at Mallow Driving Range, or Fota Island, or Mallow Golf Club—he acknowledges that nothing replicates competitive play.

“It’s something that I’ve been lacking through all of this year,” he admits.

For a player who has experienced the highest highs—competing at Augusta National, being photographed with Tiger Woods—the hunger to taste that level again burns brightly.

“I still think if I play well, I can beat them there every week,” he says of the HotelPlanner Tour, where he will form part of a strong Irish presence alongside the likes of Conor Purcell, Max Kennedy, Gary Hurley, Liam Nolan and others.

“It’s just at the moment, it’s getting a run of events. I always play well with a run of events.”

Crucially, Sugrue believes he is a better player now than when he lifted the Amateur Championship.

The years of working with the same coach, Michael Collins, ironing out the same flaws that have followed him since childhood, have resulted in gradual improvements.

“Since the Amateur, I’ve been ironing them out for an extra five or six years,” he says.

Support systems matter enormously in the solitary pursuit of professional golf, and Sugrue is well aware of his good fortune. His girlfriend Christina, a nurse, has been a constant presence through the ups and downs. “She’s very, very supportive,” he says. “She’s brilliant.”

On the road, the camaraderie among Irish players is a key support network.

“As Irish players, whatever it is, we’re very good to stick with each other,” he says. “There’ll never be anyone going out for dinner on their own, All of us room together and split cars and what have you. So yeah, it’s great.”

The financial realities of life on the HotelPlanner Tour are never far from mind. Sugrue acknowledges the crucial support he has received, including a significant contribution from Team Ireland, which he describes as “crucial.”

Springfort Hall Hotel, a local sponsor in Mallow, has also come on board this year but Sugrue notes that there’s “plenty of room for other people or businesses to jump in.”

Tour golf is an expensive pursuit, and Sugrue’s path has required patience and perseverance. But with a full category secured, the incentive is clear: perform well, and the game can reward you handsomely.

“The prize fund has gone up so a few good weeks and you can make a few quid,” he says with a grin “That’s important to keep the bank balance ticking over.”

As Sugrue contemplates the season ahead, he draws on a saying he recently encountered: “There’s a reason why the rear view mirror is smaller than the windscreen,” he says,

The Amateur Championship, the Open, the Masters, the injuries and even the comeback are all the past. What matters now is what lies ahead.

“What’s done is done,” he says. “It’s all about pushing on. I’m practising hard. I’ve never worked as hard at the game, so I know that good things are going to come my way, and good golf is just around the corner.”

Beth Coulter opened with a one-under 71 at Champions Retreat to lie six shots off the lead but inside the projected cut mark at the Augusta National Women’s Amateur.

The Co Down star (22) was tied for 23rd behind University of Arkansas junior Maria Jose Marin and 17-year-old Korean Soomin Oh.

Leader Board

They fired bogey-free, seven-under 65s on Wednesday to share the first-round lead at the 2026 Augusta National Women’s Amateur, one stroke clear of a trio of players at six-under 66.

Starting on the back nine, Marin carded early birdies at Nos. 12 and 15 before three straight at Nos. 18, 1 and 2.

After a string of pars, Marin birdied her final two holes to set the pace at seven under.

Marin, the No. 7 amateur in the world, has a win and nine top-10 finishes this season for Arkansas. She earned co-medalist honors in the Clemson Invitational three days ago.

Marin is making her fourth appearance start in the Augusta National Women's Amateur, with her best finish coming in 2023 (T-14).

“I feel like last year gave me a lot of -- it was a lot of learning,” Marin said. “There was a lot of tears, and of course this tournament means a lot to me.

“Not making the cut, it hurt a lot. But I learned that I've got to stay with my two feet on the ground, that I have to be really patient with my game, that if things are not going my way, I don't have to push it, that I just have to wait for golf to do its thing.

“This start, it gives me a lot of confidence going into tomorrow, and heading into the final round we'll see what happens, but it gives me a lot of confidence."

