Sport

Ladbrokes to sponsor Irish PGA event

Irish PGA Championship : This year's Irish PGA Championship at the European Club will be sponsored by Ladbrokes

Paul Gallagher
Mon Jun 30 2008 - 01:00

Irish PGA Championship: This year's Irish PGA Championship at the European Club will be sponsored by Ladbrokes.com after organisers of the Blue Riband event secured a deal with one of the world's leading sports lottery and gaming companies.

For some time it had been expected one of the oldest national championships in the world would be contested without a sponsor. However, this 11th hour intervention will come as welcome news for the PGA Irish Region ahead of the tournament that gets under way at the Wicklow venue from July 9th-12th.

"It is a wonderful endorsement of a championship that is amongst the longest running in Irish golf and the flagship event for Ireland's many golfing professionals." said Michael McCumiskey, secretary of the PGA Irish Region.

There is no question who the main draw will be at the European in a fortnight's time as world number 12 Pádraig Harrington defends the title he won from play-off at the same venue 12 months ago.

READ MORE

Last years the Open champion opted out of the more lucrative Scottish Open at Loch Lomond to test himself on the wonderful links at The European on the eve of the Open at Carnoustie - and he will do the same again this year.

In 2007 Harrington was pushed all the way by former PGA Irish Region captain Brendan McGovern. The Headfort club pro and Harrington had gone away from the field with the tournament becoming a two-horse race before the Ryder Cup star won the sudden-death play-off.

It was quite a year for the Dubliner, who also won the Irish Open at Adare Manor before winning at The European the week before his heroics at Carnoustie. And this year he sees no reason to change a winning formula and will therefore compete once more at the European Club before making to the trip to Royal Birkdale to defend his Open title.

While Harrington will be aiming to secure his fifth Irish PGA title he will be up against domestic pros such as McGovern, John Kelly, winner of the Irish Club Professional Championship, Mark Staunton, Irish PGA Order of Merit winner in 2007, plus tour players Eamonn Darcy and David Higgins.

This year's tournament prize fund is €70,000.