The Irish Golf Club Gazette: 05/11/14

5/11/2014

R&A Play Down Portrush Reports

The Royal and Ancient says it remains "some distance" from being able to stage the Open Championship in Northern Ireland for the first time since 1951.

Speculation that the Open may return to Royal Portrush has been circulating for some time, with reports claiming a deal had been done for 2019.

However the R&A's response on Twitter labelled these as "Portrush rumours".

"Discussions have been positive but we are still some distance from being able to take the Open to Northern Ireland."

Max Faulkner won the only Open to be staged outside England and Scotland at Royal Portrush 63 years ago.

A statement released by the R&A on Sunday confirmed that discussions were under way, but added that there was a long way to go before the plans may come to fruition.

"As part of our commitment to examine the feasibility of staging an Open Championship at Portrush, the R&A continues to discuss this at a conceptual level with Royal Portrush Golf Club and the Northern Ireland Executive."

The R&A denied reports last summer that the Open was set to be held at Portrush in 2018.

R&A chief executive Peter Dawson admitted that while it is "a fantastic golf course," concerns remain over the infrastructure required to stage a major and he believes the current nine-course Open rota is "about right".

Despite the R&A's statement on Sunday, Northern Ireland's Tourism Minister Arlene Foster said that the success of this weekend's Giro d'Italia showed the province's ability to stage major sporting events.

"If they are looking on this week and they are seeing the way the entire community has taken to the Giro d'Italia," she added.

"Obviously if the R&A does make a decision to put Royal Portrush on the rota it will be a tremendous thing for Northern Ireland and a very positive sign we are moving confidently on and I think we want to send that message out."

The 2012 Irish Open at Portrush drew massive crowds and the likes of major champions Rory McIlroy, Darren Clarke and Graeme McDowell have been lobbying on the club's behalf.

It has also been suggested that the R&A would hasten its decision after Portrush emerged as a surprise contender to stage the US PGA Championship.

The PGA of America is studying the impact of holding the event outside the United States, with the earliest possible date in 2020.

It had been thought that Asia would be the most likely venue, but PGA of America president Ted Bishop said in November last year that he was interested in Portrush.

Lowry Launches Fota Countdown

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Shane Lowry, the 2009 Irish Open champion, took to the high seas today to launch the countdown to the Irish Open, which will take place at Fota Island Resort from June 19-22.

With four days of world class competition involving 156 players, over 1,600 staff, a €2m prize fund and an expected attendance of around 100,000 spectators, Cork will play host to an unforgettable festival of golf this summer.

But before the event gets underway next month Lowry, who captured the Irish Open while still an amateur amid chaotic scenes at Baltray five years ago, decided to test his skills over an altogether different golf course – on board the 962 foot long Brilliance of the Seas cruise ship, which docked in Cobh for the day.

Lowry boarded the impressive Royal Caribbean International-owned ship to take part in a pre-tournament photo shoot, and at the same time to tackle the miniature golf course and Fota Island Resort’s Golf Pro Kevin Morris ably stepped up to the challenge on the nine-hole course.

Lowry commented: “It’s been a great buzz to board the Brilliance of the Seas and just appreciate the scale of these cruise ships. The Irish Open is an event close to my heart and I was delighted to come to Cork today to help promote the event with Captain Manolis and Mayor Noel O’Connor, as well as getting the chance of some early practice over the Fota Island course.”

Major champions Rory McIlroy, Padraig Harrington, Graeme McDowell and Darren Clarke along with Lowry and European Ryder Cup captain, Paul McGinley will form part of an elite home challenge and the Irish contingent is expected to be on top form and hungry to add to its four Irish Championship titles on home turf since 1975.

Game of Two Halves for McIlroy

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Rory McIlroy remains perplexed by the front nine at TPC Sawgrass where he has struggled during the opening three rounds of the Players Championship.

After just making the cut on Friday, the Northern Irishman returned on Saturday to post a third round 69 - his lowest score of the week.

But, once again, the front nine caused him problems with McIlroy needing 38 strokes to reach the turn before notching five birdies coming home - including a hat-trick on the last three.

Teeing-off early, he made a bogey on the first, had a double-bogey on the fourth and another bogey at the sixth.

On day one he suffered three bogeys on the front nine which then required 42 strokes on Friday - when he carded a 74.

So far this week he has played 117 shots - nine-over-par - on holes one-to-nine and has had just 96 on the homeward journey.

And McIlroy said: "If I had just kept it around even par for the front nine, I'd be up near the leaders.

"I'm really happy with how I've been able to come back the last couple of days but it's also a little frustrating that I've had to come back because I feel like I'm playing good enough to not have these little stretches of bad holes.

"I felt like I wasn't playing as badly as the score was suggesting today. I'd hit five greens in seven holes and I was four over par.

"I hadn't really done much wrong. I had three really big lip-outs on the front nine also."