US and Europe square off in 20th Solheim Cup and Rory McIlroy returns at the Irish Open

SOLHEIM CUP

Site: Den Bosch, Netherlands.

Course: Bernardus Golf. Yardage: 6,557. Par: 72.

Television: Friday-Saturday, 1:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. (Golf Channel); Sunday, 5 a.m. to noon (Golf Channel).

Defending champion: Team USA.

Last time: The Americans never trailed after the opening session and built a 10-6 advantage going into singles on their way to a 15½-12½ victory at the Robert Trent Jones Golf Club in Virginia.

Captains: Anna Nordqvist (Europe) and Angela Stanford (United States).

Notes: This is the 20th edition of the Solheim Cup and the first time the matches are held in the Netherlands. ... Europe has captured the cup five of the last eight times and has not lost on home soil since 2015 in Germany. ... Only five of the 12 Americans have won an LPGA tournament since the last Solheim Cup. ... Angela Stanford (United States) and Anna Nordqvist (Europe) are the captains. Nordqvist has announced her retirement from the LPGA Tour. ... Nelly Korda has 23 victories worldwide. The rest of the U.S. team has combined for 18 wins. ... Nordqvist's four rookies include Lottie Woad, who is No. 8 in the women's world ranking. ... The Americans return nine players from the 2024 team that won in Virginia. ... Charley Hull and Carlota Ciganda are playing in their eighth Solheim Cup, the most of any player. Korda and Megan Khang are the most experienced Americans. This is their fifth time playing in the matches.

Next time: Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville, Kentucky, in 2028.

Online: https://www.solheimcup.com/

AMGEN IRISH OPEN

Site: Doonbeg, Ireland.

Course: Trump International GL. Yardage: 6,838. Par: 70.

Prize money: $6 million. Winner's share: $1 million.

Television: Thursday, 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. (Golf Channel); Friday, 4:30-10 a.m. (Golf Channel mobile), 1-2 p.m. (Golf Channel); Saturday, 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. (CNBC); Sunday, 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. (CNBC).

Defending champion: Rory McIlroy.

Race to Dubai leader: Patrick Reed.

Last week: Thriston Lawrence won the Omega European Masters.

Notes: Rory McIlroy begins a fall schedule of six tournaments on three continents, starting with his home open where he is defending champion. ... This is the first year for the Irish Open to be played at Trump International, and President Donald Trump is expected to visit on the weekend. ... Jon Rahm is in the field, making his first European tour start since the Scottish Open. Rahm won the Irish Open in 2017 and 2019. ... Other LIV Golf players in the field include Joaquin Niemann, Sergio Garcia, Tyrrell Hatton, Thomas Petry, Adrian Meronk and Thomas Detry. Garcia and Niemann received sponsor invitations. ... Brooks Koepka is playing on a sponsor exemption, his first appearance since he failed to qualify for the PGA Tour postseason. ... Eugenio Chacarra is up to No. 3 in the Race to Dubai as he tries to secure one of 10 PGA Tour cards at the end of the season. ... Ryder Cup captain Luke Donald is in the field.

Next week: BMW PGA Championship.

Online: https://www.europeantour.com/dpworld-tour/

SANFORD INTERNATIONAL

Site: Sioux City, South Dakota.

Course: Minnehaha CC. Yardage: 6,747. Par: 70.

Prize money: $2.2 million. Winner's share: $330,000.

Television: Friday, 2-5 p.m. (Golf Channel); Saturday, 2-2:30 p.m. (Golf Channel mobile), 2:30-5 p.m. (Golf Channel); Sunday, 1:30-5 p.m. (Golf Channel).

Defending champion: Retief Goosen.

Charles Schwab Cup leader: Stewart Cink.

Last tournament: Steven Alker won The Ally Challenge.

Notes: Steve Stricker, a four-time winner of the Sanford International, is playing for the second week in a row. He tied for 55th last week in Michigan. ... Steven Alker won on the Legends Tour last week in Northern Ireland, after having won the previous two events on the PGA Tour Champions. He is not in the field this week. ... The two sponsor exemptions went to Mario Tiziani and Jamie Donaldson, who won the clinching point for Europe in the 2014 Ryder Cup at Gleneagles. ... Stewart Cink, the four-time winner this year who leads the Charles Schwab Cup, is not playing this week. ... Zach Johnson has three wins in his rookie season on the Champions and is playing this week, though he is nearly $1 million behind Cink in the Schwab Cup standings. ... George McNeil, Ernie Els and Miguel Angel Jimenez are the only players in the top 10 of the Schwab Cup who have yet to win this year. Each has gone over $1 million in season earnings.

Next week: Pure Insurance Championship.

Online: https://www.pgatour.com/pgatour-champions

SIMMONS BANK OPEN

Site: Franklin, Tennessee.

Course: Vanderbilt Legends Club. Yardage: 7,197. Par: 70.

Prize money: $1.5 million. Winner's share: $270,000.

Television: Thursday, 3-6 p.m. (Golf Channel); Friday-Sunday, 4-5 p.m. (Golf Channel mobile), 5-7 p.m. (Golf Channel).

Previous winner: Zach Bauchou.

Points leader: Ross Steelman.

Last tournament: Yuta Sugiura won the AdventHealth Championship.

Next week: Nationwide Children's Hospital Championship.

Online: https://www.pgatour.com/korn-ferry-tour

Last tournament: Scottie Scheffler won the Tour Championship.

Next week: Biltmore Championship Asheville.

FedEx Cup champion: Scottie Scheffler.

Online: https://www.pgatour.com/

Epson Tour: Guardian Championship, RTJ Golf Trail at Capitol Hill (Senator), Prattville, Alabama. Previous winner: Melanie Green. Online: https://www.epsontour.com/

Japan Golf Tour: Shinhan Donghae Open, Jack Nicklaus GC, Incheon, South Korea. Defending champion: Kazuki Higa. Online: https://www.jgto.org/en/

Challenge Tour: English Trophy, The Caversham, Reading, England. Defending champion: New tournament. Online: https://www.europeantour.com/hotelplanner-tour/

PGA Tour Americas: Digital Commerce Group Open, Uplands GC, Victoria, British Columbia. Previous winner: Drew Nesbitt. Online: https://www.pgatour.com/americas

Sunshine Tour: SunBet Challenge, The Woods at Mount Edgecombe, Durban, South Africa. Defending champion: Louis Albertse. Online: https://sunshinetour.com/

Japan LPGA: Sony JLPGA Championship, Katayamazu GC (Hakusan), Ishikawa, Japan. Defending champion: Shina Kanazawa. Online: https://www.lpga.or.jp/en/

Korea LPGA: KB Financial Group Golden Life Championship, Blackstone Icheon GC, Icheon, South Korea. Defending champion: Hyunjo Yoo. Online: https://klpga.co.kr/

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