The European Tour’s Race to Dubai continues at Mount Juliet this week for the Dubai Duty Free Irish Open. An impressive field will contend for this year's title, but who will be crowned champion? Read on below to find out who our experts think.
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Expert Picks
Our expert picks will be brought to you every week by Sky Sports Presenter Kit Alexander and former Ladies European Tour player, coach and presenter Sophie Walker. The duo also co-host their own weekly Fantasy Golf Youtube Channel.
Kit's picks
You can follow Kit on social media here: @KitOnTheCourse (Twitter), @KitOnTheCourse (Instagram)
Tommy Fleetwood
The Englishman has only had a couple of top-10s in strokeplay events this year, but I think he could find the spark that ignites his season this week. It’s his first event on European soil since last year’s BMW PGA Championship, where he finished T13th, after coming 2nd in the Scottish Open the week before. He’ll enjoy being back on the European Tour and his class should come to the fore at Mount Juliet.
Shane Lowry
The 34-year-old burst onto the scene when he won the Irish Open as an amateur back in 2009. He’s now a major champion and comes into this week with three top-10s in his last five starts. He has a wonderful short game and controls his ball flight really well if the wind gets up. The carrot of making a Ryder Cup debut for Captain and friend Padraig Harrington could spur him on to a big summer.
Andy Sullivan
The four-time European Tour winner loves an Irish and British parkland layout at the moment. In the past year, he’s won the English Championship at Hanbury Manor, come T3rd at Wentworth, T4th at Close House, T6th at The Belfry and T9th at Celtic Manor. Mount Juliet should be right up his alley and he’s coming in off a T5th in the BMW International Open last week.
Sophie's picks
You can follow Sophie on social media here: @SophWalks (Twitter), @SophWalksGolf (Instagram)
Christiaan Bezuidenhout
The South African really has established himself as a global player. The world number 46 has won five times on the European Tour, all of those victories have been around inland courses. Christiaan hasn’t missed a cut in 2021 no matter where he has played. This is due to his impeccable short game. Ranking inside the top ten on the PGA in putting and around the greens
Martin Kaymer
The German rattled off 10 birdies on Sunday to finish 2nd at the BMW Open. Kaymer is a guy that can get on runs, winning at least twice in a season four times on the European Tour. The former world number one is more than happy on the big stage and will relish being a top dog once again in Ireland.
Rory McIlroy
The golden boy of Irish golf is back supporting his home event yet again. He will be delighted to see the venue of Mount Juliet, rather than the links of Lahinch Old Course. Rory won the Irish Open in 2016 around a park land course (The K Club). The WGC was hosted here in the early 2000’s. It strikes me as a tee to green type of golf course (Garcia and Goosen share the course record of 62).
I didn’t pick Mcilroy in my team for the U.S Open but I can’t leave him out again.
