The Road to Mallorca arrives in Ireland this week, for the Irish Challenge taking place at Killeen Castle from August 7-10. Here are three players to keep an eye on…
Form horse: Julien Quesne
Julien Quesne may have only played on four occasions so far this season but arrives in Ireland in fine form. The two-time DP World Tour winner, who returned from injury earlier this year, continues to get better each time he tees it up. Quesne kick-started his season with back-to-back weeks in France with a tied 23rd followed by a tied 12th finish. Three weeks later, he carded rounds of 65-70-69-70 in the German Challenge powered by VcG to remain in contention throughout the week before eventually finished in a share of sixth. Last week he continued that upward trajectory, finished in solo second in the Farmfoods Scottish Challenge supported by The R&A. That result saw him rise to 32nd in the Road to Mallorca Rankings as he closes in on a return to Golf’s Global Tour.
Local boy: Max Kennedy
Max Kennedy is enjoying an impressive first season as a professional after making the switch to the paid ranks following Qualifying School last year. There, he made 72-hole cut as an amateur to earn playing status for 2025. The Irishman finished in solo second in the Blot Play9 in June – his best finish of the season to date - and has registered four other top 20s to sit 26th in the Road to Mallorca Rankings through 19 events of the 29-tournament schedule. With the leading 20 players at the end of the year set to graduate to the DP World Tour, Kennedy will be hoping to impress on home soil this week, to boost his chances of promotion at the first time of asking.
The outsider: John Gough
John Gough arrives in Ireland in good form, and despite hailing from London, will be buoyed by home support as he competes on his home course in Co. Meath this week. Gough will take the opening tee shot on Thursday, as Killeen Castle hosts a men’s professional event for the first time, and he’ll do so knowing the course inside out, and likely better than any other player in the field. That familiarity, coupled with a fourth-place finish last week in Scotland, will ensure Gough fancies his chances of challenging this time out. As an aside, John’s younger brother, Conor, makes his first appearance in a professional tournament this week.
