European Ryder Cup Captain Luke Donald has been confirmed for the Horizon Irish Open along with Rolex Series winners Billy Horschel and Min Woo Lee.
The trio are the latest to be announced as part of the world-class line-up at The K Club as the island of Ireland’s national open returns to the County Kildare venue from September 6-10. To buy tickets click here.
Donald will tee it up in Ireland in the same week he confirms his European Team for the Ryder Cup, the biennial contest against the United States which takes place at Marco Simone Golf and Country Club from September 29- October 1, three weeks after the Horizon Irish Open.
Rory McIlroy, Shane Lowry and Tyrrell Hatton are among those hoping to be part of Donald’s 12-man team in Rome who will also be in the field at The K Club. They will be joined by two-time PGA TOUR winner Séamus Power, who is bidding for a debut appearance in golf’s greatest team contest.
Automatic qualification for Team Europe ends on Sunday September 3 and Donald will announce his six Captain’s Picks a day later on Monday September 4, before travelling to the County Kildare venue where he was part of the European Team which won the Ryder Cup by a record equalling margin in 2006.
Donald returned a 100% record in Ireland, winning all three of his matches in that contest as Ian Woosnam’s team defeated the United States 18½ - 9½.
“I’m looking forward to getting back to The K Club in September,” said Donald. “It’s a venue that I obviously have fond memories of after our Ryder Cup victory in 2006 and it’ll be very exciting to see some of the guys in action as we make our final preparations for Marco Simone.
“It’s set to be a very special week with a number of players set to take part who might then be in the Ryder Cup team, but there’s still a lot of golf to be played between now and September and I’m excited to see what happens before the end of the qualification process.”
Lee has been in excellent form throughout 2023, becoming a consistent fixture inside the Top 50 on the Official World Golf Ranking. The Australian, who won his first Rolex Series title at the 2021 Scottish Open, has had six top ten finishes worldwide this season, including a tied fifth result at the U.S. Open at Los Angeles Country Club.
Currently fifth on the Race to Dubai Rankings in partnership with Rolex, this will be his fourth consecutive appearance in the island of Ireland’s national open as he looks to end the 2023 season on a high.
“Ireland is a fantastic place to play golf and I’m really looking forward to playing at The K Club for the first time,” said the 24-year-old. “I’ve had a great season so far and would love to finish it on a high note with some strong performances as we get closer to the end of the year.”
Horschel, who became just the second American to win the BMW PGA Championship in 2021, will make his debut appearance at the Horizon Irish Open at The K Club, the venue which will also host the popular tournament in 2025 and 2027. He will then return to Wentworth Club the following week after also confirming his appearance at the 2023 BMW PGA Championship.
“I’m excited to play in Ireland for the first time,” said Horschel. “I really enjoy coming over and playing in Europe. In my experience, the fans are knowledgeable and incredibly supportive of every golfer out there and I’m sure the spectators at The K Club will be no different.”
A true festival feeling is in store this September with world-class entertainment on and off the golf course with Scouting for Girls and The Stunning headlining the main stage in the tournament village over the weekend. Scouting for Girls will take to the main stage on Saturday September 9, with The Stunning bringing the tournament to a close on Sunday September 10. The two bands will perform after the final putt has dropped each day.
General Admission tickets are selling fast and Ticket+ is now sold out on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Fans are urged to secure their place at The K Club now to avoid disappointment. Click here to purchase.
