Rory McIlroy, the 2016 winner, will be a marquee player alongside Irish golfers Shane Lowry as well as major winners Padraig Harrington and Graeme McDowell.

This week sees Mount Juliet Estate in Ireland host the €3 million Dubai Duty Free Irish Open taking place on Thursday 1 to Sunday, July 4.

156 players from 24 countries will compete this week for this prestigious title that has another player the privilege of a precious qualifying place for The Open, to be held at Royal St Georges Golf Club, Sandwich, Kent, England in a couple of week’s time, through the 2021 Dubai Duty Free Irish Open.

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Alongside another one place each at the Kaskada Golf Challenge and Le Vaudreuil Golf Challenge, for the leading player not already exempt from The Open, through a co-operative alliance between the R&A and the European Tour due to Covid-19 government regulations and national health authority restrictions across Europe and wider afield.

The event has historically been a flagship tournament on the European Tour.

The list of champions includes a ‘Who’s Who of the European Tour’ include Sir Nick Faldo, Seve Ballesteros, Bernhard Langer, Ian Woosnam, Colin Montgomerie, Jose-Maria Olazabal, Sergio Garcia and so many more iconic champions.

Rory McIlroy, the 2016 winner, will be a marquee player alongside Irish golfers Shane Lowry, winner as an amateur of the title in 2009 at County Louth, Leinster, Northern Ireland, as well as major winners Padraig Harrington and Graeme McDowell.

The draw has been published for the first two rounds for this prestigious title on the European Tour.

The first tee times are at 7.30 am (Ireland time) on Thursday in a two tee start with the last tee times at 2.30 pm (Ireland time) off both the first and tenth tees.

The event is week 20 on the 42 event 2021 Race to Dubai which will culminate at the end of this season with the $9 million DP World Tour Championship, Dubai on Earth course, Jumeirah Golf Estates, Nov.18-21, 2021.

Emirates Airline is an official partner of the 2021 Dubai Duty Free Irish Open.