Ahead of the action getting under way at Galgorm Castle Golf Club and Massereene Golf Club, we take a look at four players you need to watch at this week’s ISPS Handa World Invitational Men | Women, Presented by Modest! Golf Management.
Cormac Sharvin
The Northern Irishman looks like he is well-equipped to deliver his first European Challenge Tour victory after an impressive stretch of form which has seen him claim five top ten finishes in his last eight outings.
He will be hoping a return to home soil will provide the opportunity he needs to convert his form into a winning performance at a venue he historically performs well at, having recorded a top ten finish at Galgorm Castle when the Challenge Tour last visited the venue in 2018.
In addition to a sixth and fifth place finish in his last two starts, Sharvin has already demonstrated he has all the goods to perform on the biggest stage, finishing as the leading Irish player at the Dubai Duty Free Irish Open at Lahinch in July.
Charley Hull
The highest ranked player in either field this week, Hull comes into the tournament fresh from securing her place in Catriona Matthew’s Solheim Cup team for September’s biennial match-up.
The 23-year-old, who has won on both the LPGA Tour and the Ladies European Tour, has already picked up a win this season at the Fatima Bint Murbarak Open and will be looking to add to her tally in Ballymena this week.
This will not be Charley’s first appearance in a European Tour-sanctioned event. The World Number 29 previously teamed up with Women’s British Open Champion Georgia Hall at the 2018 GolfSixes, where the pair notably forced a dramatic half with England’s Eddie Pepperell and Matt Wallace.
Calum Hill
It is hard to look past the in-form Scotsman, who is an incredible 67 under par for his past four tournaments. The 23-year-old has claimed two wins in his last three events on the Challenge Tour, at the Euram Bank Open in Austria and the Made in Denmark Challenge – Presented by FREJA, recording a third place at the Vierumäki Finnish Challenge in between his two triumphs.
He will be looking to draw inspiration from his victory at Galgorm Castle 12 months ago, where he clinched his first Challenge Tour title, as he goes in search of his third win this season and automatic promotion onto the European Tour.
Leona Maguire
An outstanding amateur, Maguire reigned at the summit of the amateur game for a record-breaking 135 weeks, capturing many of the biggest accolades in the amateur game during that time, including the 2017 Ladies’ British Open Amateur Championship and the ANNIKA Award for the best US collegiate golfer.
A two-time Curtis Cup player, the rising Irish star also competed in the 2016 Rio Olympics as an amateur, finishing in 21st place.
The 24-year-old has continued her winning ways since making the switch to the paid ranks alongside her twin sister Lisa last summer, clinching her first professional title at the Windsor Golf Classic on the Symetra Tour in April.
