“Can’t-Miss Irish Open Pairings: McIlroy and McKibbin Team Up for a Thrilling Start!”

Shane Lowry will be paired with Scotland’s Robert Macintyre and New Zealand’s Ryan Fox for the Amgen Irish Open. Meanwhile, Ireland’s top golfer, Rory McIlroy, and rising star Tom McKibbin will play together in the first two rounds at Royal County Down, with their tee times set for Thursday and Friday.

McIlroy, who leads the DP World Tour Race to Dubai, and McKibbin, currently ranked 17th in the order of merit, will start their quest for the national open title from the first tee at 1:00 pm on Thursday, alongside defending champion Vincent Norrman of Sweden.

Shane Lowry’s group, featuring Macintyre and Fox, is scheduled to tee off two groups earlier, at 12:40 pm.

West Waterford’s Seamus Power will be the first of 11 Irish players to tee off at Royal County Down, beginning his bid for a European victory from the 10th tee at 7:50 am on Thursday. Padraig Harrington follows in the next group at 8:00 am, paired with Denmark’s Nicolai Højgaard and Belgium’s Thomas Detry.

Another Waterford golfer, Gary Hurley, will tee off from the first tee at 8:10 am, followed by Irish amateur Max Kennedy at 9:20 am. Other Irish professionals starting from the 10th tee include Simon Thornton (9:30 am), Mark Power (12:40 pm), and Conor Purcell (12:50 pm). The final Irish amateur, Seán Keeling, will tee off from the first tee at 2:20 pm on Thursday.