It’s an odd week for the various Irish players competing on global golf’s pro tours.
Barring a barrage of late withdrawals, Conor Purcell won’t be in the field at the Genesis Championship in Korea, meaning it’s back to school for the DP World Tour rookie and he’ll have to survive one of golf’s toughest examinations in order to avoid a split schedule between the main tour and the HotelPlanner Tour in 2026.
That leaves no Irish in the field in the DP World Tour field in Korea, but Leona Maguire will be playing just down the road at the Hanwha LIFEPLUS International Crown on the LPGA Tour. Ranked 53rd in the LPGA’s Race to CME Globe Rankings, securing a place in the top 60 and gaining access to the season-ending CME Globe Championship is the number one goal for Maguire over the closing stages and anything on top of that will be a bonus, but, barring a victory, little changes either way.
The same goes for Pádraig Harrington and Darren Clarke competing on the PGA Champions Tour. Both are winners this season, and while Harrington could yet finish the year as the number one in the Schwab Cup rankings – one of the few accomplishments he’s yet to achieve since turning 50 – he’s won two senior majors and earned an invitation to the 2026 U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills. The Simmons Bank Championship this week represents another opportunity for Harrington and Clarke to bank some additional cash, maybe even capture another victory, but again, little changes otherwise.
Lauren Walsh is the sole Irish representative in the field at the Wistron Ladies Open in Taiwan. After a disappointing trip to LPGA Q-Series Qualifying Stage last week, she can still find herself at Q-Series Final Stage by pushing her way into the top 10 on the LET’s Order of Merit at the conclusion of the season and she currently lies 11th. She’d also gain entry to the 2026 AIG Women’s Open, so it’s a bigger week for her than the aforementioned trio.
But arguably, no Irish player has more at stake this week than James Sugrue. The 2019 Amateur Championship winner hasn’t found it easy going since moving into the pro ranks in early 2021, but his Clutch Pro Tour campaign this season has been by far his most impressive and a pair of runners-up along with three other finishes of T4 or better have him in third place in the Order of Merit as the season winds to a close at this week’s Al Ain Championship
Maintaining his position would see him promoted to the HotelPlanner Tour with a full card for 2026, while finishing between fourth and sixth would earn him seven starts on the next tier.
But since this is the Tour Championship, double points are on offer and he would need to finish in the top two to guarantee promotion regardless of who wins. As it stands, on 1,543.87, Sugrue is just over 37 points clear of fourth-ranked Jordan Wrisdale, 260 behind second-ranked David Langley, and almost 870 behind leader Callum Farr who is unlikely to be caught.
After Ronan Mullarney secured promotion to the HotelPlanner Tour from the Alps Tour last week, Sugrue has a golden opportunity to follow suit and with healthy Irish representation guaranteed at DP World Tour Q-School Second Stage later this month, the supporting cast of Irish male professionals could step into the limelight for 2026.
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