Irish Open Agree Bushmills Deal

Bushmills Irish Whiskey, which has been handcrafted on the North Coast of Ireland for centuries, has agreed a deal to sponsor the 2012 Irish Open at Royal Portrush Golf Club.

The sponsorship means that Bushmills Irish Whiskey will be the official whiskey of the 2012 Irish Open and will have exclusive whiskey pouring rights at the tournament, which takes place between 28th June and 1st July.

The Old Bushmills Distillery and Royal Portrush Golf Club are two icons of the North Coast of Ireland. Just four miles apart, both are known and loved around the world, both are award winners and both represent the very best of what the region has to offer.

To celebrate the sponsorship, Colum Egan, Master Distiller at the Old Bushmills Distillery, is offering the winner of the tournament the ‘Freedom of the Old Bushmills Distillery’, an honour that will see them granted the keys to his private reserve.

Colum Egan said: “It has been 65 years since the Irish Open was contested at Royal Portrush Golf Club and I am delighted that Bushmills Irish Whiskey will be part of one of the biggest sporting events to have ever been staged on the North Coast of Ireland.

“With the success at Majors in recent years of Rory McIlroy, Darren Clarke and Graeme McDowell, we are a region that is no stranger to golfing success. These three great sportsmen represent the very best of sporting achievement.

“Like them and the famous Royal Portrush Golf Course, The Old Bushmills Distillery combines handcrafted qualities with age-old skill and we have also had our own share of international success in recent years – Bushmills 21 Year Old Single Malt Irish Whiskey was recently named ‘Best Irish Whiskey’ at the 2012 San Francisco World Spirits Competition.

“As part of our landmark sponsorship, I’m offering a unique prize for the golfer that wins the tournament. As well as offering the ‘Freedom of the Distillery’, I am also going to place a bottle containing a special blend of Bushmills Irish Whiskey in a bespoke cabinet, handmade from oak that is used in the whiskey making process. That bottle will have pride-of-place right here at the distillery and it will only ever be opened by the winner himself.

“This will be an event that will attract hundreds of thousands of people to the region. Everyone who is coming to the North Coast to watch world class golf has just four miles to travel to also experience award winning Irish Whiskey at the Old Bushmills Distillery. We are so close we could be the 19th hole!

“Good Luck to everyone taking part and hopefully I will be raising a toast of our award winning, handcrafted whiskey to an Irish winner on 1st July.”

James Finnigan of The European Tour, Commercial Director for the Irish Open, said: “The Old Bushmills Distillery is, like Royal Portrush Golf Club, a world famous landmark on the Co. Antrim coast and we are delighted that Bushmills will be the Official Whiskey to the Irish Open next month.

“It is great news to see that the ‘Freedom of the Distillery’ awaits the Irish Open winner and we all hope that an iconic institution and an iconic golf course can welcome an iconic champion on the first Sunday in July.”

Two Macs in BMW Sixes

World number one Rory McIlroy found himself six strokes behind after the first day of the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth, with fellow US Open winner, Graeme McDowell, in the same position after being give a two-stroke penalty on the final hole.

McIlroy’s two-over-par 74 included going out of bounds “by an inch” at the long 12th; something that was followed by him throwing a club in what he called “a release of frustration.”

McDowell fell foul of the rules after going into the bushes. 

First the ball moved a fraction as he approached it and because he did not replace it — the incident was caught on television — a second shot was handed to him by European Tour chief referee John Paramor afterwards.

Playing partner Lee Westwood, who came back from an early double bogey to card a 70, called it harsh, but McDowell said after signing for a triple-bogey eight on the hole: “It’s my fault. I probably should have called for a referee.

“That would have saved me one shot, but what are you supposed to do — the whole area was sort of bouncing. I was aware of it and asked for it to be looked at. The rules are there for everybody’s protection.”

McIlroy opened with a 76 last year — that put him 12 adrift of eventual winner Luke Donald — and said: “It was a bit of deja vu. Four bogeys in five holes around the turn was very disappointing. I feel like I’m playing pretty well and I’ve just got to go and shoot the scores.”

On the shot which went out of bounds, he added: “I just tried to cut it and double-crossed it. There are four par fives and you feel you should be taking advantage of them and three or four under should be the worst you do.”

He did eagle the 552-yard fourth and was one under after seven, but then the round got away from him. Padraig Harrington suffered even more en route to signing for a four over, 76. The Irishman bogeyed the first and then ran up a triple bogey six at the par three, second. He managed three birdies but also the same number of birdies on a frustrating morning.

Michael Hoey was three under at one stage during his round but a brace of double bogeys over the closing stretch saw him sign for a one over, 73. 

There was better news for his compatriot Gareth Maybin who compiled a two under 70.

Darren Clarke was one under after five holes with Paul McGinley level having played just two. 

Lawrie Makes Fast BMW Start

Peter Lawrie is off to a flyer at the BWM PGA Championship after an eagle at the fourth , and birdies on the second, fifth, sixth and eleventh on the West Course, to set the pace on Thursday at 6 under par as he came off the thirteenth green.

Earlier it had been Ernie Els, carding a four under par 68 on the opening morning, who had finished part of a four-way tie for the clubhouse lead.

The South African, charged with toughening up the West Course at Wentworth Club in recent years after winning seven Match Play titles at the venue, reached six under through 13 holes but bogeyed the 14th and 15th.

