Rory McIlroy overcame a broken club and more drama on the 16th hole to surge into contention for a second Horizon Irish Open title at The K Club.

Eight shots behind at the halfway stage, McIlroy took full advantage of a stuttering display from the leaders to post a third round of 66 to reach 11 under par, two shots behind Germany’s Hurly Long.

Long, who is ranked 252nd in the world and without a top-25 finish this season, recorded a 70 to end the day 13 under, a shot ahead of England’s Jordan Smith.

The final group of Smith, Shubhankar Sharma and Ross Fisher were a combined nine over par for the front nine and six over par at the finish, Sharma and Fisher dropping into a six-way tie for fourth on 10 under.

McIlroy was already five under for the day when he stood over his second shot to the par-five 16th, where he holed out from 116 yards for an eagle on Friday and which he birdied in 2016 to kickstart his victory push.

It was a completely different story on Saturday, however, the four-time major winner pushing his second shot into the water and seeing his fourth from the drop zone hit a rock on the edge of the hazard but luckily bounce on to the putting surface.

McIlroy narrowly missed the long par attempt but responded superbly with birdies on the 17th and 18th, the latter courtesy of a 346-yard drive and nine-iron approach to the 548-yard par-five.

“To bounce back with the two birdies on 17 and 18 after putting the ball in the water on 16 was huge, so overall a great day’s play,” McIlroy said.

“I didn’t feel like I did anything very special, but it added up to a great score and I’ve gotten myself a lot closer to the lead when last night (Friday) I thought I was maybe a little bit too far behind and out of it.

“It’s hard to try to win your national Open and try to get over the line. I’m excited to have another opportunity.

“I was fortunate enough to do it a few years ago here and having those memories is going to be nice, and also having the support of the crowd out there as well is going to be incredibly helpful.”

Asked about the 16th, McIlroy added: “It’s one of those holes – just because of the design of it and with my length being able to go for it, it provides a lot of drama.

“I was frustrated that I made bogey and then walking off the green I thought I should be pretty grateful after the fourth shot from the drop zone.

“I didn’t play for as much wind as I should have and got incredibly fortunate hitting the rock and going on the green.”

McIlroy also revealed he had broken his 3-wood after hitting a poor tee shot on the sixth, admitting: “I went to hit the top of that tee-marker and I caught the corner with the bottom of the shaft.

“It was just a flick. I’ve done it a couple of times before this week and everything went okay, but that one didn’t.”

India’s Shubhankar Sharma and England’s Jordan Smith share the halfway lead in the Horizon Irish Open as home favourites Shane Lowry and Rory McIlroy experienced contrasting finishes at The K Club.

Sharma raced to the turn in just 28 shots on his way to a second round of 66, setting what looked an imposing target of 13 under par in sweltering conditions.

Smith responded with seven birdies in the first 11 holes and took the outright lead with another on the 15th, but ran up a double bogey on the 17th before completing a 65 with a birdie on the last.

Lowry birdied the 17th and 18th to complete a second successive 68 and lie five shots off the pace, while McIlroy holed out from 116 yards for an eagle on the 16th but immediately gave both shots back with a double bogey on 17.

“I’m trying to think of the last time I made a double bogey, it’s been a few months and I’ve prided myself on really limiting my mistakes,” McIlroy said after a 70 left him eight shots off the lead.

“That was one that obviously got away from me and I need a good one tomorrow to get myself back into it. There’s low scores to be had on this golf course especially with how the conditions are.”

A birdie at the 16th sparked McIlroy’s victory surge the last time the Irish Open was staged at The K Club in 2016 and he added: “There’s something about that hole that brings out the best in me.

“It was a lovely pin for a wedge shot with that back stop and using the slope to bring the ball back. It’s always a bonus and a bit of luck when they go in the hole but it was a lovely shot.”

Lowry, who won the 2009 Irish Open when he was still an amateur, said: “I’ve a huge weekend ahead of me.

“I’ve obviously been very fortunate to win this tournament before but I’d love nothing more than the opportunity to do that again this weekend.

“Expectations are a tough thing in sport and we’re going to see that over the next two months with the rugby team (at World Cup), but I think you just have to get out of your own way and let yourself do what you do best.

“I’ve done that very well over the last two days and I just need to do that again over the weekend.”

The start of play had been delayed by 30 minutes due to fog, but Sharma quickly made up for lost time as he birdied seven of the first nine holes.

“I had nine single putts which was amazing, I don’t think I’ve done that before,” he said. “Everything was just flowing nicely, I was hitting it in the right spots and was really good inside 10 feet so it all came together.”

The 27-year-old won his first DP World Tour title in December 2017 and his second just two months later, but has not tasted victory since and has recorded only two top-10 finishes this season, although the most recent was in the Open Championship at Royal Liverpool.

“I took a four-week break after the Open and was sick last week so spent most of the weekend sleeping on my couch, but I still have good memories from the Open so I am just trying to continue that form,” he added.

