When the Irish Open returns to Royal County Down in September, it will stir fond memories for Billy Horschel.
The American, who finished tied second behind compatriot Xander Schauffele at last week’s Open Championship, has not been back to the iconic links since the 2007 Walker Cup.
Then a fresh-faced 20-year-old, Horschel was part of the United States team that beat Great Britain and Ireland in the 41st edition of the biennial amateur competition.
The American team contained future major winners in Dustin Johnson and Webb Simpson, as well as soon-to-be superstar Rickie Fowler, but Horschel played as well as anyone, contributing three points to the USA’s 12.5-11.5 victory.
Horschel’s efforts included two wins over Rory McIlroy. Then 18, McIlroy had won the silver medal for leading amateur at the 2007 Open at Carnoustie but was beaten by Horschel in foursomes and singles before the Northern Irishman gained a measure of revenge in the final session.
“I had the pleasure of being introduced to a young Rory McIlroy at that time. I will say I did come out victorious. I beat him two times and he beat me once. It was a great week,” Horschel recalled during an Irish Open media day.
“The fans in Ireland and Northern Ireland are unbelievable. I’m excited to get back there.”
Horschel, now an eight-time PGA Tour winner, admitted that while he saw a “really talented player” in McIlroy in 2007, he could not be sure that the Northern Irishman would have a career that has yielded four major titles and numerous other accolades.
“When we went over there we had heard of him, but no-one knew how good he was,” said 2014 FedEx Cup champion Horschel, who considers McIlroy the “greatest player in our generation”.
Horschel, who missed the 2015 Irish Open at Royal County Down, added: “When I played against him, I saw a really good player, a really talented player. Especially for someone aged 18.
“But you never know how someone is going to pan out. To see what he’s accomplished in the game of golf, to see the person he’s developed into and become. It’s truly amazing.”
‘I’m happy with how I handled Sunday’
Just four days on from posting his best major finish at Royal Troon, Horschel returns to action on Thursday in the PGA Tour’s 3M Open in Minnesota.
The 37-year-old held the 54-hole lead at The Open but was powerless to stop Schauffele, who carded a six-under 65 to add the Claret Jug to his US PGA Championship win in May.
While Horschel remains disappointed that a couple of poor shots prevented him from putting more pressure on Schauffele, he says he is proud of how he handled the pressure of contending at a major.
“I’m happy with how I handled Sunday. The nerves I thought I would have weren’t there,” he added.
“I felt very comfortable in that arena in that moment. Unfortunately, I missed a short putt at eight and made a bad swing at 10. Other than that, I played really good.
“I would have had to play spectacularly to chase down Xander, he played an unbelievable round of golf.
“Disappointed, when you have a chance to win a major and don’t get the job done it hurts a little bit. But I can hold my head up high knowing I didn’t lose the tournament.”
The 2024 Irish Open takes place 12-15 September, with McIlroy, Horschel and Shane Lowry among the notable players in the field, while Sweden’s Vincent Norrman is the defending champion.
