Golf:Both Darren Clarke and Graeme McDowell have being tweeting that the Irish Open will make a return to Royal Portrush this summer - 12 months earlier than planned.
The European Tour are scheduled to make an announcement on Friday in Royal Portrush GC, having already confirmed before Christmas that the tournament would not be returning to Killarney for a third successive staging.
“Royal Portrush will be awesome for the Irish Open this year...it's as good a test as we play anywhere! Brilliant news. Big crowds please!! “ tweeted 2011 British Open champion Clarke this afternoon.
“Fantastic news on the Irish Open 2012 coming to Royal Portrush. Always been a dream of mine to play a top event in my home town,” added US Open winner McDowell on his account.
Both Clarke and McDowell are now Portrush residents and this year will be the first time since 1953 that the Irish Open has been played in Ulster.
Royal Portrush seeks to host the British Open Championship and while that appears unlikely in the short term due to political and logistical reasons, the Irish Open is considered the logical “test” event for staging a major.
Portrush last staged the Irish Open in 1947 when Harry Bradshaw triumphed on the famous Dunluce Links. The event was also held there in 1936 and 1930.
