A look ahead to what the year may have in store for Ireland’s top golfers, after a magnificent 2022.
To briefly recap 2022: Shane Lowry and Seamus Power made fortunes by winning on the PGA Tour, Leona Maguire made history by winning on the LPGA Tour, Padraig Harrington made waves on the Champions Tour and Graeme McDowell made, eh, headlines on the LIV Tour.
The moment his year ignited, it seemed, was during his final round of 64 at the Masters in April, crowned as it was by that Tiger-on-16th-style chip-in on 18.But as it turns out, the turning point was days earlier and slightly baffling in its mundanity. He had been using the wrong ball. As McIlroy told the Sunday Independent at the end of last year, he swapped to an older version of his sponsor’s golf ball at the Masters and instantly became more comfortable.
Other majors are on offer at venues he has previously conquered, with the Open returning to Hoylake, the venue of his 2014 triumph. “I don’t only want to be a part of the team, I want to be part of a winning team”, Lowry told the Irish Examiner recently. It’s for that reason Lowry is playing the team-format Hero Cup along with Power this week.Lowry and McIlroy are locks for the European team, but Power may have to prove himself to join them. He is starting the year just outside the automatic qualifier places, with new captain Luke Donald picking half of his 12-man team this time around.
Away from the course, LIV are still battling for the award of world ranking points at their events, but those still within the top 50 along with those eligible under other criteria will be allowed to compete at the Masters, which will expose major divisions at an event that usually tries to preach bland uniformity.
There are five major championships in the women’s game, with the US Open slated for Pebble Beach in June and the Women’s Open held at Walton Heath, which hosted the 1981 Ryder Cup.
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