Adare Manor to stage Irish Open

As of now, it doesn't have a sponsor, but when the Irish Open is held at Adare Manor resort next summer it may will be bigger than ever. Although the PGA European Tour is in negotiations with a number of potential sponsors to take over from Nissan, it is understood the tour intends to elevate the status of the historic tournament so that it will offer a significantly more prize money in the future.

Just a day after Nissan confirmed their decision to end sponsorship of the tournament, it was announced yesterday that Adare Manor would play host to the Irish Open for the next three years.

"We recognise the importance of the event within the Irish golf calendar and expect to join with the European Tour and a number of other sponsors to support and expand the event in the years ahead," said the principal owners, Tom and Judy Kane, in a statement.

When the JP McManus pro-am was staged at the Co Limerick course last year, it attracted a field which included Tiger Woods, and attracted crowds in excess of 50,000 over the two days. At the time, Padraig Harrington, who won the event, remarked, "Limerick needs a European Tour event, without a doubt . . . they deserve a four-day tournament."

Last month's Irish Open at Carton House, won by Thomas Bjorn, had a prize fund of €2.2 million. In contrast, next month's European Open at the K Club has a purse of €3.5 million and is considered one of the tour's flagship events.

Among the plans believed to be on the table in the tour's negotiations with sponsors is to increase the purse to at least that of the European Open.