The drive for inclusivity in professional golf continues apace this week as male and female players share the stage at the ISPS HANDA World Invitational presented by Modest! Golf Management, which is tri-sanctioned by the European Tour, the LPGA Tour and the Ladies European Tour. The great and good of the men's and women's game converge in Northern Ireland for the second mixed event on the 2021 Race to Dubai, following closely in the footsteps of June's Scandinavian Mixed hosted by Henrik and Annika. The victor that week in Sweden, Jonathan Caldwell, happens to be the leading home hope this week in County Antrim. It was the 37-year-old's maiden title in a roller-coaster career which saw him work in a golf superstore just to keep his European Tour dreams alive. Caldwell is sure to get a hero's welcome when he tees it up at Massereene Golf Club on Day One. The 288 players - 144 men and 144 women - will each play a round at Massereene and a round at Galgorm Castle Golf Club over the opening two days, in the separate men's and women's 72-hole strokeplay events. A second round cut will reduce the field for each event to 60 and ties, and then to 35 and ties after the third round, before a male winner and a female winner are decided on Sunday. Among those joining Caldwell in the men's field for the second event of the UK Swing are four-time European Tour winner Andy Sullivan, the most recent winner on tour Nacho Elvira and John Catlin - who won the Dubai Duty Free Irish Open at Galgorm last September. The women's field - split evenly with LPGA Tour and Ladies European Tour players - is also a strong one, boasting former Major winner Georgia Hall, World Number 14 Jeongeun Lee6 and local rising star Olivia Mehaffey, among others. Player Quotes Jonathan Caldwell: “It's going to be great. I'm looking forward to seeing some familiar faces, family and friends out there throughout the week, so I'm hoping I can find some form and give them something to cheer about. "I get a buzz off playing in front of family and friends and obviously they enjoy coming and watching me play. Obviously yes, it adds that little bit of extra pressure, you're trying to do well, you're trying to be in position over the weekend to give them the thrills that they want, but at the end of the day I've got to hit the shots and do my job and hopefully the rest takes care of itself really. "I'm more familiar with Galgorm obviously, having played quite a few events over the years there. It's certainly playing different this year than it has in years past, a little firmer, less rough. I mean, I can see the scoring being better than it was last year at the Irish Open with the rough being so thick and playing softer and longer."

Jordan Smith carded a superb opening 62 to take a two-stroke lead after the opening round of the ISPS HANDA World Invitational presented by Modest! Golf Management men's event at Galgorm Castle Golf Club, where the Englishman has previous form with first round leads. The Northern Irish venue hosted the Dubai Duty Free Irish Open last September, when Smith shared the lead after the opening 18 holes. The 30-year-old eventually earned a top ten finish on that occasion, and will be hoping to improve on that this week as he targets a second European Tour victory. Smith enjoyed a stunning back nine as seven birdies on the way home contributed to a seven under 29 and an eight under total, leaving him two clear of near-namesake Matthias Schmid - the rising German star who earned the Silver Medal as leading amateur in The Open two weeks ago - and Scot David Drysdale. Japan's Masahiro Kawamura was a shot further back on five under par after an opening 65 while Nacho Elvira, winner of last week's Cazoo Open supported by Gareth Bale, was one of six players in a share of fifth spot. Eddie Pepperell was another of those on four under par having carded the lowest round at Massereene Golf Club. In the women's tournament, running concurrent to the men's in the innovative tri-sanctioned event, American Jennifer Kupcho, Scotland's Gemma Dryburgh and Korea's Chella Choi share the first round lead on seven under par. Player Quotes Jordan Smith: “Everything came together really. I've been struggling with my iron play recently, but that and my wedge game and my putting were really, really good today. I'm not going to lie. So yeah, just carry on for tomorrow. More of that would be great. "I've felt like it's been sort of trending in the right way. It just hasn't all come together at the right point. My putting has been good and my iron play has been good, it's been one or the other, but today it sort of all came together, and more of the same. "I just like the layout. I think it suits me - I think there's a lot of tee shots where you've got to hit left to right, and it's been suiting my eye so far." Max Schmid: “I started well with a couple birdies and had a couple dropped shots towards the end of the front nine, but back nine was great. I'm very delighted with that. "So far I like the professional life a lot, actually. I've been dreaming to do this for a long time, it's my second event and I'm enjoying it a lot. It's great. I've got some momentum. I know I'm a good player, so I think I can keep up with these guys out here if I play well. I hope I can show that a few more times."

Daniel Hillier carded an eight under 62 at Galgorm to move into the halfway lead in the ISPS HANDA World Invitational presented by Modest! Golf Management. The 23-year-old from New Zealand is highly regarded as a future star and has already played in two Major Championships in his short professional career, pre-qualifying for both the 2019 U.S. Open and The 2021 Open at Royal St George's just two weeks ago. Having opened his account this week with a three under 67 at the more difficult Massereene Golf Club, Hillier registered nine birdies and a single bogey at Galgorm to move to an 11 under total, earning him a one-stroke advantage over Jordan Smith. Teeing off at the tenth at Massereene, first round leader Smith endured a nightmare start as he double-bogeyed his first hole but he bounced back and three birdies in his final four holes, including a closing birdie at the ninth, helped him to a two under 68 and a ten under total. In the women's event, the USA's Emma Talley moved into a commanding lead as a seven under 65 moved her three shots clear of the field on 13 under par, with her compatriot Jennifer Kupcho and Korea's Chella Choi the closest challengers on ten under heading into the weekend. Player Quotes Daniel Hillier: “It was really good out there. Made the most of some pretty benign conditions in the morning and got off to a good start. Managed to sink a couple more near the end. But yeah, I've hit it really well. Made one bad swing on hole 11 and made bogey there, but apart from that it was really solid. "I've been playing well the last couple of months, just haven't really put four rounds together yet. Yeah, obviously in pretty good position at the moment, so yeah, just going to keep riding the wave and stick to the game plan and see how we go. "I have played pretty well in Ireland in the past. Yeah, I don't know. I guess conditions are somewhat similar to home. Yeah, I mean, just really love the place, and obviously, I don't know, something about it that allows me to play good golf." Jordan Smith: “I think I was still half asleep on the tenth. No, we plugged it in the bunker short right, and it was right under the lip, and caught it a bit thin and went over the back and didn't get up-and-down, so it wasn't the best of starts. "But we knew there were plenty of opportunities for the rest of the course, so just had to hang in there and you get all sorts of bounces out here on this course because it's obviously playing firm and stuff, so you've got to stay with it. "I started playing some decent golf finally for the last six holes or so, so it was nice to finish with a couple of birdies and get around under par."