"It means a lot because this tournament is the 72 best players in the world, and everyone is good here. Everyone comes with the same objective in mind; it's to win or to go to Augusta.

“Yeah, it just means that my game is in a good spot, that I'm doing the right things, and that I've got to keep doing what I'm doing."

Soomin Oh started off strong with five birdies in her first nine holes, including three straight at Nos. 7, 8 and 9.

Two more birdies late in the afternoon on Nos. 14 and 18 led to a share of the lead with Marin at the top going into the second round at Champions Retreat.

Oh has finished runner-up in three tournaments this year, including the Women's Amateur Asia-Pacific in New Zealand, Chinese Taipei Women's Amateur and the Ladies European Tour's Women's New South Wales Open.

The No. 10 amateur in the world missed the cut in her debut at the Augusta National Women's Amateur in 2025.

"I think my driving was really good and my putting was really good,” Oh said. "I love the course because all of the par 5s I can hit it on in 2 and it's easier to make the birdies."

"I'm trying not to [set] expectations on myself, not [be] greedy, and just relax and focus on one shot at a time."

Miscellaneous

• Wednesday's scoring average (72.22) was the lowest for any round in the history of the Augusta National Women's Amateur. The first round scoring average has gone down every year since 2021. Nine players earned bogey-free rounds on Wednesday, setting a new record. There were also 31 players who broke par in the first round, a new record. 

• The top eight players on the leader board represent seven different countries: Colombia, South Korea, Canada, the United States, Spain, Australia and Sweden.

• Canadian Vanessa Borovilos' round of six-under 66 is the lowest first round by a first-time participant in the history of the Augusta National Women's Amateur. Borovilos is a four-time Drive, Chip and Putt National Finalist and the 2018 National Champion (Girls 10-11).

• Asterisk Talley holed a bunker shot for an eagle at the par-5 18th on Wednesday. The eagle was the eighth at the 18th hole in the history of the Augusta National Women's Amateur.

• World No. 1 Kiara Romero opened in two-under 70 to sit T-15. Past champion Anna Davis (2022) carded a one-under 71 and is T-23. 

• The second round will continue Thursday at Champions Retreat with live coverage on Golf Channel from 1:30-3:30 p.m. ET.

• Following completion of the second round, a cut will be made with the top 30 players and ties advancing to Saturday’s final round at Augusta National.

The Montgomerie Course at Carton House will host the OFX Irish Legends from July 10–12. 

The Co Kildare venue has hosted a number of high-profile European Tour events, including the men's and women's Irish Open, as well as the Irish Legends in 2010. 

The 2026 OFX Irish Legends will once again bring together Major champions, Ryder Cup players, and proven Tour winners, including Open champion Paul Lawrie and US Open winner Michael Campbell.

Winning 2014 Ryder Cup captain Paul McGinley will join a number of his players from Gleneagles, including Jamie Donaldson and Stephen Gallacher.

With the Ryder Cup set to return to Ireland in 2027, the OFX Irish Legends will bring many of its most recognisable figures back to Irish soil.

McGinley said: “The OFX Irish Legends is always a special week. Irish fans have a real appreciation for the game and its history, and Carton House is a brilliant fit to host an event like this.

“With the Ryder Cup returning to Ireland in 2027, there’s an added buzz, and having so many players who have been part of that story back competing in front of Irish crowds makes it even more special.” 

Jeff Mullen, whose family owns Carton House, said: “We are proud to welcome the OFX Irish Legends to Carton House and to continue the estate’s legacy of hosting world-class golf.

“This event reflects the strength of Ireland’s golfing heritage and the growing momentum leading into the Ryder Cup in 2027.

“Carton House offers a truly special setting for both players and guests, and we look forward to delivering an exceptional experience on and off the course.”  

David Adams, Managing Director of the Staysure Legends Tour, said: 
“We are thrilled to bring the OFX Irish Legends to Carton House for 2026. The venue provides a fantastic stage for our players.

“Ireland has always delivered incredible support for this tournament, and with the Ryder Cup on the horizon, there is a real sense of anticipation building around golf in the country. We are delighted to be a part of that.” 

