Golf:The decision to move the Irish Open back north of the border for the first time since 1953 continues to look a prudent one with tickets for the weekend's play already sold out. Indeed, such is the interest for the event at Royal Portrush that fans are being urged book in advance for Thursday and Friday of next week.
It is the first time in the history of the European Tour that tickets have sold out for an event outside of the Majors and, regardless of how sales go for the first two days play, the Irish Open is already the bestselling event on the schedule this year.
Local heroes Graeme McDowell and Darren Clarke, who both live in the town, are all in the field alongside Rory McIlroy, Padraig Harrington and US PGA champion Keegan Bradley.
“We are preparing for a crowd around the 100,000 mark for the week of the Championship, and with a particularly large spectator audience expected for the weekend, we felt it prudent to stop selling tickets for Saturday and Sunday,” said tournament director Antonia Beggs.
“For operational reasons we also have to close the sale of advance tickets for Thursday and Friday at 5pm this Friday.
Due to the close proximity to the event, it would be impossible to guarantee that tickets bought after this Friday would arrive in time for the start of the tournament.”
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