RORY McIlroy has delivered a massive boost to the Horizon Irish Open by committing to play in the event next year.
McIlroy, 33, breathed new life into the Irish Open when he hosted the tournament between 2015 and 2018.
He missed the following year in Lahinch because he wanted to avoid playing competitively two weeks out from The Open Championship, and was absent again in 2020 in Galgorm.
READ MORE: Look at moving Irish Open date to facilitate Rory McIlroy, says Shane Lowry
The current world number four returned to the event in 2021 in Mount Juliet but was again sorely missed when the tournament went ahead at the Kilkenny venue last week.
Shane Lowry had urged the DP World Tour to move the Irish Open to a date that would work better for McIlroy, but the Holywood star has now stated he will compete at the K Club next year.
"I’ll play the Irish Open next year," he told the BBC.
"This year it was just going to be hard for me because I had already committed to four in a row in the States and then knowing that I was playing in this event.
"My attitude towards it is, OK I’m not playing the Irish Open but I’m still going be playing in Ireland around the same time and I’m going to try and go out there and play in front of the Irish fans.
"So they are still getting an opportunity to come out and watch me and all the others play.
"So that was my attitude this year. But next year I’m not going to do that four in a row stretch in June.
"So I will have a week off after the US Open most likely and then I’ll come back and play at The K Club. That’s the plan."
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