The future of the Irish Open is safe – until the Ryder Cup in 2006 at the very least.

Classic links Portmarnock will host the €2 million Nissan Irish Open from July 24-27 next year - the week after the British Open.

But the eleventh hour deal to save the ‘People’s Open’ has also saved the blushes of both the government and the European Tour.

With the Ryder Cup due to be played here in Ireland in 2006, the loss of the Irish Open would have been hugely embarrassing blow.

“This is a happy and proud day for Irish golf and the Irish Open,” said Ken Schofield the European Tour’s Executive Director in Dublin yesterday.

“The partnership with Ireland is more solid than ever and we are looking forward to the future of the Nissan Irish Open and the next home Ryder Cup match in Ireland in 2006.”

Schofield now wants to use the Irish Open to reward Irish golf fans who might want to see the Ryder Cup at the K Club in 2006.

People who pay to see the Irish Open or AIB Irish Seniors Open in Adare could be entered in a lottery for Ryder Cup tickets.

“We want to construct a way in which the people that support the Nissan Irish Open of the AIB Irish Senior Open will maybe have a better than even chance of getting Ryder Cup tickets for 2006.

“We don’t now how to do that yet but we are going to look into it.

“As far as the Nissan Irish Open of 2004, 2005 and 2006 are concerned, we are hoping to maintain our flexibility with Portmarnock and Bord Failte.”

The Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism, John O’Donoghue admitted that the thought of losing the Irish Open would have been a disaster for the government ‘s golf tourism strategy.

“Golf generates € 144 million a year in foreign revenue from 220,000 visitors,” he said. “It’s important for us to have an event of this prestige to showcase Ireland as a golfing destination.

“When we launched Padraig Harrington as an ambassador for Irish golf recently I said that it would be incongruous for us to boast of our golfing excellence and our facilities and not have an Irish Open.

“The Irish Open in beamed to 90 countries and seen by over 200 million viewers at one time or another, which underlines its importance.”

“It is unquestionably the pivotal tournament in our golfing calendar, with a prestigious history dating back to 1927.

“Portmarnock has always been regarded as the spiritual home of the championship and sponsors Nissan are hoping that the date and venue will help attract a star-studded field.

First played in 1927 the Irish Open was discontinued in 1953 after Eric Brown’s win at Belvoir Park.

Christy O’Connor Jnr won the title when Woodbrook hosted the revived Irish Open in 1975.

The Championship was then played at Portmarnock for seven years in a row until 1982, when the likes of Ben Crenshaw, Hubert Green, and Ireland’s John O’Leary won the title.

Royal Dublin took over from 1983 to 1985 when Seve Ballesteros twice and Bernhard Langer took the spoils.

It then returned to Portmarnock for five more years with Jose Maria Olazabal winning the last Carroll’s Irish Open held there in 1990.

The commercial courses took over in 1991 with Killarney, Druids, Glen, Mount Juliet and Fota Island sharing the event.

The exception came in 2000 when Ballybunion celebrated its centenary.

Nissan is committed to sponsoring the Championship for the next two years at the very least, although no venue has been decided for 2004.

The European Tour is also hoping to attract more sponsors to tour events in Ireland by offering them the carrot of jumping to the top of the queue when corporate tickets for the 2006 Ryder Cup are being handed out.

Gerard O’Toole, Executive chairman of sponsors Nissan Ireland, would not be drawn on how long the Irish Open deal would run.

“We are committed to the medium term and a minimum of two years. Where the Nissan Irish Open is played in 2004 is a matter for the European Tour and the club, but the option is there for Portmarnock.”

“We believe our sponsorship of the Irish Open is an ideal strategic fit for us.  We have exciting plans for the Championship and intend to focus significant resources on marketing and promoting the Irish Open in the months ahead.”
 
The par 72 links, which has been lengthened by 300 yards to a testing 7,350 yards in recent years, hosted the World Cup in 1960 when Sam Snead and Arnold Palmer triumphed.

It also hosted the Walker Cup in 1991 when Paul McGinley and Padraig Harrington finished up on the losing Great Britain and Ireland side.

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© Brian Keogh 2002

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