Amgen Irish Open: Form stats for this week's tournament on the Northern Ireland coast

• Short game excellence required

• Rasmus 22/123.00 could get among the big boys

• Detry 33/134.00 to contend in Ireland

Tournament and Course Notes

• Ireland's national open returns to Royal County Down for the first time in nine years, and only the second occasion since World War Two.

• The Irish Open is one of the longest-running professional golf tournaments anywhere in the world. First staged in 1927, Royal County Down will be hosting the event for only a fifth time. And not since 2019 at Lahinch, has the tournament been played on a links.

• Located just over 30 miles south of Belfast, and in the small seaside resort of Newcastle, Royal County Down was opened in March 1889. This illustrious links has been shaped by some of the greatest golfers and architects in the history of the sport.

• Designed by one of The Open's earliest champions, Old Tom Morris, the Championship Links underwent further improvements at the hands of Harry Vardon and Harry Colt.

• Laid out close to the Mountains of Mourne, this famous links stretches alongside the shores of Dundrum Bay. As with most links courses, this unforgiving terrain will test most parts of a golfer's game, and it will especially demand a good touch around the greens.

• When Royal County Down last staged a DP World Tour event in 2015, the winning score was just two-under-par. Only seven players posted 72-hole totals of par or better, while five-over-par was good enough to avoid the 36-hole chop.

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Good Current Form

With little course history at your disposal, current form becomes the main indicator for bettors.

World No 3 Rory McIlroy 11/26.50 is easily the biggest name teeing-up, arriving back in his home country following a solid but 'majorless' 2024.

Two other British PGA Tour members who have enjoyed breakthrough seasons in the United States, and have also won on links venues, are Robert MacIntyre 18/119.00 and Aaron Rai 14/115.00.

Both golfers, who are members of the world's top 25, have triumphed at The Renaissance Club near Edinburgh and will be full of confidence teeing-up at Royal County Down.

Throw-in former Open champion Shane Lowry 10/111.00 and the four aforementioned players should be the quartet to beat this coming week.

Of the rest, Rasmus Hojgaard 22/123.00 seems to be moving closer to another 'Euro' title.

The Dane is flying in the shadow of his twin brother Nicolai but, in recent weeks, has posted a series of promising results.

So far this season he has finished 2nd-3rd-4th, with his most recent podium position arriving at The Belfry just two weeks ago.

Rasmus is certainly a decent each-way option but also has the talent to follow in the footsteps of his fellow countryman Soren Kjeldsen who won the Irish Open when it was last staged at Royal County Down.

Finally, another northern European who could contend this week in Ireland is Belgian Thomas Detry 33/134.00.

Still lacking a DP World Tour title, the Belgian has enjoyed a good year in the States, finishing 42nd in this season's FedEx Cup standings.

The 31-year-old has some solid links form in the bank, including a tie-for-13th at last year's Open Championship.

He also lost a play-off at the 2021 Scottish Open.

World Ranking Points

Most Points Since May 1st, 2024 (Top 12 Listed)
Pts
186.22: Rory McIlroy
150.42: Robert MacIntyre
120.43: Aaron Rai
69.42: Shane Lowry
58.52: Thriston Lawrence
50.20: Thomas Detry
46.35: Romain Langasque
43.60: Niklas Norgaard Moller
40.96: Guido Migliozzi
37.02: Harry Hall
32.44: Ryo Hisatsune
29.20: Laurie Canter
Only those entered this week are included in table

Note: List Contains Leading Reserves

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