Rory McIlroy confirms he is skipping Irish Open, will play JP McManus Pro-Am

Rory McIlroy has confirmed he will not play this year's Irish Open at Mount Juliet.

The world number eight is playing four tournaments on the spin with Memorial, the RBC Canadian Open, the Travelers and the US Open ahead of the Irish Open, which is being held in Kilkenny from 30 June to 3 July.

He will be teeing it up in Ireland this summer as he has opted to take part in the JP McManus Pro-Am at Adare Manor the week after the Irish Open, before taking another week off ahead of the Open at St Andrews.

"I'll play these next four weeks and then it’s two weeks out from competitive golf I guess," he said. "I’ll go to Adare Manor and play JP’s Pro-Am and then just probably be around the area that week, play some links golf and then head to St Andrews maybe the weekend before to get some prep done."

McIlroy helped to resuscitate the fortunes of the Irish Open by hosting the tournament from 2015 to 2018, including a winning performance at the K Club in 2016, but its place in the calendar between two majors means it doesn't suit his schedule this year.

The most recent major, last weekend's PGA Championship in Southern Hills, was a source of great frustration for McIlroy, who refused to speak to the media after his challenge fizzled out on Sunday.

"I definitely feel like it was one that got away. But, again, I have to take the positives – and the fact that eighth place in a Major is absolutely the worst I feel I could've finished last week," he told the Irish Independent.

Meanwhile, Stephanie Meadow parred the 18th at Shadow Creek in Las Vegas to finish all square with A Lim Kim of South Korea in her first round robin match at the Bank of Hope LPGA Matchplay.

She tees off against Megan Khang of the United States later today in her second