“I’m obviously very keen on getting back into the winner’s circle but it’ll happen when it happens.

“I can only control the controllables, have a good positive mindset on the weekend and I’m sure it will happen soon rather than later.”

Sharma and Smith ended the day with a one-shot lead over England’s Ross Fisher, who carded a second consecutive 66, with Germany’s Hurly Long on 11 under and Scotland’s Calum Hill another stroke back after a remarkable 65.

Hill carded three eagles in the space of seven holes, holing from nine feet on the fourth, from 124 yards on the ninth and 35 feet on the 10th.

India’s Shubhankar Sharma set a daunting clubhouse target on day two of the Horizon Irish Open at The K Club.

Following a 30-minute delay due to early morning fog, overnight leader Sharma raced to the turn in just 28 shots with seven birdies and two pars.

A first bogey of the week on the par-five 10th halted Sharma’s momentum and although he bounced back immediately with a birdie on the 11th, the 27-year-old could only cover the last seven holes in one over par.

The resulting 66 gave the two-time DP World Tour winner a halfway total of 13 under par and a four-shot lead over Germany’s Freddy Schott, who covered his last 14 holes in nine under par in a superb 64.

“It was a really early morning start for us so I was a bit sleepy but I managed to make a lot of putts on the front nine,” Sharma said.

“I had nine single putts which was amazing, I don’t think I’ve done that before. Everything was just flowing nicely, I was hitting it in the right spots and was really good inside 10 feet so it all came together.

“It was still as hot as yesterday, which is quite unusual for Ireland, but I quite like this weather and the greens were better today because we played in the morning.

“There are some tough pin positions but if you’re on with your putter there will be low scores out there. I made some changes in the first half of the season but I’m finally seeing the results.”

Sharma won his first DP World Tour title in December 2017 and his second just two months later, but has yet to taste victory since and has recorded only two top-10 finishes this season, although the most recent was in the Open Championship at Royal Liverpool.

“I took a four-week break after the Open and was sick last week so spent most of the weekend sleeping on my couch, but I still have good memories from the Open so I am just trying to continue that form,” he added.

“I’m obviously very keen on getting back into the winner’s circle but it’ll happen when it happens.

“I can only control the controllables, have a good positive mindset on the weekend and I’m sure it will happen soon rather than later.”

Shane Lowry has set his sights on a second Horizon Irish Open title backed by bus-loads of home fans after making a strong start to a massive month of golf.

Lowry carded seven birdies and three bogeys in an opening 68 to trail clubhouse leader Shubhankar Sharma by three shots on a sweltering opening day at The K Club.

The former Open champion, who was still an amateur when he won the Irish Open in 2009, will defend his BMW PGA Championship title next week and then make his second appearance in the Ryder Cup at the end of September, with Europe seeking to regain the trophy in Rome.

“Take away everything else that’s in the next few weeks, this is a big week for me, ” Lowry said.  “I want to go out there and play well and give myself a chance to win this tournament.

“It’s only 45 minutes to an hour from where I’m from in Clara. I want the people to be getting on their buses on Sunday morning to come and watch me try and win this tournament.

“That’s all I want this week. It’s nothing to do with the Ryder Cup or Wentworth next week or anything.

“This tournament for me is huge. I feel at home here. I live in Florida and I miss home a lot when I’m away. It’s nice to be back.”

Lowry’s 68 was matched by compatriot Mark Power, who carded two birdies and an eagle on the 18th in his first start as a professional, as well as Ryder Cup captain Luke Donald, while Rory McIlroy returned a 69.

Rory McIlroy tees off on the 14th during day one of the 2023 Horizon Irish Open at The K Club (Brian Lawless/PA)McIlroy, who won the tournament the last time it was staged at The K Club in 2016, started on the back nine and bogeyed his first hole following a wayward drive and penalty drop, but birdied his last two holes to end the day on a high.

“I think the two birdies in the last two holes sort of glossed over what was a pretty average day,” McIlroy said. “Didn’t really feel great with anything.

“It’s hard to say I’m rusty when I’ve only had a week off but I just haven’t had a chance to practice much and I just hit a few loose shots out there.

“Managed my game well and scraped it around in three under which is nice and sort of gets me in the tournament.

“I’m hitting good shots but it’s all about knowing your patterns and where you’re missing it and where to aim and where not to aim and just being a little unsure over a couple of shots.”

Sharma’s flawless 65 gave him a one-shot lead over Jordan Smith, Ross Fisher and Ryder Cup vice-captain Thomas Bjorn, who admitted he was as surprised as anyone to find himself near the top of the leaderboard.

The 52-year-old has not played competitively since June due to collarbone and lower back problems, but carded seven birdies and a solitary bogey on the ninth, his final hole.

“I said to my caddie this morning when we walked to the first tee, let’s try to see if we can break 90,” Bjorn said. “It was that kind of day.

“I came here with no expectations and it just shows how silly this game can be. You can work hard for weeks and go out and shoot bad scores.