Maeve McMahon, Chief Commercial Officer, OFX, said: “It’s the third year we’ve supported the OFX Irish Legends. Through the global Staysure Legends Tour, we want to reach businesses who operate across borders.

“Our platform combines competitive FX rates, secure international payments, and tools that support international growth. We look forward to connecting with our customers and businesses at the OFX Irish Legends in July.” 

A defining feature of the OFX Irish Legends is the opportunity it offers amateurs to get closer to the game than ever before.

For those who have dreamed of teeing it up alongside Ryder Cup legends and Major champions, the event provides a rare chance to step inside the ropes and experience life as a professional for a week.

Beth Coulter hopes she can make it two wins in a row for Co Down when she tries to emulate 2025 Masters champion Rory McIlroy and win the Augusta National Women’s Amateur this week.

The Kirkistown Castle star (22) makes her second appearance in the event today and hopes the experience of last year will stand to her.

“It was just absolutely insane,” Coulter said of her 2025 debut, when she shot rounds of 72 and 77 at Champions Retreat but missed the cut.

“To get the invite, it was on the cusp of the last few weeks and months coming into the last WAGR update and then to get one was so, so cool.

“Then to actually get there, the experience, photos and everything just doesn’t do it justice. It’s so cool.”

Players play two rounds at Champions Retreat, and while only the top 30 and ties get to play the final round at Augusta National on Saturday, the entire field gets to play a practice round at the Masters venue on Friday.

“Coming there for the first time when all the other girls have been there playing the event, you are a little bit on the back burner because they have that experience, know how the week works,” said Arizona State University and Curtis Cup star Coulter, who tees it up alongside Mississippi’s Avery Weed and Czechia’s Veronika Kedronova for the first two days.

“The experience was absolutely insane. It was so cool getting to play Augusta on the Friday with Lottie (Woad) when she was leading, and me and Patience (Rhodes) went out and had a birdie game, had so much fun.

“That’ll hopefully stand us in good stead for the second year. We know how everything works, where everything is. Getting those extra rounds in Champions Retreat to try and make the cut is really important.

“I’ll be able to treat it more as a golf tournament than an experience.”

This week marks the start of the domestic amateur season with 93 players teeing it up in the Connolly Motors-sponsored West of Ireland Amateur Open qualifier at Co Sligo today.

The handicap cut-off was plus 2.5 this year, and the Championship proper gets underway with a 126-strong field set for the first of two strokeplay qualifying rounds on Good Friday.

Greystones’ Dylan Holmes will be looking to become the first man to retain the title since Rory McIlroy in 2006.

Walker Cup skipper Dean Robertson will closely monitor results, and the winner will be invited to join a Great Britain and Ireland squad session at Lahinch later this summer.

Robertson will also be watching Golf Ireland’s pilot version of a new Strokes Gained Ratings system that ranks performances in Championships and scratch cups.

Launched this week in partnership with Quantum Sports Data, the pilot will run through the 2026 season with a view to its introduction in 2027 as a new primary qualification method for all men’s and women’s championships.

Using scoring data returned to Golf Ireland’s WHS Clubhouse platform, players will receive an Adjusted Strokes Gained (ASG) rating, which will be driven by their scores over a rolling two-year period.

ASG measures how many strokes better or worse a golfer performs in each round compared to an average championship-level player, accounting for course difficulty and playing conditions.

Walker Cup players Caolan Rafferty (+6.107), Stuart Grehan (+5.984), Matthew McClean (+5.088) and Gavin Tiernan (+4.890) are the top four in the initial men’s ranking.

Kate Lanigan (+10.867), Olivia Costello (+10.316), Rebekah Gardner (+9.565) and Anna Dawson (+9.538) are the leading women domestically.

“While we’re committed to continuing to use both the World Amateur Golf Rankings and the World Handicap System as qualification criteria for our championships, we wanted to trial a new primary method of qualification for championships that was developed specifically for that purpose,” said Mark Wehrly, Championships and Rules Director at Golf Ireland.