With 2022 now out of the way it is time to look forward to another great year of golf on the island of Ireland in 2023. Even though the Open will not be held on a Irish golf course this year, there are still both professional and amateur events that fans of the game of golf simply cannot miss. Here are three events in particular to watch out for in Ireland for 2023.

Horizon Irish Open

Heralded as one of the most famous national opens in all of the world, the Irish Open has been in existence since 1927 and has featured a who’s-who of winners including Sir Nick Faldo, Seve Ballesteros, and Padraig Harrington. One name who missed the event last year but will be returning in 2023 is none other than Rory McIlroy. The event holds a special place in McIlroy’s heart not only as he grew up watching the event on television and attending it numerous times growing up, but also the fact that the event is being held at The K Club. The K Club is where McIlroy earned his first professional victory on Irish soil back in 2016, and he will be looking to regain his form and take the crown once again this year against another stellar can’t miss field. What makes this event unique is that it leads up to the Ryder Cup being held in Italy at the end of September, making it a prime time for those potential players on both sides of the pond to get their swings in early. At the moment Betfree has McIlroy as a favourite.

KPMG Women’s Irish Open

Returning once again to Dromoland Castle, the 2023 KPMG Women’s Irish Open will run from August 31 to September 3 and feature some of the top women’s players in the world today vying for a nearly €500,000 prize fund. If the event does not sound very familiar that is because the tournament previously had a ten-year absence before KPMG got involved as a main sponsor. Now the KPMG Women’s Irish Open hopes to attract the nearly 25,000 guests to the event once again and show it is really and event worth seeing in person! The event will be held at Dromoland Castle on the shores of Lough Dromoland, a nearly 7,000-yard par 72 championship golf course that undertook a €2 million upgrade in advance of the prior year’s event.

Causeway Coast Amateur Golf Tournament

Known as the largest amateur golf tournament in all of Europe, the Causeway Coast Amateur Golf Tournament will be played in 2023 from June 5 to June 9. What makes the event unique is that it is played over five days at four of the most well-known courses in Northern Ireland – Royal Portrush, Ballycastle, Castlerock, and Ballyliffin Golf Clubs, with one rest day in between. The event has attracted some of the best amateur golfers in the world from as far away as Australia and the United States, not to mention the best of what Europe has to offer.

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Klara Spilkova won the Women’s Irish Open after a three-way play-off at Dromoland Castle in County Clare.

With a packed leaderboard, multiple players made their way on to the final green with a chance to move into at least a share of the lead. Denmark’s Smilla Soenderby had an eagle putt that would have moved her to 15 under, but she three-putted and did not even get into the play-off. Ireland’s Leona Maguire was one of four players to finish one shot back after a 68, including a birdie on 18 when she needed an eagle to make the play-off.

Before claiming her first win in five years, Spilkova, 27, birdied the last to card a round of 67, while Wikstrom forced her way into the extra holes with four birdies in the final five holes. The 27-year-old came into the day having recorded rounds of 66, 68 and 73 on her opening three days.

And Spilkova had a tough start with two bogeys in her first five holes, but she also made three birdies to make the turn in 34. Back-to-back birdies on 10 and 11 saw the Czech player put herself right in the mix before another birdie on 16. A miraculous par-save from the edge of the water at 17 gave Spilkova the momentum and she finished her day with a birdie on 18 which at the time put her in the lead in the clubhouse.

“I have to admit that yesterday was a bit of a struggle,” said the winner, whose last title victory came at the Lalla Meryem Cup in 2017. “On eight and nine I made some bad swings, and I struggled throughout the back nine, I saved a lot of putts out there. Today it was a totally different approach, I felt much calmer. It has been a while since I’ve won, but I have been playing really well recently, so I knew that I had it in me to win.”

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