Three key elements of this year's Smurfit European Open came closer to completion yesterday. It was announced that 14 months after appearing at Portmarnock as an amateur, Justin Rose, recent hero of Royal Birkdale, will be returning here to challenge for top prize of £250,000 at The K Club on August 20th to 23rd.
Stage one in achieving an event of unprecedented quality was the boosting of prize money to £1.5 million, making it second only in value to the British Open on this year's European schedule. Then there was the upgrading of the course under green-keeper Gerry Byrne.
Finally, there was the assembling of a field worthy of such rewards. In that context, Per-Ulrik Johansson, who will be attempting to complete a hat-trick of triumphs here, is to be joined by Lee Westwood and Darren Clarke, currently first and second in the Order of Merit table.
There was also confirmation of the competitive return of Payne Stewart who, a week after capturing the 1991 US Open at Hazeltine, finished tied 16th behind Nick Faldo in the Irish Open at Killarney. But, of course, Stewart was back here in a build-up to the British Open last month, when he gained the distinction of a hole-in-one at Ballybunion's short third.
A further announcement will be made next week regarding the field. As for the course: quite simply, it has never looked so good. The splendid work done by Byrne since he took over as head green-keeper 18 months ago was clearly in evidence yesterday, when the course was bathed in brilliant sunshine.
"From the Monday of tournament week, we will double-cut the greens morning and evening," said Byrne. "That should bring them up to about 10 on the Stimpmeter, which is an ideal speed for an event of this nature."
