The OFX Irish Legends at Seapoint Golf Links will become the first tournament in Legends Tour history to feature five Major champions in the field – with a total of six Major titles between them.
1991 Masters Champion Ian Woosnam, 1999 Open Champion Paul Lawrie, 2003 US PGA Championship winner Shaun Micheel, 2005 US Open Champion Michael Campbell and the 2007 US Open & 2009 Masters Champion Angel Cabrera will all be lining up in County Louth.
Cabrera can’t wait for another great test against fellow Major winners, having already played in the Barbados Legends and this week lines up in the Paul Lawrie Match Play, he’s already thinking about Seapoint Golf Links.
He said: “It’s a very good field with those other Major champions, it’s going to be a great event. I like to come and play in Europe, I played for 13 years in Europe with all these guys and I love to play in Ireland. My game is good right now and it’s getting better. I’ve been working hard to make sure that I can be competitive. I don’t have expectations for each event, I just want to play and enjoy my golf.”
For the others in the field, it is a chance to test themselves against those who have reached the pinnacles of golf. The build-up and excitement hasn’t been not lost on Gary Murphy who is thrilled to be playing in front of a home crowd and hopes the locals turn up in good numbers and make a great atmosphere throughout the event:
“I live around the corner literally, last year it was like a home game for me when I thought everyone played Seapoint Golf Links exceptionally well. Unfortunately, Peter Baker was just too good for everybody, but I played the course a couple of weeks ago and it’s in really good condition. It’s going to be a great test and I’m really excited to go back.
“I think people are really excited, there’s obviously a couple of big names and the fans loved it last year, so I think it’s going to be a great week. Last year we played it a tiny bit forward. Maybe I’d like to see it a little further back this year, make it a tougher test.
“There’s a huge split on the two nine’s – the front nine is more of a positional nine and you have to take on the back nine a little bit more- so there’s great variety to it with a fabulous finish and if you can putt like Peter Baker for the week then you are in with a chance.”
Peter Lawrie will be another Irishman flying the home flag for the OFX Irish Legends. He’s returned to golf after recovered from a cornea replacement in his left eye. He played his debut event on the Legends Tour at the Costa Navarino Legends Tour Trophy last week where he finished in a tie for 28th place.
“I’m delighted to be back competing, I missed that so much. I left the DP World Tour back in 2016 and did you know golf gave me up – I didn’t give it up! I really wanted to be there because I enjoyed every moment of it. To come back and to be able to compete would be fantastic.
“I’ve struggled with my eye for some time. I’ve only got about 75% vision in my left eye. The doctors did a great job to get me to where I am now, but I still find it tough to see the ball, so that’s going to be something I’m trying to get used to. We’ll give it a go and see what happens.
“I think it’s going to be great at Seapoint Golf Links because it is a wonderful golf course – it’s a tough golf course, but I think it’s fair and will be great to play in front of home galleries. I haven’t played in front of home crowd in nine years, so that’ll be a little bit different. But like anything, when you get the opportunity to play again, I’m just so grateful to have that opportunity.
“It’s exceptional for the event to have such a strong field. It just goes to show you the lads want to play golf; they want to have good golf. Plus, it gives everyone, especially the crowds, a great opportunity to watch these past Major champions up close and personal.”
The OFX Irish Legends takes place at Seapoint Golf Links in County Louth from June 20-22, with the Luxe Scot Celebrity Pro-Am on June 19.