Ambassador Fisher Visits Leixlip

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Leixlip turned out in force today to welcome their very own Irish Open Ambassador, Ross Fisher, ahead of the Pro-Am curtain-raiser at Carton House.

The 2010 Irish Open champion was greeted by around 100 enthusiastic local schoolchildren, councilors and the business community of Leixlip – situated just a few miles from Carton House – as he toured the village and took part in a two-hole par three challenge on the banks of the River Liffey.

Fisher was piped up the drive of Leixlip Castle where he met Desmond Guinness, a direct descendent of Arthur Guinness of the famous brewing family.

He then toured the main street of Leixlip, admiring the artwork decorating a number of shop fronts before judging the best display, planning an oak tree and facing young Leixlip club professional, Mark Cribben, is the two hole challenge at Rowantreee Park on a specially constructed ‘course’ along the river bank. For added entertainment, Fisher also tried his hand at the Irish sport of hurling!

Fisher, who was following fellow Ambassadors Richard Finch (Celbridge) and Brett Rumford (Maynooth) by engaging with the local community ahead of the Irish Open, which starts tomorrow, said: “It’s been a pretty cool experience. I didn’t know what to expect but the welcome I’ve received from the locals has been overwhelming.

“It’s certainly been different and it’s a day I will always remember. Seeing all the kids in their colourful pink shirts has been great fun and that’s what it’s all about. I think it’s brilliant that the Tour and County Kildare have got together to try this initiative and I am very proud to be Leixlip’s Ambassador.”

Fisher concluded his near two hour visit by receiving a lesson in the art of pouring a pint of the ‘black stuff’by ‘mine host’ Luke Moriarty at the Court Yard Hotel. The hotel was also selected as the Best Display by Fisher and the owners will receive Hospitality for two people on Saturday, the third day of the Irish Open.

Meanwhile, Rumford picked O’Neill’s Bar as the winner in Maynooth with Walsh’s Pharmacy in Celbridge the choice of Finch. Both businesses also win Hospitality for two on Saturday.

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Murtagh Weighs in at Carton Pro-Am

The stars of stage, screen and sport will be out in force this week for the curtain-raiser for the Irish Open – the Wednesday Pro-Am - takes place at Carton House.

Jockey Johnny Murtagh, fresh from his incredible performance at Royal Ascot last week where he booted home four winners to land the title of Leading Jockey over the five days of sizzling action.

Murtagh will be participating in the morning ‘shotgun’ section of Wednesday’s Pro-Am (08.00 start), aiming to ‘whip up’ support for the popular European Tour event which heralds a packed weekend of sport for the County of Kildare, with the The Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby also taking place nearby in the Curragh.

Already this week the jockey has enjoyed pitting his wits against the 176 yard par 3 17th hole, where around 1500 spectators can cheer their favourites from a superb grandstand surrounding the green. Wristbands for ‘Open House@17’ are available for purchase at €10 per day.

Also from the world of sport in the Pro-Am is Dubliner Ken Doherty, the 1997 World Snooker Champion, who will be hoping to ‘pot’ a few birdies along with his fellow members of RESPECT Ireland, the Official Charity of the Irish Open 2013.

Former Chelsea footballer, Andriy Shevchenko shows off his prowess on the golf course in the company of leading Irish businessman and financier Dermot Desmond, also in the morning Shotgun, while the world of music is represented by former Westlife singer Brian McFadden and Keith Duffy of Ireland’s other famous ‘boy band’ Boyzone.

Fáilte Ireland’s Head of Golf Tourism, Tony Lenehan said: “If you love sport, this is the weekend for you and Kildare is the place to be. Even if you just like a good mixture of spectacle, excitement and socialising then make sure you get out of the traps and book your ticket now.”

Four Irish Major Champions – Darren Clarke, Padraig Harrington, Graeme McDowell and Rory McIlroy - will compete at Carton House along with Carton’s Touring Professional, Shane Lowry, a host of Tour winners and Ryder Cup stars including 2014 captain Paul McGinley.

The stage is set for a superb platform for the event’s return to the Republic of Ireland after a visit to Royal Portrush in Northern Ireland last year.

To complement the sporting action, Maynooth, Celbrigde and Leixlip - the “Three Irish Open Towns” as they are known locally - have joined forces to ensure that local tourism and business interests embrace the Irish Open as an opportunity to promote all that is great about the county.

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Magnificent Seven Ride into Carton

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A field of Major Champions, Ryder Cup players and European Tour winners will converge on Carton House Golf Club this week, when the Irish Open will again command the attention of a global audience.

Headlined by the Emerald Isle’s Major winning quartet of Darren Clarke, Padraig Harrington, Graeme McDowell and World Number Two Rory McIlroy, the €2million event has again attracted some of the world’s greatest golfers to Maynooth, in Co. Kildare.

The 2003 Irish Open champion Michael Campbell, Scotland’s Paul Lawrie and Ryder Cup-winning Captain José Maria Olazábal will also be in attendance, taking the number of Major Champions to seven.

Between them, the ‘Magnificent Seven’ have captured 11 Major titles, with Harrington – the winner of the Irish Open in 2007 – contributing the most with three. 

There are 79 European Tour winners in the stellar line-up, which includes the defending champion Jamie Donaldson of Wales, who followed his Irish Open success with victory in the Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship in January.

That was one of 14 victories during the 2013 campaign recorded by players lining up at Carton House, with 2004 Irish Open Champion Brett Rumford the only multiple winner of the season to date with success in both the Ballantine’s Championship and Volvo China Open.

An abundance of Ryder Cup pedigree will also be on display in the 39th edition of the Irish Open, with McDowell, another of the 2013 champions having captured his eighth European Tour title last month at the Volvo World Match Play Championship in Bulgaria, one of 18 players teeing up at Carton House GC who can boast previous experience of golf’s greatest team event.

Four members of Olazábal’s triumphant team from the ‘Miracle at Medinah’ – Lawrie, McDowell, McIlroy and Italian Francesco Molinari – will be reunited with their Captain, who won the Irish Open in 1990. 

The list of former winners in the field includes Shane Lowry, the local hero attached to Carton House who triumphed in such memorable fashion as an amateur in 2009.

Lowry said: “It should be a great week, especially if we can have a bit of decent weather. The greens are always in beautiful condition, so holing putts shouldn’t be a problem. But it probably won’t be that low scoring a week, as it’s pretty long and the rough can be thick in places, though perhaps not quite as thick as in previous years.

“I only live just round the corner from the course, so I spend a lot of time there. I had a practice round before playing in Munich last week, and the greens were incredibly pure.

“It’s going to be an exciting week for me and for Irish golf in general, so I can’t wait. It’s going to be difficult to focus purely on my golf as I’m sure people will be wanting autographs and photos, but hopefully once all the excitement has died down, I can put four decent rounds together.”

Carton House will be hosting the tournament for the first time since 2006, when Thomas Björn captured the title, and the Dane arrives in Ireland on the back of a runner-up finish behind Ernie Els at last week’s BMW International Open in Germany.

He said: “I wanted to try and get myself in the top 20 in The Race to Dubai, so even though I was obviously disappointed to miss out on the win last week, I still achieved that goal. It’s great that I’m going to Ireland to play on a golf course I’ve won on before, so I’ll keep carrying on and fighting hard until I win another tournament. Hopefully it comes this week.”

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