Rickie Fowler insists he wants to help out pal Rory McIlroy and play the Irish Open at Royal County Down next year.

McIlroy will host the event through The Rory Foundation and vowed to bring over some top players from Europe and the US from May 28-31.

Fowler is at the top of his wish list and the US young gun is keen to get back to the course where he helped deny McIlroy in the 2007 Walker Cup.

The US Ryder Cup star said: "I've actually known that Rory was going to announce it, and we've already talked about it. I'm really trying to work that into the schedule. 

"Royal County Down is probably my favourite golf course in the world. Some of that is due to the 2007 Walker Cup, coming over with a great team. 

"It's a special place and I definitely would love to go back and have a chance to play there next year. 

"I know, like Rory said, he's working on trying to get some of the guys from the Walker Cup Team and some of the top players to come play. 

"Rory and I have definitely gotten to know each other a lot better over the past few years on Tour. If we can kind of help each other out here and there, I think we can do a lot of good with it."