Google News
In the 30th week of the year, here are the unmissable events featuring the professionals of the main tours and the amateurs of the Italian Golf Federation.
Golf, events
PGA Tour – 3M Open After competing in the final Major of the season last week, the PGA Tour champions return to the United States where they will compete July 27-30 at the TPC Twin Cities in Blaine, Minnesota for the 3M Open.
The event is the second to last on the PGA Tour Regular Season calendar, which means that all participants will focus on defining their place in the FedEx Cup standings. Only the top 70 finishers will qualify for the Playoffs.
That means players like Justin Thomas, currently ranked no. 75, he will need to get a good result this week or at the season-ending Wyndham Championship to enter the Playoffs. Non-qualified players will participate in the FedEx Cup Fall to earn the Tour card for the following season.
They will keep their regular season points in an effort to stay in the top 125 at the end of the season. The last edition was won by the American champion Tony Finau with a score of 17 strokes under par. The American champion, who has already scored two victories this season, will be on the field to defend his title.
This week, in addition to Finau, among the champions in the field we mention: Akshay Bhatia, who will be at TPC Twin Cities after capturing his first title last week at the Barracuda Championship. Bhatia, 21, started the Barracuda Championship with a Special Temporary Member and is now a full member of the Tour.
Cameron Young, who finished eighth at The Open after playing on Sunday's team leader, is set to play Minnesota.
Sungjae Im and Emiliano Grillo, who finished second behind Finau last season, both return with hopes of a win.
Grillo is aiming for a second victory on the Tour, having already won the one at the Charles Schwab Challenge. Ryan Gerard, leader after 36 holes at the Barracuda Championship, which finished in 5th place.
Seven Major champions are preparing to play, including Justin Thomas and Hideki Matsuyama.
John Deere Classic champion Sepp Straka, second at The Open last week and now 15th in the FedEx Cup.
Players in the field will compete for a total prize pool of $7,800,000 and the winner will earn 500 points in the race to the FedEx Cup.
TPC Twin Cities, located approximately 15 miles north of Minneapolis/St. Paul, is a par 71 of 6,795 meters. Arnold Palmer and his design firm signed the field, which opened in 2000. Former world No. 1 and Minnesota native Tom Lehman was actively involved with Palmer in the design.
One of the symbolic holes of the course is hole 17, par 4, very risky, which was called "Tom's Thumb" in honor of Tom Lehman. The 2018 renovation included narrowing the fairways, adding bunkers and relocating the tees in preparation for the arrival of the PGA Tour, first on the course in 2019.
Challenge Tour – Irish Challenge
The Road to Mallorca moves to Ireland this week. Players will compete for the Irish Challenge from 27-30 July at Headfort Golf Club, Kells. The par 71 6466m Headfort Golf Club successfully hosted the Irish Challenge in 2019 when Spaniard Emilio Cuartero Blanco secured his first playoff win.
The Challenge Tour has chosen this magnificent parkland route to host this edition as well. The Championship Course was designed by Ryder Cup hero Christy O'Connor Jr, who took full advantage of Ireland's natural beauty with majestic native trees and natural undulations.
The highest finisher from Ireland this week will take home the Christy O'Connor Junior Memorial Trophy and also receive an invitation to the 2023 Horizon Irish Open. The four-time DP World Tour winner is one of the most loved golfers in the 'Ireland and sadly passed away in 2016, when the Memorial Trophy was established in his honour.
Previous winners of the trophy include Tom McKibbin, Dermot McElroy, Ruaidhri McGee, Connor O'Rourke and Cormac Sharvin. Many winners of this season will compete in Ireland, among which we can mention: the Frenchman Ugo Coussaud, the Portuguese Ricardo Gouveia and the player from Zimbabwe Benjamin Follett-Smith. The field champions will compete for a prize pool of Euro 250,000 and 2000 points in Race2Mallorca.