“Expectations sometimes get in the way of professional golf, as I’ve shown, and then you just go out and enjoy yourself, you’re just happy to be on the golf course after so long.”

Defending champion Adrian Meronk, who admitted on Wednesday he was shocked and angry to be overlooked for a Ryder Cup wild card, matched the 69 of playing partner McIlroy, with the third member of the group, American Billy Horschel, also carding the same score.

Former champion Rory McIlroy admitted two late birdies helped “gloss over” an average first round of the Horizon Irish Open.

McIlroy, who won the title the last time it was staged at The K Club in 2016, carded an opening 69 in glorious conditions to lie three shots off the early clubhouse lead shared by Jordan Smith, Thomas Bjorn and Ross Fisher.

The world number two bogeyed his first hole of the day and drove into the water on the seventh to lie just one under par with two holes remaining, but holed from 18 feet for birdie on the eighth and four feet on the ninth.

“I think the two birdies in the last two holes sort of glossed over what was a pretty average day,” McIlroy said. “Didn’t really feel great with anything.

“It’s hard to say I’m rusty when I’ve only had a week off but I just haven’t had a chance to practice much and I just hit a few loose shots out there.

“Managed my game well and scraped it around in three under which is nice and sort of gets me in the tournament.”

McIlroy almost pulled out of the Tour Championship with a back injury and is not yet back to full fitness, but insisted that was not an issue on the course.

“It’s more that I have not been able to hit a ton of balls,” the 34-year-old added.

“I’m hitting good shots but it’s all about knowing your patterns and where you’re missing it and where to aim and where not to aim and just being a little unsure over a couple of shots.”

Ryder Cup vice-captain Bjorn admitted he was as surprised as anyone to find himself at the top of the leaderboard after a lengthy injury lay-off.

The 52-year-old has not played competitively since June due to collarbone and lower back problems, but carded seven birdies and a solitary bogey on the ninth, his final hole.

“I said to my caddie this morning when we walked to the first tee, let’s try to see if we can break 90,” Bjorn said. “It was that kind of day.

“I came here with no expectations and it just shows how silly this game can be. You can work hard for weeks and go out and shoot bad scores.

“Expectations sometimes get in the way of professional golf, as I’ve shown, and then you just go out and enjoy yourself, you’re just happy to be on the golf course after so long.”

Defending champion Adrian Meronk, who admitted on Wednesday he was shocked and angry to be overlooked for a Ryder Cup wild card, matched the 69 of playing partner McIlroy, with former Open champion Shane Lowry going one better with a 68.

Rory McIlroy has pledged to take a “sensible” approach to a friend’s stag do just days before the start of the Ryder Cup.

And the world number two has also assured captain Luke Donald that he is close to full fitness after the back injury which almost forced him to withdraw from the Tour Championship in Atlanta.

McIlroy had previously joked that he would need “a few days to dry out” from his trip to Mykonos before travelling to Rome, where Europe will attempt to regain the Ryder Cup following their record 19-9 defeat at Whistling Straits.

“I’m sensible when I need to be,” McIlroy said with a smile in his pre-tournament press conference ahead of the Horizon Irish Open.

“48 hours, nice little trip, and probably needed as well. (I go) from here to practise in Rome next week, to Wentworth.

“I get back into London on Wednesday evening and then four good days in London to practise and get myself ready to go to Rome on the Monday.”

Donald also laughed off any concerns, adding: “It’s not like Rory is 22 or 21. He understands.

“There’s nothing wrong in going out and having some fun with your friends. But I think he’s got wise enough shoulders to know that he won’t go crazy, so no concerns there.”

McIlroy hit just 20 balls before his first round of the Tour Championship after suffering a muscle spasm two days earlier which left him unable to move.

The 34-year-old struggled to an opening round of 70 at East Lake but the injury gradually improved throughout the week and he closed with a 65 to finish in a tie for 11th.

“I would say it’s at 90 per cent, 95 per cent,” McIlroy said. “I just have to take care of it a little bit but it’s not preventing me from doing anything I want to do. Just being a little mindful, I guess.

“I’ve had much worse. I had much worse back issues when I was 21. This is a bit of tightness, a bit of a muscle spasm. I’ve had a herniated disc and I’ve had stuff that would be a lot more worrying than this is. It’s fine. It’s totally fine.”

McIlroy produced a sensational finish to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat the last time The K Club staged the Irish Open in 2016, having seen a three-shot lead turn into a one-shot deficit in the final round.

A stunning approach from 270 yards set up a two-putt birdie on the par-five 16th and McIlroy produced an even better shot to the last, his five-wood from 252 yards finishing within three feet of the hole for a tap-in eagle.

“The two shots I hit on 16 then the two on 18, that’s the way you want to try to close out a golf tournament. It was amazing,” McIlroy recalled.

“They had set up a sort of bar on the right side of 16 and when my ball hit the green I just remember the roar from over there was pretty cool.

