Out of the Rough: Amgen Irish Open (2026)
Updated: 22 hours ago
The DP World Tour continues on with its ‘Back 9’ swing and the first of three national opens in that stretch with this week’s Amgen Irish Open.
This nomadic event will take to the Trump International Golf Links & Hotel in Doonbeg, Ireland for the very first time.
The Irish Open has been a staple of the DP World Tour’s schedule since 1974 but prior to that has had spells of being absent from the schedule. It was known as the Carroll's International in the 1970’s as well.
This year marks the 71st playing of the event.
The DP World Tour’s ‘Back 9’ consists of nine of the Tour’s most historic tournaments and national opens, which includes this week’s event.
The Field
This is the portion of the DP World Tour schedule, as both the 2026 PGA Tour and LIV Golf Tour have come to an end, where many of the world’s best will be teeing it up on the European based Tour.
Being the Irish Open, Rory McIlroy will make his way to Doonbeg to play this week. McIlroy comes in as the defending champion, topping Joakim Lagergren in a playoff a season ago. He also won this event in 2016. Both his victories came at the Palmer North course at the K Club.
Jon Rahm is also playing this week, making his second stop on the DP World Tour this season, last playing the Genesis Scottish Open.
Robert MacIntyre, Nicolai Hojgaard, Alex Fitzpatrick, Rasmus Hojgaard, Harry Hall, Brooks Koepka and Sepp Straka are notable PGA Tour regulars playing this week.
Joining Rahm as members of the LIV Golf Tour to be playing this week are Tyrrell Hatton, Victor Perez, Adrian Meronk, Davig Puig, Sergio Garcia, Joaquin Niemann, Tom McKibbin and Thomas Detry.
Each of the current top ten of the DP World Tour regulars in the Race to Dubai Standings will be playing this week as well. That list includes Patrick Reed, Eugenio Chacarra, Casey Jarvis, Jayden Schaper, Andy Sullivan, Oliver Lindell, Jacob Skov Olesen, Daniel Hillier, Bernd Wiesberger and Joe Dean.
Of course, being the national open of Ireland, many of the nation’s top golfers will be playing this week. There is none more notable than Shane Lowry who was the last Irishman to win this event back in 2009 as an amateur.
Ireland legend and 2007 champion Padraig Harrington will also be playing this week along with countrymates Seamus Power, Max Kennedy, Liam Nolan, Mark Power and Thomas Higgins.
Other former winners of this event playing this week include Rasmus Hojgaard (2024,) Meronk (2022,) John Catlin (2020,) Rahm (2019 and 2017) and Ross Fisher (2010.)
The Course
The Trump International Golf Links is the sole Greg Norman design in all of the British Isles. It was later redesigned by Martin Hawtree in 2014 upon the acquisition of the golf course by Trump International.
It plays as a par-72 at roughly 7,026 yards.
When designed and ultimately opened in 2002, the idea was to disturb as little land as possible and that was achieved by Norman. Virtually no land was moved as the course was laid out in a crescent shape around Doughmore Bay.
In the end, Norman produced a traditional links course with a “least disturbance” philosophy as the course seamlessly blends into the coastal dunes of Doonbeg.
Norman also refused to introduce any foreign vegetation at this venue. All vegetation is native to the area.
Off-the-tee golfers will play onto beautifully rolling fairways that play slightly wider than typical links courses. The widening of the fairways and playing corridors followed the Hawtree redesign to better improve the playability of the course.
The fairways are lined by heavy marram grass and towering sand dunes. Missing the fairway will see players playing in extremely dense and gnarly vegetation that at points, will make advancing the ball darn-near impossible.
If the ball is to settle down into the “thick stuff” it is almost impossible to find.
Additionally, the course is littered with wall-faced pot bunkers. Prior to Hawtree’s renovation, the bunkers featured penal drop-offs. Hawtree redesigned the bunkers to softer, revetted bunker faces.
In all, missing the tight landing areas off-the-tee will result in immediate punishment here.
From there, golfers will take their approach shots onto small fast and consistent greens. These greens require precise approach shots.
These greens are also contoured and nestled directly into these massive coastal dunes and natural amphitheaters. They blend naturally into the terrain.
What is unique about this venue is its unusual combination of five par-threes and five par-fives. Typically, a pay-72 features four of each and ten par-fours opposed to the five of each and eight par-fours that this venue offers.
The signature hole at Trump International Golf Links is the par-three 14th that is described as one of the best short holes in all of Ireland. The Atlantic Ocean sits in the backdrop and the wind determines what club will be used off-the-tee.
The Weather
As of the time of writing this, there is a 45-percent of morning showers on Thursday. Friday is calling for a 45-percent chance of showers, Saturday a 40-percent chance of morning showers and Sunday just a 20-percent chance of precipitation. Temperatures will be cooler in Ireland this week. Thursday is calling for a high of 65-degrees. Temperatures will drop to 62-degrees on Friday and Saturday and will finish the week at 63-degrees on Sunday. Winds look to be a factor this week. Winds will begin the week at 14 miles-per-hour coming out of the south, south-west on Thursday. Winds will come out of the west, north-west on Friday at 16 miles-per-hour. Winds will settle back to 14 miles-per-hour on Saturday and will be coming out of the north-west. Winds will finish the week at 13 miles-per-hour and will come out of the west.
