As January ends and we approach the first official day of spring, it feels like the golfing season really gets underway as a whole host of Irish hopefuls tee it up across the globe this week.
PGA Tour
The first Signature Event on the PGA TOUR takes place at Pebble Beach as the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am takes centre stage and we have the first collection of big names competing.
Rory McIlroy, Shane Lowry and Seamus Power are all pencilled in to compete while world number one Scottie Scheffler tees it up for the first time since a freak kitchen mishap on Christmas Day.
McIlroy is making his first competitive appearance on the PGA TOUR this year after opening his 2025 on the DP World Tour at the Hero Dubai Desert Classic while Lowry will be hoping to recover from a disappointing missed cut at the Farmers Insurance Open just up the road at Torrey Pines.
West Waterford’s Power secured his spot in two of the PGA TOUR Signature Events with this and the Genesis Invitational representing big opportunities for the world number 134.
Power, a two-time PGA TOUR winner was forced to withdraw from the Amex a fortnight ago due to the recurrence of a back injury.
DP World Tour
Conor Purcell is Ireland’s Lone Ranger in Bahrain for the Bapco Energies Bahrain Championship at Royal GC.
The Portmarnock man is looking to get his season up and running finally after three successive missed cuts either side of the New Year.
LPGA Tour
Leona Maguire returns to action Stateside for the not strictly Tournament of Champions at her home club Lake Nona.
The Cavan star will be hoping to start her year on the right foot after she endured a disappointing 2024 despite winning on the Ladies European Tour and qualifying for the European Solheim Cup team.
The 30-year-old is ranked 53rd in the Rolex Rankings.
HotelPlanner Tour (formerly Challenge Tour)
Road to Mallorca Rankings leader Liam Nolan is back in action at the My Golf Life Open at Pecanwood Golf Club in South Africa and he hopes it will be same again after an excellent performance last week.
The Galway man, embarking on his first full season as a professional finished in third place at the SDC Open, just one shot outside of the playoff that was won by Daniel Van Tonder.
Nolan collected €25,000 and the full compliment of Road to Mallorca points as neither Van Tonder or Van der Merwe are HotelPlanner Tour members.
Nolan will be joined in South Africa again by his former Irish international teammate Max Kennedy of Royal Dublin and Jonathan Caldwell and Dermot McElroy.
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