“It was a great finish and for as long as I can remember the only tournament my mum ever wanted to see me win was The Irish Open. So for her to be there and for me to win it, it means a lot to her obviously and a lot to us as a family.”

McIlroy has a lead of more than 2,000 points over Jon Rahm at the top of the Race to Dubai, but will take six weeks off between the Ryder Cup and the season-finale in Dubai.

Strong performances in Ireland and next week’s BMW PGA Championship would therefore go a long way to securing a fifth money list title, three behind the record of Colin Montgomerie.

“I’ve got a nice little cushion at the minute but these two weeks are important,” McIlroy said.

“I want to play well for a number of reasons. I want to feel like I’m confident and in good form going into the Ryder Cup obviously.

“But yeah, I think it would be a pretty cool achievement to win The Race to Dubai for a fifth time and start creeping up on Monty.”

Shane Lowry believes Europe have the best 12 players available as they bid to regain the Ryder Cup from the United States.

Lowry received one of captain Luke Donald’s six wild cards on Monday having finished 11th on the European points list and eighth on the world points list, with only the top three on each qualifying automatically.

The former Open champion won the first qualifying event – and will defend his BMW PGA Championship title next week – but his sole top-10 finish in 2023 came in February’s Honda Classic.

That has led to criticism of Lowry’s selection, with former British Masters winner Richard Bland among those believing that Adrian Meronk’s consistent form – including May’s Italian Open victory at the Ryder Cup venue – meant the Pole “deserves a pick over an out-of-form Lowry.”

“Well, people have their opinion,” Lowry said ahead of the Horizon Irish Open at The K Club.

“Adrian has had a great year and obviously he’s unfortunate to miss out, but somebody has to miss out.

“I’m not going to sit here and disagree with Luke Donald. It was his decision at the end of the day, if he thinks that somebody else is better for this team than he (Meronk) was.

“If you look at the way the team was picked, there’s not many players playing that weren’t in the top 12, myself included. And that’s why you have six picks, so you have the chance to pick the 12 best players.

“I personally think that’s the right way to go about it and I think we have the best 12 players from Europe coming to play this Ryder Cup, and I think we’re in form.

“A lot of players are in very good form, as you’ve seen over the last few weeks, and I think we’re going to give it a great go this year.

“I’m very confident in my own ability, and I know what I can bring. My form probably has not been the greatest, but in some of the bigger events I’ve played some of my best golf and there’s nothing bigger than the Ryder Cup.

“Hopefully I can go to Rome and show people what I’m made of.”

Lowry also needed a wild card to make his Ryder Cup debut at Whistling Straits two years ago and has unsurprisingly received the backing of the man who picked him then, three-time major winner Padraig Harrington.

“There’s no doubt about Shane, he’s a big-time player,” Harrington said.

“He likes the big occasions, the majors, and at the Ryder Cup he loved it. He was very comfortable, wasn’t like a rookie at all. He loves the pressure-filled occasions.

“It’s strange, I’ve seen the odd thing from people that aren’t in the know saying maybe somebody else should have got picked but it’s not even close.

“If we were playing a small tournament in the middle of nowhere with no adrenaline maybe Shane wouldn’t be the right pick, but when it comes to the Ryder Cup I’d definitely be trusting him.”

Lowry won one point from his three matches at Whistling Straits as Europe suffered a record 19-9 defeat to a home team whose lowest-ranked player at the time was world number 21 Scottie Scheffler.

Scheffler went on to win four times in six starts in 2022, including the Masters, and is the current world number one.

“I think we just caught them on our downturn and their upturn,” Harrington added. “That one extra year due to Covid, our team went from peaking to slightly off.

“Many of the US players were probably at their very peak at that stage and the Europeans are only coming into that now. Europe has got a lot stronger in those two years.

“It ebbs and flows in the game of golf and I think the flow is with Europe now.”

Europe captain Luke Donald hailed Ludvig Aberg as a “generational” talent after handing him a wild card and backing a team with four “fearless” rookies to regain the Ryder Cup.

Former world number one amateur Aberg only turned professional in June, but won the final qualifying event in Switzerland on Sunday with a final round of 64 at Crans-sur-Sierre.

The 23-year-old Swede has made the quickest transition from the amateur ranks to the Ryder Cup in the contest’s history, eclipsing the previous record set by Sergio Garcia, who made his debut in 1999 after turning professional following April’s Masters.

Aberg was selected along with Tommy Fleetwood, Sepp Straka, Shane Lowry, Justin Rose and Nicolai Hojgaard, with Poland’s Adrian Meronk arguably the most unfortunate to miss out after winning the Italian Open at the host venue in May.

The six wild cards join automatic qualifiers Rory McIlroy, Jon Rahm, Matt Fitzpatrick, Viktor Hovland, Tyrrell Hatton and Robert MacIntyre in Donald’s team, which will attempt to regain the trophy at Marco Simone Golf and Country Club following a record 19-9 thrashing two years ago.

