Shane Lowry is straight back to crisscrossing time zones for the new season. He opens in the indoor setting of the TGL (Tomorrow’s Golf League) in the US as part of The Bay team. After that, it’s on to the UAE for the DP World Tour’s Dubai Invitational next week.
Lowry – along with teammates Ludvig Aberg and Wyndham Clark – open their second campaign in the TGL at the SoFi Center in Florida with a match against Atlanta Drive (Billy Horschel, Chris Gotterup and Patrick Cantlay) with a Tuesday night match.
While that TGL concept features Lowry’s first shots of the year, it is his decision to open his competitive season with back-to-back tournaments in Dubai – the Invitational and the Desert Classic – which comes as a change to scheduling. Last year, with an eye on the Ryder Cup, he kickstarted his campaign on the PGA Tour.
“I’m excited to make my debut at the Dubai Invitational. The UAE has always been a special place for me and after the year we’ve had with the Ryder Cup, I’m looking forward to getting 2026 started in Dubai,” said Lowry in confirming he will be in the limited 60-player field. He will be joined by fellow Irish golfers Rory McIlroy, Tom McKibbin and Pádraig Harrington at the Dubai Creek Golf Club. The tournament runs from January 15th to 18th.
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Lowry will play the two opening events of the DP World Tour in Dubai before switching his attention back to the PGA Tour.
Ireland’s Max Kennedy vies for LIV wild card in Florida
Dubliner Max Kennedy is the lone Irishman in the field for the LIV Golf Promotions tournament which takes place at Black Diamond Ranch in Lecanto, Florida, this week. Three exemptions to team rosters for the coming season will be awarded at the tournament, which starts on Thursday.
Kennedy – a graduate of the University of Louisville – has a full card on the HotelPlanner Tour (the secondary circuit on the DP World Tour). However, he will seek to join the LIV circuit at the promotions event. The tournament features a field of 83 players. It will start with 63, including Kennedy, in round one. From that group, 20 advance, with a further 20 commencing their card quests in round two.
The top-three finishers earn full-time spots as wild-card players into the 2026 LIV Golf League while the top-10 finishers and ties earn exemptions into the 2026 International Series tournaments sanctioned by the Asian Tour.
Among those joining Kennedy in the field in Florida are former European Ryder Cup player Chris Wood, Frenchman Alex Levy and 22-year-old Spaniard Pablo Ereno, who was ranked sixth in the world amateur rankings before turning professional.
The increase from one to three wild cards from the promotions event is part of LIV’s bid to earn world ranking points.
“LIV Golf is committed to moving the sport forward by expanding opportunity and access,” Scott O’Neil, LIV Golf’s CEO, said in a statement. “We are opening pathways, creating more chances for top talent to compete in the world’s golf league. Adding another qualifying spot strengthens our field and adds excitement to a season built on opportunity, competition, and growth.”
New year means new irons for McIlroy
With the career Grand Slam in the bag, Rory McIlroy looks set to head into the season with a new set of irons.
McIlroy started using TaylorMade on joining the golf manufacturing giant in 2017, having previously used Nike clubs. He has also used the Rors Proto blades for the best part of a decade.
“I’m actually trying a new set of irons, which I’m very excited about at the minute,” announced McIlroy ahead of the season of the TGL, which he co-founded with Tiger Woods.
So, the new irons?
Well, it would seem that McIlroy has started using the TaylorMade P7CB irons which are generally considered more forgiving, with Collin Morikawa among tour players already using the irons.
Word of Mouth
“It’s 10 times harder than when I came up. I didn’t want to take a spot from a guy” – Tommy ‘Two Gloves’ Gainey on opting not to take his place in the field as a past champion at this week’s Bahamas Championship on the Korn Ferry Tour – preferring to give the spot to a young professional. Gainey plays primarily on the Champions Tour these days.
By the Numbers: 14/50
There are 14 European players inside the top 50 of the official world rankings at the start of 2026. That grouping is headed by world No 2 Rory McIlroy. Tommy Fleetwood (3), Bob MacIntrye (7) and Justin Rose (10) are the other Europeans inside the top 10. Shane Lowry is ranked 26th.
Social Swing
“My New Year’s resolution is to get better at golf….same as it has been for the past 41 years…this is the year…lol" – former Masters champion Trevor Immelman has a similar wish to just about every golfer on the planet.
!A big thank you to @padraig_h playing in the Golf for @Goal_Global in @Luttrellstown. Class act & gentleman" – former world champion athlete and Olympian Eamonn Coghlan
“2025 was a good one. Bring on 2026. Happy New Year all” – Shane Lowry
Know the Rules
Q In stroke play, a player waiting to play to the green drops a ball on the fairway and hits two practice putts with their putter. What is the ruling?
A The player gets two penalty strokes. This is covered by Rules 5.5a and 1.3c(4) whereby a player must not make a practice stroke during the play of a hole. As this was multiple breaches between intervening events, the player gets a single general penalty (two strokes).
