Pictures: Pro-Am gets Horizon Irish Open off to star-studded start 

DOUBLE ACT: Former footballers Robbie Keane (left) and John O'Shea during Pro-Am day of the Horizon Irish Open 2022 at Mount Juliet Estate, Thomastown, Co Kilkenny. Pic: Brian Lawless/PA Wire.

There is more to a Horizon Irish Open than the four days of DP World Tour golf on offer at Mount Juliet this week with the event really kicking off on the eve of the tournament with the Pro-Am.

And for some, especially young hurling fans in Kilkenny, Wednesday’s Pro-Am may even be the highlight of their week. In addition to the significant coup of landing LPGA Tour victor Leona Maguire to the starting list of celebrities, actors and athletes, there will be a host of inter-county GAA stars taking centre stage on Pro-Am day in the hurling heartland.

Former Kerry footballer Tomás Ó Sé

“You can’t have a golf course in Kilkenny without having a hurler somewhere,” says hurling convert and Mount Juliet director of golf Matt Sandercock.

“Henry Shefflin is an ambassador of ours. He’s been a member here for a while now and he’s fantastic for us, just a gentleman. For me coming over here from England, not knowing what hurling even was, to meet someone like him and DJ Carey, who is a member here with us as well, these are really good guys.

Former Ireland and Leinster rugby player Rob Kearney

“TJ Reid will pop by and play some golf and Anthony Nash from Cork, I played with him last year in the Legends Tour event up in Rosapenna; Joe Canning comes over, and they are generally handy enough at golf as well. There’s enough hand-eye coordination between those boys to strike a stationary ball, never mind one you’ve got to catch and hit, so we’d like to see a few of them around.

Horse racing trainer Johnny Murtagh (left) and snooker player Ken Doherty

“They add to the buzz and for the young lads and girls growing up in these parts, they are as big a draw as Rory McIlroy. My young lad, if he sees TJ Reid, he’s probably more excited than if he sees Rory and he’s probably up there with Tiger Woods in his eyes.” 

Adding to the festival feel of an Irish Open week is a musical line-up that will be sure to keep spectators on site long past the final putts of the day.

“The Pro-Am makes it a five-day event, five days of fun and festivities and we’ll have Toploader playing on the main stage on the Wednesday night. We’ve got Allie Sherlock performing on the Sunday night, Hermitage Green on the Saturday night so it’s not just a golf event anymore. It’s a festival and you that’s what you want, so bring the good times.

“It’s a family event and for anyone for who is not a golfer, seeing the celebrities in the Pro-Am is as big a deal as the tournament, as will be the buzz around Thomastown and Kilkenny City and all the villages and towns around, they’ll all be part of the party. 

"It’s in everyone’s interests to really enjoy this and soak up the atmosphere because it’s been a long time in getting to this stage and we don’t know when it will be back so make the most of it while we can is our attitude.”