Speaking about Aberg, Donald said: “We obviously knew what he was doing in the college scene. You look at what he did in those four years and the only comparables really were Viktor Hovland and Jon Rahm. He is that good.

“I played with him in Detroit and was blown away by his game. He was a cool nine under through 16 holes like it was nothing. He was calm, collected, he made everything look very simple and he hits a lot of quality shots.

“I haven’t played a lot with Jon Rahm, I got to watch Viktor for three matches at Whistling Straits and was really impressed with his ball-striking. When Rory was breaking out I thought ‘this kid is special’ and Ludvig fits in that.

“He continued to impress and I challenged him to come over to Europe and play a couple (of events).

“He was fifth (tied fourth) in the Czech Masters and you know what he did yesterday. It was like a walk in the park for him and for someone that is so inexperienced, it was just so, so impressive.

“I really do have a lot of faith and belief in Ludvig. He is a generational player, he’s going to be around a long time and he’s going to do amazing things.

“If he wasn’t going to play this one he was going to play the next eight Ryder Cups, that’s how good I think he is.

“He proved it on Sunday, he’s a cool customer too. The statistics show he would be the number one driver this year, ahead of Rory and Scottie Scheffler.

“I am happy to have four rookies on the team. In 2004 I was one of five and we did just fine. These young kids are ready and fearless.”

Aberg said: “Thinking about getting that call from Luke gives me goosebumps. These are the events you want to be a part of.

“You want to have that shot or putt to win a match. I’ve been fortunate to be part of team events before, although I understand this is at a different level. But I am up for the challenge.”

Rose, who will make his sixth Ryder Cup appearance in Rome, conceded initial thoughts of picking Aberg had sounded “incredibly premature”, but added: “He has absolutely backed it up.

“I was aware of this European stud turning pro and he’s one of the players who has a very-impressive game to the point where, in the evening if you haven’t watched any coverage, you go to his Shot Tracker and you go ‘Oh my God’, he hit it 340 yards down the middle of that fairway.

“He has a couple of weapons that are not necessarily at everyone’s disposal.”

Away from Aberg, Donald praised Straka for travelling from Maui to Abu Dhabi to take part in January’s inaugural Hero Cup, where Hojgaard – who is another winner at Marco Simone – went unbeaten as a late replacement for his injured twin brother Rasmus.

And the former world number one insisted he had no concerns over the form of 2019 Open champion Lowry, who has not recorded a top 10 finish in 2023.

“He’s a big-time player, he steps up in the moments,” Donald said. “We have two important weeks for him in Ireland and Wentworth and it wouldn’t surprise me if he’s up there having a good chance in those events.”

Asked if Meronk was unfortunate to miss out, Donald added: “Adrian was very much on my mind. There were a number of players that you could make a good argument to be on that team that aren’t. Those are difficult decisions.

“I’ve been in that position myself, I know what it feels like and it’s gut-wrenching. I spoke to them all and it’s never easy but they handled it with class.”

Europe captain Luke Donald admitted he had been “blown away” by the ability of Ludvig Aberg after handing the rising star one of his six wild cards for the 44th Ryder Cup in Rome.

Former world number one amateur Aberg only turned professional in June, but won the final qualifying event in Switzerland on Sunday with a final round of 64 at Crans-sur-Sierre.

The 23-year-old Swede has made the quickest transition from the amateur ranks to the Ryder Cup in the contest’s history, eclipsing the previous record set by Sergio Garcia, who made his debut in 1999 after turning professional following April’s Masters.

Aberg was selected along with Tommy Fleetwood, Sepp Straka, Shane Lowry, Justin Rose and Nicolai Hojgaard, with Poland’s Adrian Meronk missing out despite winning the Italian Open at the host venue in May.

The six wild cards join automatic qualifiers Rory McIlroy, Jon Rahm, Matt Fitzpatrick, Viktor Hovland, Tyrrell Hatton and Robert MacIntyre in Donald’s team, which will attempt to regain the trophy at Marco Simone Golf and Country Club from September 29 to October 1.

Speaking about Aberg, Donald said: “We obviously knew what he was doing in the college scene. You look at what he did in those four years and the only comparables really were Viktor Hovland and Jon Rahm. He is that good.

“I played with him in Detroit and was blown away by his game. He continued to impress and I challenged him to come over to Europe and play a couple (of events).

“He was fifth (tied fourth) in the Czech Masters and you know what he did yesterday. It was like a walk in the park for him and for someone that is so inexperienced it was just so, so impressive.”

Sweden’s Ludvig Aberg won the Omega European Masters in just his ninth event as a professional to make a hugely compelling case for a Ryder Cup wild card.

Aberg, who only joined the paid ranks in June, carded a superb closing 64 at Crans-sur-Sierre to finish 19 under par, two shots ahead of compatriot Alexander Bjork.

Overnight leader Matt Fitzpatrick, who was bidding to join Seve Ballesteros as a three-time winner of the event, bogeyed three of the last four holes to slip into a tie for third with Scotland’s Connor Syme on 16 under.

