Californian Xander Schauffele made the headlines on the opening day of the 2-day event as he shot an eight under par round of 64 to take the competition lead.

He leads fellow American Ricky Fowler by five shots on the overnight leaderboard. Englishman Tyrrell Hatton is a shot further back in third position.

Shane Lowry’s good form from the final day of the Horizon Irish Open continued into Monday as the Offaly golfer carded a three under par round. He is joined on the same mark by Waterford’s Séamas Power, Brooks Koepka of the USA and South African Brandon Stone.

Graeme McDowell and Rory McIlroy are next best of the Irish players. Both signed for a 71. McDowell had four birdies and three bogeys in his round while fellow Ulsterman McIlroy had two birdies and one bogey.

Leona Maguire, who achieved her first LPGA win in recent weeks had a level par round of 72, with birdies on the 4^th, 15^th and 16^th holes, but bogeys on three, thirteen and eighteen.

Tiger Woods returned to action for the first time in a number of weeks with the multiple major-winning former World No 1 being driven around the course in a golf buggy to minimize the pressure on him following his accident last year. The highlight of the day for the 5-time Masters winner was an eagle three at the 12th hole. The 46-year-old signed for a 77, five over par.

Stars from the world of sport, entertainment and business were among the amateurs playing in the competition. Members of Westlife, US actor Bill Murray, former top jockeys AP McCoy, Ruby Walsh, Johnny Murtagh and Mick Fitzgerald; Liverpool FC legends Kenny Dalglish and Alan Hansen; former Republic of Ireland manager Martin O’Neill; businessmen Michael O’Leary, Denis O’Brien and Michael O’Flynn were just some of the celebrities who supported and participated in the competition.

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The event’s Steering Committee today confirmed the rescheduling of the 2021 tournament, which was due to be held this July (5^th & 6^th) at Adare Manor, Co. Limerick.

The postponement comes amid the continuing uncertainty around large-scale gatherings taking place both in Ireland and across the globe. It was decided the event would be better facilitated in 2022 as over 40,000 spectators were expected to attend.

The tournament sold out before its initial scheduling (July 2020) and all caps purchased to date will be valid for the 2022 tournament, as will all on-site parking and Park & Ride passes.

Spectators who wish to be refunded for their ticket caps are advised to visit www.jpmcmanusproam.com.

Eight of the world’s top 10 players had been confirmed for the 6th edition of the JP McManus Pro-Am.

The impressive list of players set to attend included Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy, Phil Mickelson, Dustin Johnson, Justin Rose and Jon Rahm.

The 2019 British Open Champion Shane Lowry, Sergio Garcia, former Ryder Cup captain Paul McGinley, former Major winners Graeme McDowell and Pádraig Harrington were also to participate.

The JP McManus Pro-Am Committee will release more information about the rescheduled tournament in due course.

The Pro-Am will now take place on July 4th and 5th 2022 at the Tom Fazio redesigned golf course. Charitable organisations in the Mid-West will benefit from the 2022 event.

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The 43rd Ryder Cup, scheduled for the week of September 22-27 at Whistling Straits in Kohler, Wisconsin, USA, has been rescheduled for the week of September 21-26, 2021.

Likewise, the 2021 Presidents Cup, initially scheduled for September 30-October 3, 2021 at Quail Hollow Club in Charlotte, North Carolina, will now be played September 19-25, 2022.

Guy Kinnings, Europe’s Ryder Cup Director, said of the decision:

“The Ryder Cup is rightly celebrated as one of the world’s greatest sporting occasions, made special and totally unique in our sport by the fervent atmosphere created by the passionate spectators of both sides.

“While that point is significant, it is not as important as the health of the spectators which, in these difficult times, is always the main consideration. We considered all options including playing with a limited attendance but all our stakeholders agreed this would dilute the magic of this great occasion.”

Irish golfer Pádraig Harrington, Captain of the European Ryder Cup Team, spoke about the change of date for the event, admitting:

“Rescheduling the Ryder Cup was never going to be an easy decision given the many factors to take into consideration. But I believe it is the right assessment given the unprecedented circumstances we are facing at this time.

“When you think of the Ryder Cup you think of the distinctive atmosphere generated by the spectators, such as around the first tee at Le Golf National two years ago. If that cannot be responsibly recreated at Whistling Straits in September, then it is correct that we all wait until it can be.”

For Ryder Cup qualifying, both the United States and European teams will revisit their respective selection processes in the near future.

Tickets purchased for The 2020 Ryder Cup via rydercup.com will be automatically valid for the corresponding day(s) in 2021.

With the decision to play The 2020 Ryder Cup in September 2021, all subsequent Ryder Cups after Whistling Straits will also shift to odd years: 2023: Marco Simone Golf and Country Club (Rome); 2025: Bethpage Black (Farmingdale, New York); 2027:Adare Manor (Co. Limerick); 2029: Hazeltine National Golf Club (Chaska, Minnesota); 2031: Europe (to be determined); 2033: The Olympic Club (San Francisco); 2035: Europe (to be determined); 2037: Congressional Country Club (Bethesda, Maryland).

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The 29-year-old American won the 2017 US Open, before claiming at least one Major championship in each of the last three seasons, en route to the summit of golf’s world rankings.

Florida-native Koepka is the latest in an impressive list of world class players who will play at the JP McManus-owned venue this summer, among them Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy, Phil Mickelson, Dustin Johnson, Justin Rose, Jon Rahm, 2019 British Open Champion Shane Lowry, Sergio Garcia, former Ryder Cup captain Paul McGinley, as well as former Major winners Graeme McDowell and Pádraig Harrington.

Koepka, whose huge distance off the tee and superb all-round game have seen him become the dominant player in the men’s game over the past three years, has won an impressive array of Major Championships: 2017 US Open, 2018 US Open, 2018 USPGA Championship, and 2019 USPGA Championship.

Pro-Am host JP McManus said he is delighted Koepka will be at Adare Manor in July:

“It’s fantastic for the Pro-Am that Brooks has committed to the event and I extend our sincere thanks to him for doing so. It promises to be very special for the spectators to see a player of his calibre in action this July and we are also extremely fortunate to have eight of the world’s top ten golfers confirmed to participate.”

The Pro-Am takes place July 6th-7th 2020 at the Tom Fazio redesigned Golf Course at Adare Manor, with charitable organisations in the Mid-West set to benefit from the Pro-Am.

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