A STEP nearer, perhaps, for Messrs Clarke, McDowell and McIlroy to play competitively on their home patch? With its inclusion in permanent ink, a pledge to bring back a fully-fledged PGA European Tour event to Northern Ireland as part of the Draft Programme for Government 2011-15, the potential to stage the Irish Open at Royal Portrush in 2013 has edged a little closer to reality.
In actual fact, it may not be the Irish Open. It could be a new event, the Northern Ireland Masters; or the Northern Ireland Open, or some such title. But it could be the Irish Open itself.
It’s just that those tasked with getting a tournament to the Causeway Coast were very careful with their use of language yesterday, with Arlene Foster – the Minster at the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment – maintaining, “We want to take advantage of the fact we have so many golfing stars. We want to bring a major European Tour golf event to Northern Ireland.
“My own officials have been working with Coleraine Council and Royal Portrush Golf Club to make that a reality and we’re all looking forward to it.”
No mention of the Irish Open per se.
Although just one of 74 commitments made in the draft programme across the board in the North, the timing to bring a European Tour event couldn’t be better with Graeme McDowell and world number two Rory McIlroy claiming the past two US Open titles, Darren Clarke claiming this year’s British Open and Michael Hoey underpinning the strength of northern golf by taking the Dunhill Links title last month.
It is understood no actual discussions have taken place between Stormont officials and the European Tour as yet, with the view to bringing a tournament to Northern Ireland. “We’re certainly aware of their ambition and welcome their intent,” remarked James Finnigan, sales and marketing executive with the European Tour.
The Irish Open has been held in the North on a number of occasions in the past, the last time being at Belvoir Park in Belfast in 1953. It had previously been staged at Malone, Royal County Down and Royal Portrush, so there is a history of the tournament being stage in Northern Ireland.
However, any move to bring the Irish Open itself to a northern course could well require the imprimatur – as it were – of the Irish government which has been a principal financial sponsor of the tournament, along with the European Tour, in recent years and has ensured its survival.
Certainly, there has been a commitment from the Northern Ireland Assembly to stage international sporting events. For example, the Boston Bruins ice hockey team played a match at the Odyssey arena in October of last year, an event which was also supported by the same government department that has been tasked with overseeing the staging of the golf tournament.
Earlier this year, after Clarke’s British Open triumph, Foster had declared a desire to stage a tournament – preferably the Irish Open as a precursor to possibly staging the British Open – at Royal Portrush.
As for next year’s Irish Open, there is no confirmation yet of a date, course or, indeed, any sign of a possible new title sponsor.
The Irish Open has been very successfully staged at Killarney over the August Bank Holiday weekend for the past two seasons.
If it retains that same date next year, though, it would clash directly with the Olympic Games in London which could be problematic in terms of the desired international exposure and, also, the strength of the field given the lead-in to the WGC event in Bridgestone and the USPGA over the subsequent weeks.
No definite decision has yet been concerning 2012. As for 2013? Yesterday’s inclusion does open the door somewhat for Royal Portrush. Possibly.
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