That was still enough to replace Tommy Fleetwood in the final qualifying place on the World Points list, with Scotland’s Robert MacIntyre holding on to the last spot on the European Points list.

Europe captain Luke Donald will name his six wild cards on Monday and it would be a major surprise if Aberg was not selected along with Fleetwood, Justin Rose and Shane Lowry, with Sepp Straka, Adrian Meronk and Nicolai Hojgaard potentially battling it out for the two remaining spots.

“I don’t even know where to start, it’s a pretty surreal feeling to be honest, but obviously super, super happy,” the 23-year-old said.

“I figured a win would put me in a good position (for the Ryder Cup) but honestly I’ve been doing a pretty good job of not thinking about it too much.

“I feel like I get reminded of it a lot, but once I get on the golf course it’s just me and golf and luckily I was able to finish well today and win the tournament.

“It would mean the world obviously. I think as a young golfer growing up in Sweden and in Europe those are the events you want to be a part of and if I ever get the chance to be a part of that I’m going to be over the moon. It would be really cool.”

Aberg began the final round two shots behind Fitzpatrick and was three adrift when the former US Open champion carded his third birdie of the day on the 13th.

Fitzpatrick also birdied the 14th, but then bogeyed three of the next four holes as Aberg compiled four birdies in a row from the 14th to surge to the top of the leaderboard.

MacIntyre had earlier finished in a tie for 55th after making a double bogey on the 18th in a closing 70, but neither Meronk or Yannik Paul were able to produce the top-three finish they needed to overhaul the left-hander.

“I am so excited,” MacIntyre said. “It’s been a tough qualifying campaign, but I am pleased with the way I have dealt with the challenge and to have earned one of the six automatic spots.

“I’ve worked hard to play in the Ryder Cup, but now it’s important that we go on and win it.”

MacIntyre, who played alongside Donald in the Czech Masters and was paired with Meronk and Paul for the first two rounds in Switzerland, added: “The last two weeks have been hell.

“Pairings in the first two rounds, media hype – everything has just been tough.”

As the Honorary Consul of Jamaica in Uruguay, Jorge Andres Elissalde felt it only fitting that he made the trip down to the Caribbean Island to not only enjoy the sun, fun and excitement, but also to play his part in assisting Sandals Foundation to give back to its community.

Elissalde was among the over 70 individuals that made the trek from various countries to strut their stuff in the Sandals Latin American Travel Agents Golf Tournament, which is used a driver for participants to experience and, later sell Jamaica as the destination of choice for sports and tourism.

As fate would have it, Elissalde's team which included Jorge Barbut, Jose Cabrera and Leonardo Curutchague, finished tops at the four-man scramble format, two-day event with a final score of 60 over nine holes. They scored 33 on the first and 27 on the final day of the competition.

They won ahead of the Brazilian team of Breno Luz, Ricardo Dantas, Denilson Milan, and Raphael Abreu, which scored 28 on the first day and 37 on the final day to finish five-strokes behind on 65 at the Sandals Golf and Country Club.

"I am very proud to be the Honorary Consul of Jamaica and I am happy that we had the chance to come here and not only participate in the Sandals tournament, but also to see what the foundation is doing because we know they do a lot of good for the people here, especially in the Ocho Rios region. So, it's always a pleasure to play our part and we also won which is double the excitement," Elissalde told SportsMax.tv. 

Besides the friendly competition between others from Mexico, Panama, Peru, Colombia, Argentina, among others, Elissalde reiterated the serious side of the golf tournament, as the side shows raised US $316 for the Sandals Foundation which might seem a small figure but will go a far way in helping those in need.

Mauricio Fuerte (Closet to the Pin Men), Antonio Perez Verdia Rubio (Longest Drive Men), and Taryn Stanton (Longest Drive Women), won those side events.

Beyond that, the travel agents also brought with them books and other school supplies to be distributed in the community.

"Jamaica is a destination that not many Uruguayans know, it is a beautiful country with beautiful people and so doing this (tournament) is one way of basically opening the doors so those Uruguayans can experience Jamaica through us and then they will be more eager to come and visit," Elissalde reasoned.

"So what Sandals is doing is very good, it's a mix of sports and tourism and, more importantly, the fact that they use these golf tournaments to raise funds for the foundation is incredible and giving back is always something that many people gravitate towards. So again, we are very happy to play our part," he added.

During his visit, Elissalde also paid a courtesy call on Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Meanwhile, Jake Coldiron, national manager of golf sales, expressed delight with the outcome of the tournament which is one of three travel-advisers’ event staged annually by the resort to promote the island as a golfing destination, while giving the resort chain’s sales reps personal experiences of its properties and Jamaica’s varied attractions.

The positive spinoff from the event has propelled Sandals to stage a World Travel Advisors Golf Tournament set for Emerald Bay, Bahamas, next year. Elissalde and his team are expected to be a part of that, along with those from the United States and Canada tournaments to come in September and October respectively. 

