PGA returns to links

The Island Golf Club in north county Dublin has been confirmed as the venue for the Smurfit Irish PGA Championship next October, the first professional tournament to be held there for 25 years. In many ways, the decision to play the tournament on a links course - after a gap of 12 years - signals a return to its roots.

First staged at Royal Portrush in 1907, the event has now developed into the largest closed national PGA championship in Europe and, this year, will have a total prize fund of £108,000.

Since assuming sponsorship of the championship 10 years ago, the Smurfit Group has adopted a policy of bringing the event around the country and The Island will be the eighth different course to play host to the championship in that time. Last year's championship at Powerscourt was won by Padraig Harrington.

"I'm delighted that we are bringing the championship back to a links course," said Dr Michael Smurfit, chairman and chief executive of the Jefferson Smurfit Group. "The Island is a superb course and I have no doubt that the players will be tested to the full over the four days."

The last time the championship was played on a links course was at Baltray in 1987 when Philip Walton emerged as winner, the first of four victories he has had in the event. Co-incidentally, Walton is a former member of The Island and he has confirmed his intention to play in this year's tournament which takes place on October 14th-17th.

The last professional tournament to be played at The Island was the Uniroyal tournament in 1974 when Jimmy Martin took the top prize of £200. Ironically, among the field that year were Des Smyth, Paddy McGuirk, Bobby Browne and Christy O'Connor Jnr who have all signalled their intentions to play this year along with Harrington, the defending champion, Paul McGinley and Eamonn Darcy.

Founded in 1890, The Island is a par 71 with the unique distinction of having a start of eight Par 4s. In the past decade, it has played host to a number of amateur championships including the Irish Women's Close in 1990, the Men's Interprovincials in 1992 and the Irish Men's Close last year.

Meanwhile, things appear to be finally picking up for Walton, the Ryder Cup hero of Oak Hill in 1995. Walton, who has endured a torrid few months on the European Tour and is now involved in a battle to retain his card, will today sign a two-year contract with Yonex to play and endorse the company's golf equipment worldwide.

Walton's decision to switch to the sophisticated Japanese clubs has been influenced by the success that Phil Mickelson has enjoyed using the equipment. The Dubliner becomes the first European player to endorse the Yonex product range and will swing into action with his new clubs at the Volvo PGA championship in Wentworth, starting on Friday, an event which he hopes will signal an upturn in his playing fortunes.

Former Irish amateur champion Peter Lawrie will complete his odyssey in the Far East this week when he competes - along with Richard Coughlan and Bryan Omelia - in the Phillipines Open in Manila.

Lawrie finished in tied-15th position in last weekend's Volvo China Open. The Dubliner fired a closing round 72 for a three-under-par total of 285 which left him 12 shots adrift of winner Kyi Hla Han of Myanmar.

Keith Nolan, meanwhile, had a poor final round of 77 in the Knoxville Open on the Nike Tour on Sunday to drop from a top-10 place at the start of the day down to 49th and prize-money of $725.

The PGA and the European Seniors' Tour yesterday confirmed that the Scottish Seniors Open will go ahead at Dalmahoy on August 20th-22nd, despite the absence of a title sponsor. The event will have a prize-fund of St£100,00 (€140,000).