QUITE WHERE the Irish Open will find a headline sponsor for next July’s event is still anyone’s guess, but at least the European Tour were able to confirm one of the best established events on the schedule will return to Killarney Golf and Fishing Club over the August Bank Holiday weekend next year.
George O’Grady, the European Tour chief executive, made the announcement when in Dublin for this week’s Irish Links Society Dinner, where he was at pains to stress a tour schedule without an Irish Open would be “unthinkable”, especially when professional golf in Ireland is currently riding on the crest of a wave.
The European Tour boss took the opportunity to meet leading Irish players at the season-ending Dubai World Championship last month to canvass their opinions. “They were all there, led by Pádraig (Harrington),” said O’Grady. “Rory McIlroy, Darren Clarke, Graeme McDowell and Paul McGinley are all hugely committed, and we are committed too.
“We all sat in a room together and worked out what we could do for the Irish Open. They are all fully behind the event and will give it their full support.
“We have to keep it going. It’s a great time for Irish golf and, when you see the talent in Ireland, it is unthinkable not to have an Irish Open.”
The European Tour, along with Fáilte Ireland and Killarney, will forge ahead with their plans for the showpiece event to take place, once more, on the Killeen Course, from July 28th-31st, 2011.
Between now and then organisers hope to put together an attractive enough package for a sponsor to come on board.
Without a title sponsor prize money is almost certain to take a nosedive compared to the €3 million prize purse enjoyed when mobile communications company 3 provided financial backing to the Irish Open for the last two years before deciding against a third sponsorship term last month.
Outside of the four Majors and WGC events, the Irish Open was the joint sixth most lucrative tournament on the 2010 European Tour schedule. Only the season-ending Dubai World Championship (€5.4 million), BMW PGA Championship (€4.5 million), Singapore Open (€4.3 million), Scottish Open (€3.6 million) and Alfred Dunhill Links (€3.5 million) were ahead of this year’s Killarney tournament in terms of financial clout.
The Irish Open is no stranger to sponsorship challenges. The 2007 staging had no title sponsor but was still a €2.5 million event when Harrington bridged the 25-year gap to the last Irishman to win the national championship when held at Adare Manor.
In 2008 the same prize purse was on offer without a title sponsor – at the same venue – when Richard Finch picked up a €416,660 winner’s cheque.
O’Grady said prize money for next year’s event will be “confirmed at a later date”. “I have a level of prize money in my head, and I have no intention, on behalf of the game, to lose money,” he added.
If, for example, the prize pot was to drop by one third to €2 million then the winner would be in line for a cheque in the region of €333,330 compared to the €500,000 Ross Fisher picked up for holding off Harrington’s final-day effort to win at the Kerry venue in August.
The Irish Open was first held in Killarney in 1991 and 1992 and was won on both occasions by Nick Faldo. Over 82,000 spilled through the gates in what was widely regarded as a highly successful week and similar numbers can be expected for next year’s Bank Holiday gathering.
“We are delighted the 2011 Irish Open will return to Killarney,” said Maurice O’Meara, general manager of Killarney Golf and Fishing Club. “Having welcomed the leading European Tour players in 2010 we hope that they and their families will return again in 2011 for a Bank Holiday festival of golf.”
