Fota Irish Open Proves Crowd Buster

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The 2014 Irish Open proved to be another wonderful celebration of golf both on and off the course, with more than 100,000 fans flocking to Fota Island Resort across the week as Finland’s Mikko Ilonen was crowned champion.

Another impressive crowd of 29,387 lined the fairways during Sunday’s final round, making the total attendance figure for the four tournament days and Wednesday’s Pro-Am 104, 810 – the second time it has passed the 100,000 mark in the last three years.

With pop acts such as Imelda May and Il Divo also performing in Cork during the tournament week, it has been a festival atmosphere both inside and outside the ropes, with fans travelling from afar to join the passionate Cork crowds in supporting the international line up at Fota Island Resort.

Antonia Beggs, Championship Director of the Irish Open, said: “We are delighted at the response from both people in Cork and those from further afield who have come out to support the 2014 Irish Open.

“With Sunday’s crowd taking us past the 100,000 mark, the Irish Open has once again been one of the most popular tournaments on The European Tour, and once again demonstrates the incredible passion and appetite the Irish public has for golf.”

The baton will now be passed to Royal County Down Golf Club, which will host the 2015 Irish Open from May 28-31, as the event returns to the famous Newcastle links for the first time in 76 years.

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McGinley Honour at Celtic Manor

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Paul McGinley, the 2014 European Ryder Cup captain, will have the honour of striking the opening shot on Thursday morning as the race for Ryder Cup points begins in the ISPS Handa Wales Open.

The Celtic Manor Resort, the scene of the European Team’s dramatic victory in 2010, provides the perfect setting this week as the battle commences to clinch the nine automatic spots in Paul McGinley’s 12-man team for The 2014 Ryder Cup.

The Irishman will lead from the front at the first tee alongside the 2012 Qualifying School winner John Parry and 2012 Challenge Tour Number One Espen Kofstad.

“I am absolutely thrilled to be striking the first shot in the race for The 2014 Ryder Cup,” said McGinley. “While I have obviously ruled myself out of the running to battle for a place in the team, as the Captain and the leader I am extremely proud to lead the lines for my prospective team members.

“There is going to be fierce competition for those nine spots and I'm sure there are many players at The Celtic Manor Resort this week with their eyes focused firmly on a place in my team. 

“It also gives me great pleasure to hit the first shot of the tournament, as this is always been a special event for me, especially since my victory here at The Celtic Manor Resort in 2001.”

McGinley will be joined by two players who know all about making the grade in high-pressured qualification processes, with Parry having won Qualifying School in December of last year to claim the first card for The 2013 Race to Dubai.

Kofstad, meanwhile, produced a magnificent performance on the final day of the 2012 Challenge Tour Grand Final to claim the title and in the process seal a rookie season on The European Tour.

Thongchai Jaidee will begin the defence of his title at 13:15 playing alongside 2011 Open Champion Darren Clarke and Spain’s Rafa Cabrero-Bello.

Other groups which catch the eye include the 08:05 group of Spaniards Miguel Angel Jiménez and Gonzalo Fernandez-Castaño and Denmark’s Thorbjørn Olesen, who start on the 11th tee.

Last week’s winner on The European Tour at the Johnnie Walker Championship at Gleneagles, Tommy Fleetwood, plays in the group immediately afterwards - on the 11th tee at 08:15 - alongside 2010 Ryder Cup European team member Francesco Molinari and Finland’s Mikko Ilonen.

One of the home hopes and the course record-holder at The Celtic Manor Resort, Rhys Davies, will play alongside American Peter Uihlein and Frenchman Raphaël Jacquelin.

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Mixed Fortunes for Maguire Twins

Teenager Lisa Maguire is only just off the pace after a splendid opening round at the European Ladies Individual Championship in Finland yesterday. The 18-year-old Slieve Russell star fired a two-under-par 69 over the Aura course in Turku to be two strokes behind Emile Pedersen from Denmark.

But twin sister Leona struggled to an 82.

Starting at the 10th, Lisa covered her first nine holes in 35 – one under par – and got to four under with another couple of birdies – but the two bogeys in the last three holes wrecked her chances of leading overnight. 

Leona had a round she will want to forget in a hurry as she did not card one birdie and had two double bogeys and seven bogeys – she was at sixes and sevens in every department. Chloe Ryan had a mixed round – she had an eagle on the third and slumped to back-to-back double bogeys on the seventh and eighth but birdies on 16 and 17 helped her finish on 75.

Irish champion Paula Grant had an horrendous homeward half, taking 42, including a double bogey and five bogeys. Jessica Carty and Maria Dunne each hit 78 as well.

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