Rory McIlroy confirms Irish Open return for 2023

Rory McIlroy has said he will play at next year's Horizon Irish Open at The K Club after sitting out this year’s event.

The world number two 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 meant he gave last week’s event at Mout Juliet a miss.

The four-time major winner had played four events in a row up to the US Open at Brookline before flying in for the JP McManus Pro-am in Adare this week.

McIlroy said his scheduling next year will allow him the time to compete at the K Club.

"I’ll play the Irish Open next year," he said. "This year it was just going to be hard for me because I had already committed to four in a row in the States and then knowing that I was playing in this event.

"My attitude towards it is, okay I’m not playing the Irish Open but I’m still going be playing in Ireland around the same time and I’m going to try and go out there and play in front of the Irish fans.

"So they are still getting an opportunity to come out and watch me and all the others play. So that was my attitude this year. But next year I’m not going to do that four in a row stretch in June.

"So I will have a week off after the US Open most likely and then I’ll come back and play at The K Club. That’s the plan."

Rory McIlroy has confirmed he will be part of the @IrishOpen_ field in 2023 #rtegolf #jpmcmanusproam2022 #rtesport pic.twitter.com/gI82wmnajZ