Kerry's Clifford brothers and Tipp's Ronan Maher to play Irish Open Pro-Am

Irish rugby internationals Johnny Sexton, Josh van der Flier and Dan Sheehan will also play the pro-am. 

David Clifford played the 2023 Irish Open Pro-Am at the K Club. Pic: ©INPHO/Ben Brady

Francesco Laporta and Jayden Schaper, the 228th and 195th-ranked players in the world, may look around quizzically during the Irish Open Pro-Am on Wednesday, pondering why such large crowds are following them.

Laporta may wonder if his victory in the Challenge Tour's Grand Final six years ago had a bigger impact in Ireland than he imagined. 

Italy's Laporta and South Africa's Schaper will play with Kerry footballers David and Paudie Clifford and also Tipperary's All-Ireland winning hurling captain Ronan Maher. They will tee off at 9:20am. 

Paudie Clifford is still getting kudos for his dramatic and audacious winning goal for Fossa in their Kerry IFC quarter-final victory over Beaufort at the weekend. The older Clifford brother may be nearly as deadly with a golf ball at his command as he is a size-5 O'Neills. Paudie plays off a 3.8 handicap while his footballer of the year elect younger brother plays off eight. Ronan Maher has a 10.4 handicap. 

David Clifford played the pro-am two years ago, when the Irish Open was also staged at the K Club, alongside fellow Kerryman and retired jockey Bryan Cooper, and comedian Conor Moore. Clifford hit an astonishing 290-yard three-wood to within 10 feet of the 16th pin, one which was compared to Rory McIlroy's famous shot on the same hole when he claimed victory in the 2016 Irish Open at the same course.

Also among the amateurs playing will be a trio of Irish rugby internationals, former and current. Johnny Sexton, playing off four, will tee off with Josh van der Flier (4.6) and Dan Sheehan (6.3). Frenchman Frederic Lacroix, ranked 205th in the world, and 158th-ranked New Zealander Kazuma Kobori will be their pros. They will tee off at 8:47am.

Rory McIlroy will play the back nine with a trio featuring businessman Dermot Desmond. Shane Lowry, Séamus Power, Pádraig Harrington, Brooks Koepka,and Team Europe Ryder Cup captain Luke Donald are among the others who will play the pro-am.