Royal County Down is likely one of the most lovely programs on the planet, a picturesque slice of heaven that sits on the foothills of the Mourne Mountains alongside the Irish Sea.
However additionally it is brutally robust, so robust that it might host the Open Championship 12 months after 12 months—though that might result in extra psychological breakdowns amongst tour professionals than we want to see.
Nonetheless, the Championship Hyperlinks in Newcastle, Northern Eire, welcome the very best gamers on the DP World Tour for this week’s Amgen Irish Open, which returns to Royal County Down for the primary time since 2015. That 12 months, Soren Kjeldsen of Denmark gained in a playoff over Bernd Wiesberger and Eddie Pepperell, as all three gamers completed their 72 holes at 2-under-par.
Shane Lowry, who gained the 2009 Irish Open at County Louth Golf Membership as an newbie, believes scores shall be larger than that this week.
“I forgot how arduous it was. It’s going to be an unbelievable check,” Lowry mentioned Wednesday.
“I feel it could possibly be one of many highest-winning scores ever in a European Tour occasion this week. Would I take stage par and sit right here and wait? Presumably. That’s how robust it’s going to be.”
Certainly, 4 straight days of taking pictures an even-par 71 on Royal County Down’s Championship Hyperlinks would depart any professional golfer happy and smiling. Par is an effective rating, even in benign circumstances. However you by no means know when rain can race down the mountains and interrupt a pleasant day. It occurs within the blink of an eye fixed, and the wind may also shift at a second’s discover. That, after all, solely makes Royal County Down even more durable.
“It seems to be such as you simply attempt to hit the entrance edge of each inexperienced and attempt to make par on each gap, and I feel for those who try this, you’ll be okay,” Lowry added.
“I feel this course shall be in regards to the misses and lacking in the proper place. I tee off in about 24 hours. So I’ve 24 hours to determine the place to overlook it on each gap and attempt to simply handle my approach across the course fairly properly as a result of I feel this week, it’s not going to be about your good pictures. It is going to be about your dangerous pictures and ensuring they aren’t too dangerous and don’t get you in an excessive amount of bother.”
Bother within the type of gorse, deep tough, and punishing bunkers lurk throughout Royal County Down. The huge sand dunes that give this course its character are absolute no-gos, too. Additionally they create dozens of blind pictures, which makes any participant, even a professional, very uncomfortable.
“Look, that is only a robust golf course,” Lowry added.
“It’s a tricky check, and it’ll take loads of good golf, loads of persistence, and holing loads of par putts. It would take loads of great things to do properly this week.”
Jack Milko is a golf employees author for SB Nation’s Taking part in By. You’ll want to try @_PlayingThrough for extra golf protection. You possibly can observe him on Twitter @jack_milko as properly.
