Rory McIlroy plays host to the third Rolex Series event in the 2017 Race to Dubai, with a world-class field assembled this week at Portstewart for the Dubai Duty Free Irish Open.
By the numbers: Irish Open field
156 players from 28 different countries, including 12 from South Africa
Brandon Stone, Dylan Frittelli, Dean Burmester, Thomas Aiken, Hennie Otto, Trevor Immelman, Haydn Porteous, Justin Walters, Richard Sterne, Darren Fichardt, Jaco Van Zyl and George Coetzee
98 European Tour winners (63% of the field), including…
Jose Maria Olazábal – 23
Lee Westwood – 23
Miguel Angel Jimenez – 21
9 Major Champions with 15 wins between them
Rory McIlroy – 4 (2011 US Open, 2012 US PGA, 2014 Open, 2014 US PGA)
Padraig Harrington – 3 (2007 Open, 2008 Open, 2008 US PGA)
Jose Maria Olazábal – 2 (1994 Masters, 1999 Masters)
Darren Clarke – 1 (2011 Open)
Trevor Immelman – 1 (2008 Masters)
Paul Lawrie – 1 (1999 Open)
Graeme McDowell – 1 (2010 US Open)
Justin Rose – 1 (2013 US Open)
Danny Willett – 1 (2016 Masters)
2 former World Number Ones
Rory McIlroy
Lee Westwood
5 of the top 15 in the Official World Golf Ranking
Hideki Matsuyama (2)
Rory McIlroy (4)
Jon Rahm (11)
Justin Rose (13)
Tommy Fleetwood (15)
5 former European Number Ones
Padraig Harrington (2006)
Robert Karlsson (2008)
Rory McIlroy (2012, 2014, 2015)
Justin Rose (2007)
Lee Westwood (2000, 2009)
13 of the top 20 in the 2017 Race to Dubai
11 former winners of the Irish Open
Rory McIlroy (2016)
Søren Kjeldsen (2015)
Mikko Ilonen (2014)
Jamie Donaldson (2012)
Simon Dyson (2011)
Shane Lowry (2009)
Richard Finch (2008)
Padraig Harrington (2007)
Thomas Bjørn (2006)
Brett Rumford (2004)
Jose Maria Olazábal (1990)
16 Irish players
1 Rolex Series winner
Tommy Fleetwood (2017 HNA Open de France)
17 winners in the 2017 Race to Dubai including one multiple winner
Tommy Fleetwood (2017 Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship, 2017 HNA Open de France)
6 World Golf Championships winners with 9 titles between them
Darren Clarke – 2 (2000 Match Play, 2003 Invitational)
Rory McIlroy – 2 (2014 Invitational, 2015 Match Play)
Ian Poulter – 2 (2010 Match Play, 2012 Champions)
Shane Lowry – 1 (2015 Invitational)
Hideki Matsuyama – 1 (2016 Champions)
Justin Rose – 1 (2012 Championship)
4 Ryder Cup captains
Thomas Bjørn (2018)
Darren Clarke (2016)
Paul McGinley (2014)
Jose Maria Olazábal (2012)
1 player with 11 career top ten finishes in the Irish Open (more than any other player)
Jose Maria Olazábal
1 player with top ten finishes in each of the last three Irish Opens to be held on links courses
Anthony Wall (2009 – County Louth, 2012 – Portrush, 2015 – Royal County Down)
Credit: europeantour.com
