Finance the key for Ballybunion

With Ballybunion GC now available, sponsors Murphy's said yesterday that the venue for next year's Irish Open will be announced in September. Whether it goes to the celebrated Kerry links, however, will depend very much on financial help from the Government.

A special general meeting of Ballybunion's members on Monday night overturned a decision by the club committee to impose non-viable spectator-limits on a prospective Irish Open staging. And the relaxing of those limits to between 10,000 and 12,000 per day, clearly pleased the sponsors.

"This is a welcome development which reflects well on the club and its members," Murphy's said yesterday. "It means that the course can now be considered for the rota of venues staging the Murphy's Irish Open in the year 2000 or later years."

Murphy's then disclosed that the Government's Millennium Committee had advised them this week that an application for financial support of the event had been turned down. "Support has also been sought from the Minister for Tourism, Sport and Recreation, Dr Jim McDaid TD, and an official response is awaited," they said.

It was also pointed out that the support of commercial interests in the west would be necessary to secure the viability of the tournament. This is in line with the sentiments expressed by Murphy's managing director, Padraic Liston, last month.

Liston said then: "From current costs of £1.5 million, we are prepared to go as high as £2.5 million - in other words an increase of £1 million - to underwrite the event at Ballybunion, provided the Government can come up with £500,000."

So, after all the wrangling within Ballybunion GC, it now appears that, ultimately, money will be the decisive factor.