We’re only a week away from the last major of the season, the 2025 Open Championship. And all the biggest names on the PGA Tour are already in Europe. The likes of Rory McIlroy, Scottie Scheffler, and Co. are preparing to play at The Renaissance in the Genesis Scottish Open. While most of the eyes will be on the big Scottish event preceding the trip to Royal Portrush, the PGA Tour will also host another tournament this week. During the same time as the events at North Berwick, other stars who didn’t qualify for the field will play in the 2025 ISCO Championship instead.
Yes, two PGA Tour events will be played this week. One in Scotland, the other at the Hurstbourne Country Club in Louisville. Another thing that’s common between the two events is that they are both co-sanctioned by the PGA Tour and the DP World Tour. Meaning that the field for the ISCO Championship will also include many European Tour stars. The reason two events are being played in the same week is to give opportunities to golfers who couldn’t make the field for the high-profile field of Genesis Scottish Open.
This is not the first instance that an alternate event has been played on the PGA Tour. This year alone, fans must have noticed three weeks that had two PGA Tour events scheduled at the same time. The Arnold Palmer Invitational was played in the same week as the Puerto Rico Open. The 2025 RBC Heritage and the Corales Puntacana Championship were also hosted in the same week. Lastly, the Truist Championship and the Myrtle Beach Classic were played from May 8 to 11, 2025, at two different venues.
In fact, next week, the 2025 Open Championship will also be played concurrently with another tournament. Those who don’t qualify for the major will be at Old Greenwood for the Barracuda Championship. While the alternate events or additional events don’t provide qualification for majors, they do give FedEx Cup points, which can help the golfer rank up the leaderboard. Winning an additional event rewards the player with 300 points, as per the PGA Tour’s official website.
While things might heat up at The Renaissance this weekend, don’t miss out on the action at Hurstbourne as well. While the field of the 2025 ISCO Championship may not include Scheffler and McIlroy, it will still host some big names who have beaten the best in the world in the past.
Who are the prominent names playing in the PGA Tour’s alternate event?
The 2025 Genesis Scottish Open field is undoubtedly packed. And it also includes the defending champion of the ISCO Championship, Harry Hall. While the Englishman may have decided to skip his title defence in favor of the main tournament, former champion Seamus Power is planning to become the first ever 2-time winner of the tournament. Alternatively, the field also includes stars like Rico Hoey, Beau Hossler, and the Canadian star, Adam Hadwin.
However, the biggest names in the 2025 ISCO Championship would probably be the two former major winners. The 2013 PGA Championship winner, Jason Dufner, will be on the field at Louisville. This will be his 6th appearance in the event. Alternatively, Jimmy Walker, who won the 2016 PGA Championship, is also playing the ISCO Championship. Unlike Dufner, Walker will be playing the tournament for the first time in his career. However, both veteran golfers will surely add a lot of experience to the field at the Hurstbourne Country Club.
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