Niall Horan and Modest! Golf throw weight behind innovative new tour event

The European Tour, LPGA and Ladies European Tour are joining forces for another innovative mixed tournament: the ISPS HANDA World Invitational presented by Modest! Golf Management.

Taking place at Galgorm Castle and Massereene from July 28 to August 1, the event will form part of the European Tour’s 2021 ‘UK Swing’ and heralds an exciting new chapter for the event, which has been elevated to European Tour status following a hugely successful inaugural edition on the European Challenge Tour in 2019

It also marks the first time an event of this format is tri-sanctioned by these three tours in the northern hemisphere, following in the footsteps of the ISPS HANDA Vic Open in Australia which has the same format.

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The ISPS HANDA World Invitational will attract a field of 288 players: 144 men and 144 women. The women’s field will be split equally between the LPGA and the Ladies European Tour, whilst the $2.35million purse will also be evenly shared, with men and women competing for two equal prize funds.

A traditional 72-hole stroke play format will be in place with men and women competing at two venues, Galgorm Castle Golf Club and Massereene Golf Club, over the first two days before a halfway cut reduces the field to the top 60 professionals, including ties, in the men’s and women’s draws.

The third round will take place at Galgorm Castle before a further 54-hole cut takes place with the top-35 and ties from the men’s and women’s draws advancing to the final round on Sunday.

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The tournament will count towards the European Tour’s Race to Dubai and carry Team Europe Ryder Cup points, while the women’s tournament will count towards the Race to the CME Globe for women on the LPGA Tour, the Race to Costa del Sol on the Ladies European Tour (LET) and Solheim Cup points for both Team Europe and Team USA.

Niall Horan, owner of Modest! Golf Management, said: “This is a key moment for professional golf in this part of the world, and with the help of ISPS HANDA along with both the LPGA Tour, Ladies European Tour and European Tour we have been able to take the ISPS HANDA World Invitational to a new level, which will without doubt reach new audiences around the world.