The Horizon Irish Open at the K Club will move from an early July to an early September date in the calendar next year. It will be held on the weekend of 7th to 10th September, the window which was made work so well this year by the KPMG Women’s Irish Open at Dromoland Castle.
A date for the renewal of that tournament is expected to be made shortly, though a move in the date is now likely as a result of this decision, and to match the stated desire of Leona Maguire to perhaps stage it as part of a European Major swing in July.
Next year’s Men’s tournament will be the second staging of the Irish Open at The K Club, the first time coming in 2016 when Rory McIlroy famously claimed the title as he eagled the final hole to win by three strokes, earning his first professional victory on Irish soil.
It will do so again in 2023, 2025, and 2027 as part of a long-term deal between the venue, the DP World Tour and Horizon who are on board as primary backers for that same period.
It means that the tournament will be played only two weeks before the Ryder Cup in Rome, and the week after the closing of the qualification period for the European team.
What that does to the quality of the likely field is hard to judge but it could lead to potentially more US stars getting therir eye in ahead of playing in Europe.
There will be no major competition from the PGA Tour with their Tour Championship being played two weeks before the K Club.
“We are incredibly excited to announce a new date for the Horizon Irish Open and we are looking forward to returning to The K Club next September,” said Championship Director Simon Alliss.
“The Irish Open is one of the highlights of Ireland’s sporting calendar and we look forward to staging the event at a time when European golf will be at the forefront of everyone’s mind ahead of the Ryder Cup.”
“The K Club has always had a strong reputation as a venue for hosting successful, international golf events,” said Paul Heery, General Manager.
“Now, with the guidance and fresh energy from new ownership, we are delighted to be back hosting tournaments of this calibre.”
“Supporting the golfing community in Ireland is an extremely important focus for us at The K Club. Our team is incredibly proud to be making this long-term commitment to Irish golf which will see us host six years of high-profile tournaments in Ireland.”
“The new date for the Horizon Irish Open will attract a stronger field of golfers, resulting in a more exciting and engaging event for both competitors and followers. We very much look forward to welcoming players from all over the world to our Arnold Palmer-designed courses and watching the dramatic action unfold on the fairways.”
“This year’s Horizon Irish Open was a success with record crowds, a significant amount of money raised for Make-A-Wish® Ireland and a first-time DP World Tour winner,” added Timothy P Walbert, CEO of Horizon Therapeutics.
“This tournament holds a significant place in Irish golf tradition and we are very pleased with the collaboration between the tour and the K Club to build on that tradition in September of 2023.”
First played in 1927, the Irish Open is one of the world’s most famous national opens, boasting former champions such as Seve Ballesteros, Sir Nick Faldo, Pádraig Harrington, Bernhard Langer, Rory McIlroy, Colin Montgomerie, José María Olazábal and Jon Rahm.
