Keegan Values Short Portrush Lesson

Major winner Keegan Bradley's first-ever tournament in Europe lasted only two days, but the American believes he is now better equipped for The Open at Royal Lytham in three weeks.

The 26-year-old USPGA champion made the trip to the Irish Open at Royal Portrush because of his Irish roots, but had rounds of 73 and 71 to bow out on level par.

Bradley did have four birdies in a row from the 11th, however, and said: "That was fun. Wish I could have kept it going, but maybe next time.

"I think I will know a little more what to expect there.

"I played pretty well other than about three shots. I just didn't play the par fives really well and had a couple of lost balls - that's no good.

"I hope to come back another time - I can't wait. Everybody treated me so well."

Bradley's victory in Atlanta last August, after a play-off with compatriot Jason Dufner, came in the very first major of his career. Since 1913 he and Ben Curtis, the 2003 Open champion, are the only players to achieve that.

Others to miss the cut included Colin Montgomerie, last week's winner Danny Willett and former US Open champion Michael Campbell.

Willett's exit had a further implication than merely giving him a weekend off. He had a chance to earn an Open spot via a mini money list that ends on Sunday, but Thai Thongchai Jaidee and South African Richard Sterne are currently in position to claim the two places on offer.

Former Walker Cup player Willett, who finished three over, could still make it to Lytham with a top-five finish in either the French or Scottish Opens.

Keegan One of Major Winners at Irish Open

A total of ten players who have tasted Major Championship glory – including Ireland’s illustrious quartet – will join a galaxy of European Tour champions and Ryder Cup players when the Irish Open descends on Royal Portrush Golf Club in three weeks’ time.

At the official close of entries last night, there was no mistaking the sprinkling of stardust covering the field of 156 who will tee up in the first Irish Open to be staged in Northern Ireland for almost 60 years.

Heading the world-class line-up are Northern Ireland’s home-grown heroes, Open Champion Darren Clarke and US Open Champion Rory McIlroy, along with Portrush’s Graeme McDowell, the 2010 US Open winner, and Dublin’s multiple Major Champion Padraig Harrington.

The Irish foursome will be joined from June 28 to July 1 by a high powered American contingent led by reigning US PGA Champion Keegan Bradley and supplemented by his colourful compatriots John Daly and Rich Beem. 

The trio will all be bidding to become the first American to lift the Irish Open trophy since Hubert Green won at Portmarnock in 1977. 

Beem, the 2002 US PGA Champion, and Bradley will both be making their maiden Irish Open appearances at Royal Portrush – in fact Bradley has never competed on European soil before - while Daly, who memorably won the 1991 US PGA Championship and The Open four years later, has featured in four previous editions of the €2million event, with a runner-up finish behind Germany’s Bernhard Langer on his debut at Mount Juliet in 1994 his best performance to date. 

Two-time Masters Tournament winner José María Olazábal, who will lead Europe against the United States at The 2012 Ryder Cup in Chicago in September; rejuvenated Scotsman Paul Lawrie, currently in the form of his life some 13 years after his Open Championship triumph at Carnoustie; and New Zealand’s Michael Campbell, winner of the 2005 US Open Championship at Pinehurst, complete the list of Major Champions who will fight for the right to succeed Simon Dyson as champion. 

Olazábal, of course, also won the Irish Open at Portmarnock in 1990, and he and Dyson will be joined at Royal Portrush by his predecessor as Ryder Cup Captain, Colin Montgomerie, a three-time former winner of the title.

Other notable names in the field include home hero Michael Hoey, a winner of three European Tour titles, and a clutch of Irishmen including 2009 winner Shane Lowry, who triumphed at County Louth while still an amateur, and Paul McGinley, who played in three successful European Ryder Cup Teams and holed the winning putt at The Belfry in 2002.

2012 Irish Open Entry List

Where is everybody?

For the Irish Open at Royal Portrush a new star of Northern Ireland golf is grabbing the attention of millions of television viewers in the run up to the event. 

His name is Bramble and golf fans throughout Ireland have enjoyed watching him sink putts at the famous north coast golf course on TV. What people don’t know is that this particular golfer, from Crumlin in County Antrim, happens to be blind.

Another remarkable fact is that this new rival to Northern Ireland’s ‘holy trinity’ of golf – Rory McIlroy, Graeme McDowell and Darren Clarke - is only one year old.

The latest golfing sensation to come from the new ‘home of golf’ is none other than Bramble the Hedgehog, the unexpected star of the Northern Ireland Tourist Board’s latest television commercial to promote this year’s Irish Open.

Bramble is currently a permanent resident of a Wildlife Centre in Crumlin run by TACT (Talnotry Avian Care Trust), a charity which cares for and rehabilitates sick, injured and abandoned wild birds and mammals. Bramble was brought in from the wild when he was just a few days old and being blind has been lovingly looked after ever since. 

NITB destination marketing and PR manager Ruth Burns explains, she wasn’t expecting Bramble to become the star of the show.

“We chose Bramble to appear as an extra in the advert with shots of him scurrying across the green but he ended up impressing us all as he knocked the ball into the hole which was the perfect finish to the advert, and all the more remarkable when you consider that the poor wee fellow is blind.

“He’s now become the most talked about hedgehog in Northern Ireland and I’m pleased to say that he seemed to enjoy the experience as much as any of us.” 

The TV advert is part of an all-Ireland marketing drive to promote the Irish Open as a key event in NITB’s ongoing ‘ni2012: Our Time Our Place’ campaign. 

 The campaign runs across TV, radio and press with outdoor advertising at key ports of entry to the country and additional promotional literature distributed to golf clubs across Ireland. The TV campaign teed off in the Republic of Ireland earlier this month and hits Northern Ireland screens on May 28, running until June 24.

