Work is nearing completion on the intricate but carefully designed programme of improvements to Galgorm Castle, which will again host the innovative ISPS Handa World Invitational – involving tournaments for men on the DP World Tour and for women on the LPGA Tour – at the Co Antrim venue from August 17th-20th.
The final phase of the three-year investment programme, which has been conducted without impacting on the Castle course’s availability, has resulted in clever design that, apart from lengthening the parkland layout to 7,300 yards for the men’s championship scorecard, has resulted in the River Maine coming more into play off the tee on a number of the riverside holes.
The final works have seen improvements including the redesign of the ninth hole (which plays as a Par 4 from the championship tees but as a Par 5 in regular play) by enlarging the lake nearer the green, while a major tree clearing project was conducted on the Par 4 11th hole to construct two new tee complexes which brings the river into play for the tee shot.
Galgorm Castle will play host to the World Invitational – with Castlerock replacing Massereene as the second course for the first two days of play, with players alternating venues for the first two rounds – while also hosting G4D Tour event from August 14th-15th.
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Styles eager to squeeze in a round on Irish visit
Harry Styles – the former One Direction singer and since elevated to megastar status since embarking on a solo musical career – is in the midst of a global tour which takes him to Slane next Saturday for a sold-out gig with an 80,000 attendance.
Question is, where will Styles manage to get in a round of golf?
An avid golfer, Styles recently broke away from his sold-out Edinburgh gigs to get in a round of golf over the Old Course at St Andrews where, once word got out, huge crowds were drawn to see him finishing his round at the Road Hole (where he used a putter from off the back of the famed green) and on the 18th where he feigned throwing a ball into the crowd.
A big fan of links golf, Styles has previously played Portmarnock on one of his tour stops. Maybe again? Or, perhaps, Baltray this time? Time will tell.
Word of Mouth
“I honestly didn’t even expect to make the cut, and the reason why I say this is because I don’t think about my expectations a lot. I think about playing the golf course. I think about trying to shoot the best score that I can. Obviously I have frustrations, disappointments with my game, but I never once think about where I finish, where I should finish, et cetera. So with that [in] my mind, the expectation for me winning did not even cross my mind. I was just playing my game. I was having a good time out there. This is the game that I love, and I’m so thankful to be a professional doing it now” – Rose Zhang on marking her professional debut with a win in the Mizuho Americas Open on the LPGA Tour.
By the Numbers: 3,600,000
That’s the amount – in US dollars – which Viktor Hovland collected for his play-off win over Denny McCarthy in the Memorial tournament at Muirfield Village. The Norwegian’s fourth career win on the PGA Tour also moved him to fifth on the updated world rankings.
On this day: June 6th, 1976
The old IVB-Golf Classic – more affectionately known as the Philly Classic – had an impressive role of honour which included Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus and it also proved to be the breakthrough win on the PGA Tour for a young Texan by the name of Tom Kite.
Kite’s win at Whitemarsh Valley Country Club in Philadelphia didn’t come easy, though.
He had featured a chip-in birdie in his closing round and also nailed a 45 footer for a par on the 17th hole in a 66 for seven-under-par 277 that was only good enough to force a playoff with Terry Diehl where he finally got over the line at the fifth hole of sudden death.
“It’s been a long time coming. I thought I’d win my first year on tour. I didn’t. I thought I’d win my second year on tour. I didn’t. I thought I’d win in my third year. And I still didn’t. I’d see these other guys winning tournaments and I’d say to myself, ‘Gee, I can beat these guys’. And, maybe, over the year, I would beat them. But they were winning tournaments and I wasn’t. I got pretty disappointed, pretty dejected,” said Kite after making his breakthrough, his first of what was to become19 career PGA Tour wins which would also include the 1992 US Open.
Twitter Twaddle
What a great win by @tommckibbin8. Not just a very talented golfer, he really is a nice lad. The future of Irish golf, European golf and Ryder Cup golf is in good hands. So happy for Dave McNeilly too, he did a fine job letting Tom play to his strengths – Pádraig Harrington
Was paired with Tom last week, very easy to see this coming. When you match that level of talent with the mentality of a veteran it makes for a pretty nice cocktail. Congrats bro @tommckibbin8 – Corkman and fellow DP World Tour rookie John Murphy tipping the cap to Tom McKibbin.
Earned my spot in the @rbccanadianopen @pgatour long day! 9.50am start this morning. 4 for 3 playoff just after 8pm. Drained a 25 footer on the first playoff hole – Dubliner David Carey on brilliantly coming through qualifying to earn his spot in this week’s RBC Canadian Open.
Know the Rules
Q A player using a wheeled mobility device takes relief for an unplayable ball in a bunker by dropping the ball on the relief line back out of the bunker. How many penalty strokes does he incur when taking relief?
A When a player, using a wheeled mobility aid, takes relief from an unplayable ball in a bunker, Rule 19.3b is modified so that the player may take back-on-the-line relief out of the bunker for one penalty stroke.
In the Bag
Tom McKibbin - Porsche European Open
Driver – TaylorMade Stealth Plus (9 degrees)
3-wood – TaylorMade Stealth 2 (15 degrees)
7-wood – TaylorMade Stealth 2 (21 degrees)
Irons – TaylorMade P760 (4), TaylorMade P7MC (5-6), TaylorMade P7MB (7-PW)
Wedges – TaylorMade Milled Grind 3 (46, 50, 54)
Putter – TaylorMade TP Bandon
Ball - TaylorMade TP5x
