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Jon Rahm was right when he said we wouldn't see a repeat of last year's "unique week" at the Dubai Duty Free Irish Open. Ballyliffin Golf Club provided a stern test but also rewarded great shots, and we saw plenty of great shots throughout the week. From the tournament's top-3 all shooting final-day eagles on the par-5 4th to Edoardo Molinari's hole-in-one at the 14th, the Irish crowds were not disappointed.
Thursday to Saturday
Jon Rahm opened with a +2 74 which opened and closed with double bogeys before recovering to 1-under with a Friday -3 to make the cut. New Zealand’s Ryan Fox and France’s Matthieu Pavon led the way at -8 heading into the weekend. On Saturday, Erik Van Rooyen followed up Friday’s -7 with a -6, featuring six front-nine birdies before 9 consecutive pars, to reach -14 total and take the lead going into the final round. Behind Van Rooyen were Fox and Joakim Lagergren on -10.
Tournament host Rory McIlroy never really got going, shooting 70-73-72-71 for a 1-under week. Graeme McDowell's clubs did finally show up (I don't think I need to tell you that story again), but his level-par week makes the missed Open Qualifying look all the more costly.
Title Challengers
With Van Rooyen firing +2 and Lagergren +3 on Sunday, the title was up for grabs. Jon Rahm’s Saturday 67 gave him an outside chance, but all hope looked lost after a triple bogey at the second. Then came seven birdies and an eagle that would have been enough for the title had he not dropped those three shots so early on. Fellow Spaniard Jorge Campillo made a charge up the leaderboard with two eagles en route to a -7 and -13 for the week, but he couldn’t manage a critical birdie at the last that would’ve tied the lead.
Russell Knox Socks off Fox
Sometimes the headlines write themselves, such as when Russell Knox outfoxes Ryan Fox. Both players were outstanding on the final day. In fact, some might even say Mr Fox was fantastic. Knox entered Sunday two off Fox, so when Fox bogeyed the first Knox smelled blood. The Scot eagled the fourth… Only for Fox to do the same. A birdie at the sixth levelled things up at the turn before Knox went birdie-bogey-birdie at between 10 and 12. Fox hit back with 3 birdies in a row between 11 and 13 but immediately gave one back with a birdie at the 14th. Knox, now one off, picks up another birdie at 15 before Fox fights back again with his own birdie at 17.
It all comes down to the 18th for Knox. 40 feet from the hole, putter in hand, for the birdie... Nails it! Back to the clubhouse to watch on as the leader knocks his approach to 15 feet… And misses. Fox’s putt lips the cup and forces a playoff by a matter of millimetres.
The first playoff hole and Knox approaches to an eerily similar position. 40-odd feet from the hole. The commentator jokes “He knows how to putt from there”. Now it’s Fox’s turn, and he approaches to an almost identical spot to the one he missed from last time. 15 feet from the hole. The commentator does not joke “He doesn’t know how to putt from there”. Knox stands over his ball and strokes it true as can be. It’s rolling… It’s rolling… It’s in! Twice in a row from range for Knox! Can Fox avoid making it twice in a row himself? 15 feet for the win… Lips the cup… And misses. Again.
A sympathetic reaction from Russell Knox, but he’s dancing inside. It’s not all bad news for Ryan Fox, though, as he takes perhaps the best consolation prize on Tour: Open qualification. He’ll be joined at Carnoustie by Zander Lombard and Andy Sullivan, who finished T6.
Russell Knox - What's in the Bag?
Driver: PING G400 LST
3-Wood: PING G400
5-Wood: Cleveland Launcher FL
Hybrid: Cleveland Launcher DST
Irons: Srixon Z 745
Wedges: Cleveland RTX-3
Putter: Scotty Cameron Tour Only Newport 2 NB
Golf Ball: Srixon Z-Star XV
Written by Joe Carabini