This year’s Irish Open is set to be one of the biggest in the competition’s history with some 100,000 spectators expected over the four days of the event from Thursday June 28 to Sunday July 1.

“Tickets have been selling faster this year than for many years which is no surprise given the strength of the line-up which includes three of current Major golf champions in our own Rory McIlroy and Darren Clarke, and the American USPGA Champion Keegan Bradley,” said NITB chief executive Alan Clarke

“Add the likes of Graeme McDowell, Padraig Harrington, John Daly and newly crowned World Matchplay Champion Nicolas Colsaerts from Belgium, to name bit a few, and it really promises to be a fantastic tournament.

“The fact that the Irish Open is returning to Northern Ireland for the first time in sixty years has created a real buzz around the event and I would advise golf fans not to risk turning up on the day expecting to purchase a ticket as they will most likely be disappointed, particularly at the weekend,” he added.

For more information on accommodation offers for the Irish Open as well as details on all of Northern Ireland’s golf courses and other ni 2012 events, click onwww.discovernorthernireland.com or www.ni2012.com

Advance day tickets for the Irish Open are available for £30, a saving of £5 on the gate price, with four day season tickets priced at £70, a saving of £10. Advance concession day and season tickets are priced at £20 and £50 respectively. 

Hospitality packages are sold out for the first two days, but are still available on Saturday and Sunday.

Keegan Reflects on His Golfing Year

Keegan Bradley is now a respected major champion but this time last year he was battling to retain his US Tour card.

This week he is back where his dramatic rise all began, at the Byron Nelson Championship in Texas.

"I went from an unknown rookie trying to keep his card to winning a PGA Tour event and locking up my future a little bit," said the 25-year-old as he reflected on his play-off victory over Ryan Palmer at Las Colinas 12 months ago.

"This tournament might have set up my whole career. People don't realise what the stress level is of a rookie on the PGA Tour, trying to keep your card.

"I played on the Hooters Tour and thinking about going back is scary. And to know I was on the (PGA) tour for at least two-and-a-half more years was huge."

Bradley's career then took a monumental leap when, playing in his very first major, he captured the USPGA Championship at Atlanta Athletic Club.

"At the PGA I didn't have that pressure of having to win my first tournament or having to worry about making enough money to keep my card, stuff like that, where rookies have to think about that," said the 25-year-old.

Can't believe it

"Sometimes I will be sitting around and I will realise that I won the PGA and start laughing, by myself, like I can't believe it.

"It seriously happens all the time. I keep the trophy on my mantle(piece) in front of my TV in my room, and I'll just be watching TV and I'll look over at it and start laughing, because it seems so bizarre that's the trophy, it's in my room.

"Definitely sometimes I have to ask myself, 'Is this really real?'.

"But I've been wanting to do that my whole life, and it's cool to be living it. But I have so much further to go, and that's what I'm happy about. I want to be out here for a long time and be one of the best players, so I have a lot to work for."

Bradley's recent form hasn't been great but he's relishing the return to TPC Las Colinas.

"I go into it knowing that I love this course, it suits my eye well," he said. "I'm looking to win tournaments, so this is a great opportunity for me to contend this week."

One likely challenger is Matt Kuchar, coming off his victory at the Players Championship, golf's richest event, at Sawgrass on Sunday.

Kuchar, 33, shot up 11 places to fifth in the world rankings on Monday and has not discounted a charge to number one.

Northern Ireland's Rory McIlroy holds the top spot ahead of England's Luke Donald and Lee Westwood, followed by Americans Bubba Watson and Kuchar.

Exciting time

"I think it's an exciting time in the game of golf right now in that there is the possibility to become that number one player in the world," Kuchar said.

"For a long time it seemed like Tiger Woods had a stronghold on the position and that number two was the thing you had to play for.

"Even if Tiger Woods took a year off, it seemed like he would still hold that position. So it's exciting to have movement at that number one shot, to have a shot at being the best.

"I think it's one of the things we all strive for, to be the best of the best, to actually be number one in the world would be an honour."

Kuchar heads out in a group with Vijay Singh and Padraig Harrington, while Bradley plays alongside Rory Sabbatini and Jason Day.

The world's top four are absent, as is Woods, but there is plenty of big-name appeal, not least in the group consisting of Phil Mickelson, Adam Scott and Ernie Els.

PGA Champion Plays Irish Open

Reigning US PGA champion Keegan Bradley, who has never played a professional tournament in Europe, has entered next month's Irish Open at Royal Portrush. 

It means three of the four players to hold major titles at the moment will be there, the other two being local heroes Rory McIlroy and Darren Clarke. 

'I'm very proud of my Irish heritage,' said the American, whose roots are in County Cork. And I've wanted to represent them in the Irish national championship. 

'Also Graeme (McDowell) and Darren both have told me what a fabulous lay-out Portrush is, so I'm doubly excited about the opportunity to compete there.'

The Irish Open has not been held in Northern Ireland since 1953, but the victories by McDowell and McIlroy in the last two US Opens and then Clarke in last summer's Open Championship inevitably led to calls for it to be staged there again - possibly followed by The Open in the near future. 

Last August Bradley became only the second player since 1913 to win on his first-ever appearance in a major, beating compatriot Jason Dufner in a play-off in Atlanta, incredibly after being five shots behind with only three holes to play. 

He is following the lead of Dustin Johnson and Bubba Watson, the Masters champion, who last year played in Europe in the build-up to The Open. 

Northern Ireland's tourism minister Arlene Foster said: 'To have a reigning US PGA Championship winner taking part is a major coup and delivers an even greater competitive edge to this tournament. 

'It proves that a small place like Northern Ireland can produce top golfers and that we have what it takes to host tournaments which attract some of the best players in the world.'