Irish Open digest

Today's other stories in brief

Soffietti persists

MARCO SOFFIETTI isn't a player that will readily come to mind but the 30-year-old Italian - who earned a place in the field this week after a top-10 finish in last week's Italian Open - has shown great persistence in his attempts to win a full tour card.

In his 11th year as a professional Soffietti has managed to play in five full events on the European Tour this season, taking in the New Zealand Open, the Alfred Dunhill championship in South Africa, the Joburg Open and the Madeira Island Open.

Statistics devoured

AS YER MAN Benjamin Disraeli once put it, "there are lies, damn lies . . . and statistics." Yet, professional golfers are known to devour the weekly statistics on the PGA European Tour - which are actually provided by Genworth Financial, the Co Clare-based company - in the belief that they do give them an insight into their own games.

So, what pointers can we take from the stats heading into the Irish Open? Pedro Linhart leads the driving accuracy, hitting 76 per cent of fairways . . . Alvaro Quiros Garcia leads driving distance with an average of 310 yards . . . Robert Karlsson leads in scrambling, averaging 70.3 per cent.

The most pertinent statistics relate, however, to greens in regulation and putts per greens in regulation.

Lee Westwood currently leads the greens-in-regulation category with 14.2 per round (equating to a healthy 79.2 per cent).

PRIZEMONEY

1st €416,660

2nd €277,770

3rd €156,500

4th €125,000

5th €106,000

YOUNGEST WINNER

Sergio Garcia (1999): 19 years and 176 days.

OLDEST WINNER

Sam Torrance (1995): 41 years and 319 days.

MAJOR WINNERS

(who have won the Irish Open)

George Duncan (1927),

Alf Padgham (1932),

Reg Whitcombe (1936),

Bobby Locke (1938),

Fred Daly (1946),

Ben Crenshaw (1976),

Hubert Green (1977),

Seve Ballesteros (1983, '85, '86),

Bernhard Langer (1984, '87, '94),

Ian Woosnam (1988, '89),

Jose Maria Olazabal (1990),

Nick Faldo (1991, '92, '93),

Michael Campbell (2003),

Pádraig Harrington (2007).

High pressure for the players

ON-SITE METEOROLOGIST Craig Mroczka is predicting high pressure - and consequently fine weather - for the duration of the Irish Open.

For today's opening round, he anticipates "areas of patchy morning fog becoming partly sunny and breezy with a slight chance of an afternoon shower".

It is expected that temperatures will reach 19 degrees with north-easterly winds of between 12 and 18 miles per hour.

If he's right, they will be the strongest winds of the week.

The only threat to the tournament comes tomorrow, when Craig predicts "a slight chance for a thunderstorm" but no threat of lightning.

Ace incentive put on full view

IF A PLAYER'S going to hit one special shot this week at Adare Manor, you've got to believe that the spectacular Par 3 16th hole - which measures 167 yards over water - would be first choice.

Audi, an official sponsor to the tournament, has put up an A4 Avant as the prize to the first player to record a hole-in-one on the hole.

Just to remind players of the prize on offer, the car has been moored on the lake adjacent to the 16th tee.