"My job is to help the travel advisors grow their business through golf and this year we actually had quite a few travel advisors that had never been to Jamaica, so the ultimate goal for them is to go back to their home country and sell Jamaica, sell Sandals and Beaches Resorts, and bring their clients down here," Coldiron said.

“The Sandals Foundation in general is also a very important part of Sandals Resorts and what is nice about it is that we as a company take it very seriously as far as ensuring that we give back not just in Jamaica but the entire Caribbean. We are a Caribbean-based company, and the ultimate goal is to take care of the Caribbean,” he noted.

Justin Thomas has admitted he is “very, very fortunate” to be given a wild card for this year’s Ryder Cup in Rome.

Thomas failed to qualify for the FedEx Cup play-offs on the PGA Tour and admitted it had been “humiliating and embarrassing” to card a second round of 81 in the US Open in June.

The two-time major winner also shot an opening 82 in the Open at Royal Liverpool and finished 15th in qualifying, behind both Cameron Young and Keegan Bradley and just one place above the in-form Lucas Glover.

However, United States captain Zach Johnson hailed Thomas as the “heart and soul” of American teams after selecting the former world number one along with Sam Burns, Rickie Fowler, Brooks Koepka, Collin Morikawa and Jordan Spieth to face Europe at Marco Simone Golf and Country Club next month.

The wild cards join automatic qualifiers Scottie Scheffler, Wyndham Clark, Brian Harman, Patrick Cantlay, Max Homa and Xander Schauffele on Johnson’s team, who will attempt to win on European soil for the first time since 1993.

“I have had a lot of sleepless nights thinking about what could happen and wanting to be on the team, wondering if I was or I wasn’t, and then I just came to the realisation that it was out of my hands and I couldn’t do anything about it,” Thomas said.

“After getting the call yesterday (Monday) from Zach I couldn’t sleep because I was so excited. It’s cool to be part of this team.

“You can want something too bad. I’m sure all of us have tried to win golf tournaments too much and have tried to force the issue, and there were potentially times this season I did.

“I’m very, very fortunate to be here and Zach has been very vocal and made it sound great that we are all equal on this team. I feel I’m just as important as everybody else and my team-mates have voiced that the same way.”

Johnson had earlier been fulsome in his praise of Thomas, who won four points from five matches on a losing side in Paris in 2018, including victory over Rory McIlroy in the opening match of the singles.

“Justin Thomas is one of the most talented players on the PGA Tour in my opinion,” Johnson said.

“He has been, without question, the heart and soul of US Ryder Cup teams, our emotional leader.

“Overall (he has) a fantastic Ryder Cup record. His passion for the Ryder Cup is very evident. In my mind he is born for this and you just don’t leave JT at home.”

Johnson admitted the topic of selecting LIV Golf players such as Dustin Johnson – who went 5-0 at Whistling Straits two years ago – and Bryson DeChambeau did come up, but that Koepka had been the only one to “seize the opportunity” of playing well in the majors.

Koepka only slipped out of the automatic qualifying places in the final event, having finished second in the Masters and winning his fifth major title in the US PGA Championship at Oak Hill.

“A five-time major champion, he is built in my mind for the biggest of stages and there’s no bigger stage than the Ryder Cup,” Johnson said.

“It was a pretty easy pick, a very natural fit. He basically earned his way onto the team. Brooks is great in the team room.”

Johnson’s selections came a month after one of his vice-captains, former Masters champion Fred Couples, said on his own radio show that Homa, Spieth and Young would be given wild cards if they remained outside the automatic places.

Homa subsequently qualified and Spieth was duly selected but Young, who finished just 61 points behind Spieth in the standings, was left out.

“Cam, phenomenal player, a better person, he was nothing but class,” Johnson said of calling Young with the bad news.

“I know what was said (by Couples), but I think that was a while back, it was kind of in jest.”

United States captain Zach Johnson has selected Justin Thomas, Brooks Koepka, Jordan Spieth, Collin Morikawa, Sam Burns and Rickie Fowler as his wild cards for the 44th Ryder Cup in Rome.

Thomas failed to qualify for the FedEx Cup play-offs and admitted it had been “humiliating and embarrassing” to card a second round of 81 in the US Open in June.

The two-time major winner also shot an opening 82 in the Open at Royal Liverpool, but has still been selected by Johnson ahead of the likes of Keegan Bradley and Cameron Young.

The wild cards join automatic qualifiers Scottie Scheffler, Wyndham Clark, Brian Harman, Patrick Cantlay, Max Homa and Xander Schauffele on Johnson’s team, which will attempt to win on European soil for the first time since 1993.

“Justin Thomas is one of the most talented players on the PGA Tour in my opinion,” Johnson said.

“He has been, without question, the heart and soul of US Ryder Cup teams, our emotional leader.

“Overall (he has) a fantastic Ryder Cup record. His passion for the Ryder Cup is very evident. In my mind he is born for this and you just don’t leave JT at home.”

