Italian Open
Purse: €3m (€500,000 to the winner)
Where: Rome, Italy
The course: Marco Simone Golf Club – 7,268 yards Par 71 – has been completely renovated ahead of the 2023 Ryder Cup match by European Golf Design, including a major upgrade on the original course designed by architects Jim Fazio and David Mezzacane. The construction work for the new course was carried out by Irish company SOL with Tom Fazio II having some design input while the project was overseen by GCD’s Dave Sampson. With the Ryder Cup’s matchplay in mind, the back nine features risk-reward holes with drivable par fours and par fives that are on in two.
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The field: Some heavy hitters, most notably world number two Rory McIlroy – who has the chance to move to world number one with a win – and US Open champion Matt Fitzpatrick along with local hero Francesco Molinari. Another notable in the field is world number 10 Viktor Hovland.
Quote-Unquote: “I wanted to come and have a look at the golf course and feel like I’ve got a little bit of a head start on everyone else in terms of The Ryder Cup for 2023. But it’s not just about that. Look, it’s great to play the golf course and great to play in competition, but I’m here to try to win a golf tournament, too. So trying to kill two birds with one stone this week” - Rory McIlroy.
Irish in the field: Niall Kearney is in a group with Oliver Fisher and Robert Rock (off the 10th, 6.10am Irish time); Rory McIlroy is grouped with Francesco Molinari and Nicolai Hojgaard (off the 10th, 7.30am); Jonny Caldwell is in a group with Nicolia Van Dellingshausen and Marcus Kinhult (off the 10th, 8.10am); Cormac Sharvin is grouped with Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano and Maverick Antcliff (off the 10th, 11.50am);
Betting: Rory McIlroy has star billing and also carries the weight of favouritism into the tournament, priced at a tight 7/2 with Matt Fitzpatrick rated an 8/1 chance. Some better each-way value can be found with the 40/1 about Min Woo Lee and Adrian Otaegui at 66s.
On TV: Live on Sky Sports (coverage from 12.30pm).
LPGA Portland Classic
Purse: €1.5 million (€225,000 to the winner)
Where: Portland, Oregon
The course: Columbia Edgewater Country Club, designed by A V Macan, is an established private club with the course south of the Colombia river. It has been a longtime host venue for the tournament, last held there in 2020 when England’s Georgia Hall triumpher. The course has a number of water features and its greens are rated among the best on the LPGA Tour. The course record of 61 is held by Sei Young Kim (set in 2019).
The field: Nelly Korda, the world number two, heads the lineup for a tournament that also former champion Brooke Henderson who claimed her breakthrough LPGA Tour win as a teenager at this event in 2015 when she Monday-qualified. Leona Maguire completes her US swing of tournaments before heading home for next week’s KPMG Irish Open.
Quote-Unquote: “The LPGA has so many good players nowadays. You can play really well and obviously still not win or come close. I think that’s what’s great about this tour. There is so much diversity among all of us. I think you have to maybe have a little bit of luck on your side here or there as well” – Georgia Hall on the challenge of trying to win on the LPGA Tour.
Irish in the field: Leona Maguire is in a group with Maria Fassi and Andrea Lee (off the 10th, 8.48pm Irish time).
Betting: Nelly Korda is a low priced 9/2 for the tournament with Brooke Henderson rated a 9/1 shot and Hye Jin Choi priced at 11/1. Leona Maguire is priced at 18/1. Andrea Lee at 50/1 is worth an each way look.
On TV: Live on Sky Sports (8pm).
