Like last year, the DP World Tour, LPGA Tour and Ladies European Tour have joined forces for a tournament where the men and women compete in separate events for equal prize money in Northern Ireland.
The enormous 288-player field is split equally between men and women, with the former made up of DP World Tour members and the latter comprising players from the LPGA Tour and Ladies European Tour.
The format is unique too, with play taking place concurrently at Galgorm Castle and Massereene on Thursday and Friday, before the final two rounds get under way at Galgorm Castle. There’s a halfway cut, with the top 60 players and ties in each making the third round, before a further cut sees the best 35 players on each compete in the final round. In those final two rounds, the men and women will play in alternating groups.
Last year, Daniel Gavins and Pajaree Anannarukarn won their respective tournaments, with the former triumphing after a final round of 65, and Anannarukarn defeating Emma Talley in a playoff. Both players return for this year’s tournament.
Other players to look out for in the men’s tournament are 2019 champion Jack Senior and Connor Syme, who finished runner-up in last week’s Cazoo Open as Callum Shinkwin cruised to victory. While there’s no sign of Shinkwin this week, another 2022 DP World Tour victor, Ewan Ferguson, who won the March’s Commercial Bank Qatar Masters, does appear, along with local favourites Tom McKibbin, Dermot McElroy and Cormac Sharvin.
In the women’s tournament, World No.22 Leona Maguire, who finished tied for fourth in last week’s AIG Women’s Open, competes, while 2018 Women’s British Open champion Georgia Hall will also appear. Other notable players include World No.42 A Lim Kim and 2021 Women’s Scottish Open winner Ryann O’Toole.
There’s an increased purse on offer this year, with the overall figure over both tournaments increasing from $2.35m to $3m ($1.5m per tournament). That means the winner in each tournament will receive $250,000, with the runner-up earning $166,660.
Below is the full breakdown…
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