McIlroy begins Ryder Cup tuneup at the Irish Open. Cincinnati is last LPGA stop before Solheim Cup

By The Associated Press

Rory McIlroy returns to action this week as Ryder Cup preparations begin. He’s playing in the Irish Open along with European Ryder Cup teammates Shane Lowry and Tyrrell Hatton. McIlroy and Lowry each have won the Irish Open. Lowry did it as an amateur in 2009. The LPGA Tour is gearing up for the Solheim Cup. It returns to Cincinnati for the Kroger Queen City Championship. It’s the last tournament before the matches in Spain. Eight of the U.S. Solheim Cup players are in the field. That includes Lexi Thompson, who has missed her last four cuts on the LPGA.