He was joined on four under by compatriot George Coetzee, Scotland’s Marc Warren, England’s Robert Rock and Austria’s Bernd Wiesberger.

World Number One Rory McIlroy found himself six strokes behind after a two over par 74 which included going out of bounds "by an inch" at the long 12th.

McIlroy opened with a 76 last year - that put him 12 adrift of eventual winner Luke Donald - and said: "It was a bit of deja vu.

"Four bogeys in five holes around the turn was very disappointing. I feel like I'm playing pretty well and I've just got to go and shoot the scores."

Out on the course, Ireland's Peter Lawrie was off to a real flyer - an eagle at the fourth like McIlroy and birdies on the second, fifth and sixth to be five under and leader by one.

Defending champion Luke Donald was among the later starters as he tried to join Sir Nick Faldo and Colin Montgomerie as the only men to retain the trophy.

Lawrie remained five under to the turn, which he reached in just 30 strokes, and although Donald birdied three of the first six playing partner Justin Rose was going even better.

Walton in Maiden US Senior PGA

A strong European Senior Tour contingent will travel across the Atlantic this week for the season’s first Senior Major, the US Senior PGA Championship presented by KitchenAid in Michigan.

In total, 29 Senior Tour members will tee it up at Harbor Shores, in Benton Harbor, trying to succeed Tom Watson as champion, with the American unable to defend his title due to a wrist injury.

Looking for his first US Senior PGA Championship title is Germany’s Bernhard Langer, winner of The Senior Open Championship and US Senior Open Championship in 2010. Langer, who was runner-up to Jay Haas in this event in 2008, is joined in the field by fellow former European Ryder Cup Captain Mark James, while Sandy Lyle continues his quest for a first Major as a Senior.

Another Ryder Cup winner on US soil, Philip Walton, is in the field  and is the only Irish entry this week.

Englishman Gary Wolstenholme will be hoping to build on his impressive start to the 2012 season. The former Walker Cup player captured his second Senior Tour title in the Mallorca Open Senior two weeks ago to go into the season’s first Senior Major top of the Senior Tour Order of Merit, having finished fourth on the money list in 2011.

The three men who finished above him last year will also travel to America, with Peter Fowler, Barry Lane and Andrew Oldcorn all having made solid starts to the season in Mallorca. Fowler opened his defence of the John Jacobs Trophy with a share of 16th position, while Lane finished sixth and Oldcorn tied eighth.

There is a debut for Englishman Paul Wesselingh who finished joint runner-up on his debut in Mallorca to earn his spot in the field. That meant the 50 year old, who also came runner-up in the Qualifying School in February to gain his Senior Tour card, will have to forfeit his place in the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth Club, but it is a sacrifice he hopes will benefit his Senior Tour aspirations.

“Any money I win there will count towards the Order of Merit, which will help give me a head start on a lot of the other players, while there’s also the experience as well,” said Wesselingh.

Watson, an honorary member of The European Tour, was forced to withdraw at the weekend with a wrist problem having claimed his sixth Senior Major and 14th overall with victory 12 months ago at Valhalla Golf Club.

The American defeated compatriot David Eger in a play-off to become the oldest player to win a Senior major since the establishment of either the Senior Tour or US Champions Tour, and the second youngest in history after Jock Hutchinson, who was 62 when he won the title in 1947.

Opened in 2010, Harbor Shores is hosting a Major Championship for the first time and was designed by 18-time Major Champion Jack Nicklaus. It will also host the US Senior PGA Championship in 2014.

Walton tees off on Thursday at 1:50 local time and is paired with American duo, Russ Cochran and Joey Sindelar.

 

Maybin Starts BMW PGA Championship

Northern Ireland's Gareth Maybin struck the first tee shot of the BMW PGA Championship at precisely 7am on what promises to be a glorious opening day on Wentworth's West Course.

With a number of marquee pairings lined up throughout the day there will be plenty for spectators to enjoy with the likes of McIlroy, Westwood, Manassero, McDowell and Els taking to the course in the morning while Donald, Rose, Kaymer, Casey and Colsaerts are set to follow in the afternoon part of the draw.

South African George Coetzee moved into an early lead birdied three of the first four holes to be one in front of England's 2010 champion Simon Khan, Scotland’s Marc Warren, Ryder Cup hero Graeme McDowell and seven-time winner at Wentworth Ernie Els.

World Number One Rory McIlroy was off to a slow start with a bogey at the second but the Northern Irishman then eagled the long fourth to move to one under.

Third-ranked Lee Westwood, meanwhile, scrambled well for two opening pars, but went long and left with his approach to the 465 yard third and by three-putting ran up a double bogey six.

He was back on the course where he lost a play-off and the World Number One spot to Luke Donald a year ago.

Donald, trying to follow Nick Faldo and Colin Montgomerie as the only players to make a successful defence of the title, was among the later starters on day one.

McIlroy, playing in Europe as World Number One for the first time, was paired with Els and Martin Laird.

Els, the man who has toughened up the West Course, made a 12 foot birdie putt at the second, but US-based Scot Laird set off on his debut in the championship with two bogeys.

Coetzee lost top spot to Scot Marc Warren when he eagled the 531 yard 12th - back as a par five this year.

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