CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Round 1 of the European Tour's Dubai Duty Free Irish Open 2017 unfolds today (Thursday, July 6). Rory McIlroy, representing his foundation, is host.
McIlroy, Hideki Matsuyama, Jon Rahm, Lee Westwood, Miguel Angel Jimenez, Padraig Harrington, Justin Rose, Thomas Pieters and Tommy Fleetwood are among the notables in the field.
McIlroy is defending champion and ranked No. 4 in the world.
Fleetwood won the HNA French Open last week.
EUROPEAN TOUR
DUBAI DUTY FREE IRISH OPEN
Site: Londonderry, Northern Ireland
Course: Portstewart Golf Club (Strand Course). Yardage: 7,004. Par: 72.
Purse: $7 million.
Television: Thursday-Friday, 5:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. (Golf Channel); Saturday-Sunday, 7:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. (Golf Channel).
Defending champion: Rory McIlroy
Last week: Tommy Fleetwood won the HNA French Open.
Race to Dubai leader: Tommy Fleetwood.
Notes: McIlroy is the tournament host. ... McIlroy and Hideki Matsuyama give the Irish Open two of the top five players in the world ranking. Also playing are Jon Rahm, Justin Rose, Tommy Fleetwood and Thomas Pieters. ... Shane Lowry won the Irish Open as an amateur in 2009. ... McIlroy missed the cut in the Irish Open three straight years before rallying to beat Russell Knox last year. ... This will be the 12th time the Irish Open is held at Northern Ireland, and the first at Portstewart. Royal County Down and Royal Portrush have each hosted it four times. ... Three spots will be available to the British Open to players not already exempt who finish among the top 10. ... Fleetwood has earned more world ranking points in 2017 than any player except Dustin Johnson. He started the year at No. 99 in the world and now is No. 15. ... Four players have won the Irish Open the same season they won a major -- Seve Ballesteros (1983), Nick Faldo (1992), Bernhard Langer (1994) and Padraig Harrington (2007). ... The field does not include any Americans who are PGA Tour members.
Online: www.europeantour.com