Koepka, who is the only LIV Golf League player to make the team, slipped out of the automatic qualifying places in the final event, having finished second in the Masters and won the US PGA Championship at Oak Hill.

“A five-time major champion, he is built in my mind for the biggest of stages and there’s no bigger stage than the Ryder Cup,” Johnson said.

United States captain Stacy Lewis admitted experiencing some of the “hardest” days of her career after naming Ally Ewing, Cheyenne Knight and Angel Yin as her wild card picks for the Solheim Cup next month.

The three picks completed the 12-strong American team who will be attempting to avoid an unprecedented third straight defeat in the biennial showpiece against Europe at Spain’s Finca Cortesin resort from September 22-24.

Lewis said: “These final days were definitely some of the hardest ones of my career, but I’m so proud to have Ally, Cheyenne and Angel on the 2023 US Solheim Cup team.

“These three women earned their spots on this team, putting themselves into contention both with their play on the course and their teamwork off the course.

“Over the last year-and-a-half, I’ve gotten to know all the US players incredibly well and I’m honoured to be their captain. We are going to have an incredible week at Finca Cortesin.”

The first nine members of the US team were confirmed earlier on Monday after the weekend’s CPKC Women’s Open in Canada.

Seven players – world number one Lilia Vu, Nelly Korda, Allisen Corpuz, Megan Khang, Jennifer Kupcho, Danielle Kang and Andrea Lee – qualified through the US Solheim Cup points standings.

Lexi Thompson, who will be making her sixth appearance in the competition, and Rose Zhang qualified as the highest Americans in the Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings outside the top seven in the Solheim Cup points standings.

Lee tied for 13th at the CPKC Women’s Open, the exact finish she needed to move from eighth to seventh in the points standings and secure the final automatic qualifying berth.

She said: “I was pretty stressed coming down the stretch because I knew I had to finish top 13 to not have to rely on a captain’s pick.

“I’m just super grateful and honoured to represent the USA. It’s been a dream of mine ever since I was a little girl.

“I played on two Junior Solheim Cup teams and have always wanted to play on the real Solheim Cup team. I’m just so excited and I can’t wait to play for Stacy and for Team USA.”

Lewis added: “The last year has been exciting – and challenging – and to have these players locked in has me pumped for the week in Spain.

“Even the rookies aren’t true rookies in my eyes. Over the last two years, they have proven to be great competitors and I have no doubt that they won’t be overwhelmed by the experience.”

Europe finalised their line-up last week with Scotland’s Gemma Dryburgh selected as a wild card pick to join English pair Charley Hull and Georgia Hall in captain Suzann Pettersen’s 12-strong team.

Norway’s Viktor Hovland held off a determined challenge from Xander Schauffele in the final round of the Tour Championship to claim the FedEx Cup title and 18million US dollar (£14.1million) first prize.

Hovland, who won the BMW Championship seven days ago, carded a bogey-free closing 63 at East Lake to finish 27 under par, five shots ahead of Schauffele, who returned a superb 62.

The 25-year-old began the day with a six-shot lead and, following a delay of almost two hours due to the threat of lightning, maintained that advantage as both he and Schauffele covered the first six holes in four under par.

Schauffele also birdied the eighth to be out in 30 and picked up further shots on the 11th and 12th to get within three of the lead, a lead which looked set to shrink even further when Hovland hit a poor chip to the 14th.

However, Hovland holed from 23 feet to save par and then made his first birdie since the sixth on the 16th to effectively seal a win which was quickly celebrated by Europe’s Ryder Cup captain Luke Donald.

“I walked 3 matches with Viktor at the last Ryder Cup,” Donald wrote on Twitter.

“He was great tee to green but his short game and putting let him down. He told me he wasn’t clutch enough. Well he’s about as clutch as they come now. What a year, what a finish, what a guy! Fedex Cup Champ.”

US Open champion Wyndham Clark finished third on 16 under with Rory McIlroy, who had been hampered by a back injury all week, carding a closing 65 to finish fourth on 14 under.

“As the week went on it got looser and today it was pretty close to 100 per cent,” McIlroy told Sky Sports.

“I wish I had felt like this the rest of the week but even without a bad back I’m not sure I’d have been able to hang with the two guys in front.

“Another solid week, my game is where it needs to be and as long as I stay healthy for the next few weeks I’m excited to get back to Europe, play in Ireland and at Wentworth and ultimately get my game in shape for the Ryder Cup.”

The United States will be bidding to retain the Ryder Cup after enjoying a record 19-9 victory two years ago and McIlroy told reporters: “There’s a lot of us that were in that team at Whistling Straits and that didn’t feel very nice, didn’t feel good.

“So, yeah, I’m excited to get back over to Europe. We’re all sort of making our way over to Europe a couple weeks early. So it will be nice to all get together, get some early team dinners before the week in Rome and sort of really feel like that sort of team chemistry is starting already.

“We’re all, for the most part, playing really good. There’s still a few weeks to go, but it’s the next big thing in all of our calendars.”

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