Key Stats
Strokes Gained: Tee to Green (SG: TTG)
Ball Striking
Scrambling
Strokes Gained: Putting (SG: PUTT)
Strokes Gained: Around the Green (SG: ATG)
Par 3 Average Scoring
Par 5 Average Scoring
Sand Saves Percentage
Betting Card
Patrick Reed (+3500)
This feels like such a great number in this field for Reed. He is currently second on Tour in both scrambling and par-five average scoring, fourth in SG: ATG, fifth in SG: TTG, 27th in par-three average scoring, 33rd in sand saves percentage, 68th in SG: PUTT and 90th in ball striking. He placed 11th last week at the Omega European Masters. Prior to that he placed 55th at the Husqvarna British Masters hosted by Sir Nick Faldo. Reed was also 30th at the Nexo Championship, 46th at The Open Championship and 13th at the Genesis Scottish Open, all links style courses. I also love to use desert golf as a direct correlation to links style golf, which Reed was fantastic at earlier this season. He placed 26th at the Dubai Invitational, won the Hero Dubai Desert Classic, placed second at the Bapco Energies Bahrain Championship and won the Qatar Masters. He placed 50th at the Amgen Irish Open a season ago as well.
Alex Fitzpatrick (+4025)
This was my first click this week. On the PGA Tour, Alex Fitzpatrick finished the 2026 season first in scrambling from less than 30-yards, 13th in SG: TTG, 14th in ball striking, 24th in par-five average scoring, 33rd in proximity to the hole from 125-175 yards, 49th in scrambling, 52nd in and saves percentage, 53rd in par-three average scoring, 65th in scrambling from the rough, 82nd in SG: ATG and 114th in SG: PUTT. He last played the TOUR Championship where he finished fourth. Prior to that he was 44th at the BMW Championship, 61st at the FedEx St. Jude Championship, 61st at the Wyndham Championship and 71st at The Open Championship. Earlier this season he placed 19th at the Hero Dubai Desert Classic and 16th at the Bapco Energies Bahrain Championship. Although he missed the cut at this event a season ago, he placed ninth in 20224 and 54th in 2023 at the Amgen Irish Open.
Jacob Skov Olesen (+6500)
Olesen has been in such great form coming into this week. He last played the Husqvarna British Masters hosted by Sir Nick Faldo where he placed second. Prior to that he placed 16th at the Nexo Championship, ninth at the Danish Golf Championship, sixth at the Corales Puntacana Championship and 30th at the ISCO Championship. He also placed eighth at the Amgen Irish Open a season ago. Olesen is currently 18th on Tour in par-five average scoring, 21st in both SG: PUTT and SG: ATG, 27th in par-three average scoring, 29th in sand saves percentage, 42nd in SG: TTG, 53rd in scrambling and 67th in ball striking.
Antoine Rozner (+8000)
I’m strapping in for the roller coaster ride that is betting Rozner. He’s in great form coming into this week, placing 15th last week at the Omega European Masters, 21st at the Husqvarna British Masters hosted by Sir Nick Faldo and 13th at the Danish Golf Championship. Looking back at the early season desert golf stretch, he has two top tens, placing tenth at the Dubai Invitational and ninth at the Qatar Masters. He last played the Amgen Irish Open in 2024 where he placed 57th. He missed the cut in 2023 but placed 13th in 2022 and 33rd in 2021. Rozner is currently sixth on Tour in par-three average scoring, 12th in scrambling, 24th in sand saves percentage, 25th in ball striking, 27th in par-five average scoring, 65th in SG: ATG, 94th in SG: PUTT and 95th in SG: TTG.
Jayden Schaper (+10000)
This is simply great value. I know this isn’t the Schaper we saw to start the season but sitting at triple-digits, I couldn’t leave that out there. Schaper is currently 15th on Tour in par-five average scoring, 21st in SG: TTG, 32nd in SG: PUTT, 44th in scrambling, 60th in SG: ATG, 61st in ball striking, 71st in sand saves percentage and 119th in par-three average scoring. He placed 61st last week at the Omega European Masters. Prior to that he placed 15th at the Husqvarana British hosted by Sir Nick Faldo. Earlier this season he placed 20th at the Dubai Invitational, fourth at the Hero Dubai Desert Classic, 52nd at the Bapco Energies Bahrain Championship and ninth at the Qatar Masters. He’s missed the cut the last two seasons at this event.
Julien Guerrier (+20000)
Guerrier has played each of the previous five installments of this event. He missed the cut a season ago but placed 57th in 2024, 39th in 2023, 46th in 2022 and 51st in 2021. His recent form isn’t anything to write home about, placing 37th at the Husqvarana British Masters hosted by Sir Nick Faldo, missed the cut at the Nexo Championship and placed 26th at the Danish Golf Challenge. However, if we take a look back to the desert stretch earlier this season, he was third at both the Dubai Invitational and Hero Dubai Desert Classic, 24th at the Bapco Energies Bahrain Championship and 36th at the Qatar Masters. Guerrier is currently ninth on Tour in both scrambling and sand saves percentage, 27th in SG: ATG, 37th in SG: TTG, 56th in SG: PUTT, 67th in par-three average scoring, 74th in par-five average scoring and 103rd in ball striking.
2025 Betting Card
Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen (+2200) - MC
Hoatong Li (+3500) - MC
Christiaan Bezuidenhout (+6000) - T50th
Elvis Smylie (+18000) - T37th
2024 Betting Card
Rasmus Hogjaard (+2400) - 1st
Thriston Lawrence (+3000) - T26th
Julien Gurrier (+10000) - T57th
2023 Betting Card
Shane Lowry (+2000) - T3rd
Alexander Bjork (+3000) - MC
Yanik Paul (+5500) - T45th
Thorbjorn Olesen (+6000) - T45th
Joost Luiten (+7000) - T12th
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