Leona Maguire and Stephanie Meadow seek Major boost at Women’s PGA as Rory McIlroy get backing taking a break

The Co Cavan star missed the cut in the first two Majors of the season, but she’s got another chance to make amends and build form for the Olympics in Paris and the remaining Majors when she tees it up with Japan’s Ayaka Furue and England’s Charley Hull in Washington State.

Meadow will also be looking to go a couple of spots better than her tie for third behind China’s Ruoning Yin in last year’s championship at Baltusrol when she joins American Cheyenne Knight and Japan’s Mao Saigo today.

Elsewhere, Shane Lowry and Séamus Power return to action after the US Open in the Travelers Championship at TPC River Highlands in Connecticut.

Rory McIlroy is the big absentee following his gutting loss to Bryson DeChambeau at Pinehurst, but PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan believes the decision to take a break before returning for the Scottish Open and The Open is a wise one.

“Sometimes you just need to focus on what you need and that’s what he’s doing,” said Monahan, who shot down rumours an agreement had been reached with Saudi Arabia’s PIF.

“In the corporate world, when they say this is one of the more complex scenarios they’ve ever seen, I think that says a lot.”

It’s also a big week for Tom McKibbin, who will be looking to build on his impressive debut performance in the US Open and win one of two places on offer in The 152nd Open at Royal Troon when he joins Gary Hurley in the DP World Tour’s KLM Open.

The Newtownabbey native (21) got a taste for Major golf when he finished tied 41st alongside Scottie Scheffler at Pinehurst and this week’s event at The International in Amsterdam offers him a golden opportunity to enjoy another Major experience next month.

The Open catapulted Paul Dunne to fame, but the Wicklow man is battling to regain a foothold on tour and makes his first Challenge Tour appearance for 11 months in the Blot Open de Bretagne alongside Ruaidhrí McGee, Mark Power, Alex Maguire, Ronan Mullarney, Dermot McElroy and Jonathan Caldwell.

Meanwhile, Max Kennedy (22) kept Irish hopes alive in the Amateur Championship at Ballyliffin. The former University of Louisville star beat France’s Oscar Couilleau 3&2 to set up a last-32 clash with Basingstoke’s Charlie Forster as Roganstown’s Seán Keeling lost 5&3 to Junior Ryder Cup team-mate Lev Grinberg of Ukraine.

KLM Open, 12.0 noon

Travelers Championship, 5.0pm

Women’s PGA C’ship, 11.0pm

(All live on Sky Sports)