Billy Horschel Withdraws from Irish Open Due to Injury

Billy Horschel has withdrawn from next week's Irish Open at Royal County Down due to a minor back/rib injury sustained during the recent BMW Championship, which persisted through last week's Tour Championship in Atlanta, Irish Independent reported. The 25th-ranked player in the world emphasized that his body needs another week to recover, hoping to prevent the injury from lingering.

Horschel expressed disappointment at missing the Irish Open, as he enjoyed his time at The K Club last year and appreciated the support from Irish fans. He was also looking forward to returning to the venue where he competed in the 2007 Walker Cup for the USA. Horschel, a regular on the DP World Tour, aims to return fit for the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth, followed by the Alfred Dunhill Links Championships and the French Open, aspiring to replicate his 2021 BMW PGA victory.

Notable players like Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry will headline the Irish Open field. Also competing will be West Waterford’s Gary Hurley, who showed promising form in the Omega European Masters in the Swiss Alps by carding five birdies for a 68, sharing 38th place on two-under.

In other golf news, at the Challenge Tour’s Big Green Egg German Challenge, Ireland's six-man contingent faced challenges as Dermot McElroy and Liam Nolan shot one-over 73s, positioned just outside the projected cut mark. Other Irish players, including Mark Power, Conor O’Rourke, Jonny Caldwell, and John Murphy, will need significant improvement to progress. Denmark’s John Axelsen led with an eight-under 64.

Additionally, Cormac Sharvin is well-positioned to advance from the First Stage of the DP World Tour Qualifying School in Belgium, moving to joint eighth place after a bogey-free six-under 65. Sara Byrne, on her professional debut, is competing for the Rose Ladies Open's winner’s cheque of €13,600 after the prize fund increased to €85,000. Meanwhile, Robert Moran is just a stroke behind the leader in the Alps Tour’s Longwy Alps Open in France after an impressive six-under 66.

Earlier, SSP wrote that a record-breaking women's match finished at US Open.