THE 2020 IRISH Open will take place at Galgorm Castle in Antrim from 24-27 September.
The European Tour has announced a new date and venue for the event which was originally due to be held at Mount Juliet in May but was cancelled due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
There was speculation that Galgorm Castle could be selected as the new venue for the Open, and will also hold the European Challenge Tour’s NI Open earlier in the month.
The tournament will follow the US Open which is scheduled to take place at Winged Foot in New York the previous weekend.
Holding the Irish Open in Northern Ireland means that those travelling directly from that event will not be required to quarantine for 14 days, as this restriction only applies in the Republic of Ireland.
The Irish Open will be subject to similar guidelines to the current ‘UK Swing’ events, including being played behind closed doors.
The 2020 @DDFIrishOpen will now be played at Galgorm Castle on September 24-27.
— The European Tour (@EuropeanTour) August 14, 2020
While Rory McIlroy has indicated that he is unlikely to play outside of America due to Covid-19 concerns at present, this move could allow golfers including Shane Lowry and Graeme McDowell to perform at the Ballymena course.
Jon Rahm won the 2019 edition of the event at Lahinch Golf Club, having previously won the tournament in 2017.
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Meanwhile Ireland Men’s Rugby League play their opener against Jamaica in the Rugby League World Cup THIS Sunday 5 o’clock kick off!
@Mick O’Shea: I wish them well in their endeavours; how big is RL in Ireland? Is there an actual league within the island? How big is the pool of players available for selection?