The Irish Golf Club Gazette

2/06/2013

Rory Adds Shell Houston Open

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Rory McIlroy has formally committed to play in the Houston Open, which takes place two weeks before The Masters.

The two-time major champion and current No. 1 player will make his third start in the event and his first since 2010. This year, as part of his "6 Bags" charity drive, McIlroy will use a bag emblazoned with the logo of Chinquapin Prep, a Houston-area school for disadvantaged youth. The bag will be auctioned off through McIlroy's foundation and all proceeds will go to the school.

Louis Oosthuizen and Lee Westwood are among the other top international players committed to play in Houston.

Lowry Seeks Carton Reward

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Shane Lowry hopes to take full advantage of some ‘home comforts’ this summer when the Irish Open returns to Carton House in Co. Kildare, for the first time in seven years.

The two-time European Tour champion has been the Touring Professional at Carton House since January 2012, living in Leinster Wood which overlooks the O’Meara Course at the venue which hosts the 2013 Irish Open from June 27-30.

It will be the Montgomerie Course – used for both the 2005 and 2006 Irish Opens won by Stephen Dodd and Thomas Björn respectively - which The European Tour players will tackle once again, and Lowry believes his local knowledge can only help his bid to regain the title he so memorably won as an amateur at County Louth Golf Club in 2009.

On that occasion Lowry defeated Englishman Robert Rock in a play-off, sparking fervent scenes of celebration on the fairways in Baltray.

Given his association with Carton House, the 25 year old can expect similar home support when he joins Horizon Sport stable mate Rory McIlroy, the World Number One, and three-time Major Champion Padraig Harrington as part of the strong Irish challenge in the field.

“For a professional golfer living in Ireland, there’s no better place to be than Carton House, as the facilities are top class, and hopefully I can use my experience of practising there to help me try to win the Irish Open again,” said Lowry.

“It was obviously a special moment for me to win the Irish Open in Baltray as an amateur, but it would mean a lot to do it again as a professional at Carton House.

“I’m sure there will be a lot of support, not only for me but for all of the Irish boys, and I’d love to be able to win not only for the fans but for everyone at Carton House who has been so supportive over the past few years.

“The atmosphere was amazing at Royal Portrush last year and I’m sure it will be just the same in June. Carton House is a superb venue and I’m really looking forward to playing in the Irish Open there.”

While Lowry’s victory in The 2009 Irish Open helped to propel him into the world of professional golf and launched his European Tour career, he is now more than established in the paid ranks, having claimed his second European Tour title in last season’s Portugal Masters.

He finished one stroke clear of Ross Fisher, the man who succeeded him as Irish Open Champion in 2010, on a thrilling final day in Vilamoura to become only the second player after Pablo Martin to win as both an amateur and a professional on The European Tour.

The victory, which was followed by a fifth place finish in the lucrative BMW Masters in China, helped Lowry to 29th place on The 2013 Race to Dubai, representing steady progress after ending the 2010 season in 62nd position and the 2011 campaign in 41st place.

Lowry has already shown signs of continuing that form into the new season, finishing tied ninth in the Volvo Golf Champions, and he hopes to be in peak form in time for his national Open.

“I’ve taken a lot of confidence from that victory in Portugal,” said the current World Number 64, who is a product of the Golfing Union of Ireland, which is based on Carton House’s historic estate.

“It was massive for me. To get my first win as a professional was great. Hopefully I can now build on that and win more titles, and the Irish Open is certainly one that I am targeting this year.

“Obviously being able to stay at home during the week will be a big advantage and I cannot wait for it to come around.”

Golf fans hoping to see Lowry in action at Carton House can take advantage of a special advance ticketing offer.

An advance season ticket for all four days can be bought for €70, a saving and €10 on admission at the gate. Adult day tickets are priced at €30 pre-event, and €35 on the gate. Concessions are available at €50 for a season (€60 on the gate) and €20 for any one day (€25 on the gate).

Under-16s accompanied by an adult are admitted free of charge and all car parking is also free. Reserved grandstand seating can also be purchased immediately for Thursday, Friday and Saturday (€10) and the Sunday (€15) of the event.

Additionally, as part of the Irish Open ticket campaign, fans of golf and horse racing can enjoy both sports on the same day – Saturday, June 29 – by purchasing a specially priced ‘Irish Double’ ticket to enjoy the third round of the Irish Open and the Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby Day for a combined price of €50.

Corporate Hospitality packages are also available with prices ranging from €245 to €295 (plus VAT).

1/30/2013

Padraig Praises Captain Paul

Padraig Harrington believes a case of short man syndrome will allow Paul McGinley to pull out all the stops at the 2014 Ryder Cup.

McGinley will captain the European team as they aim to retain the title in Gleaneagles against an American side which will be led byTom Watson.

Harrington, who is preparing to play in the Waste Management Open in Phoenix this week, says that his fellow Irishman will be well prepared for the battle.

"He's a little fella and he likes to fight," Harrington said of McGinley.

"He really has that little bit from his (Gaelic) football days. He's got it inside him and will lead the team well in that respect, as well as being organised."

Harrington missed last year's Ryder Cup after a slump that took him down to 96th in the world, but he now sits just outside the top 50 and knows the importance of continuing his climb if he wants a spot at Gleneagles.

But the 41-year-old says that playing alongside McGinley, with whom he won the World Cup and played alongside in three Ryder Cups, is not an extra incentive.

He added: "I don't think it motivates me more - I'm fully motivated.

"I've known him for a long time and it's going to be fantastic having him as captain, but it would be fantastic to be in the Ryder Cup no matter who was captaining the team.

"Professional golf is one of the most selfish games that you can play. It's an individual sport and it's all about managing ourselves, but Paul McGinley loves teams.

"He's probably sacrificed the last three years of his playing career and the next 18 months for the Ryder Cup. It's been all about the team for him."

1/29/2013

Clarke Out of Desert Classic

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Darren Clarke champion was entered for the final event of the European Tour’s desert swing . Omega dubai Desrt Calssic.but his name was notably absent from the entry list over the weekend.

A spokesman for International Sports Management said: “Darren was involved in a minor traffic accident last week and is suffering from a bit of stiffness. That’s all we know.”

The 2011 Open Champion is a great lover of cars and motorbikes.

At the 2008 Australian Open at Royal Sydney he was lucky to limp away with nothing more than a bruised leg when he went head first into a bunker in a runaway golf cart. He was being driven off the course with Australia’s Robert Allenby after torrential rain stopped play but the driver sent to retrieve the players from the furthest point on the course failed to notice the yawning bunker in the middle of the sixth fairway.

Iin May 2007 the Ryder Cup star suffered severe bruising when he flipped his 250cc off-road buggy in a field at his Surrey home.

A few years earlier, Clarke took delivery of a high-speed trike for Christmas and immediately crashed it into the wall of his garage.

Paul McGinley, Gareth Maybin, Peter Lawrie, Shane Lowry, Damien McGrane and Michel Hoey all play this week at the Emirates Golf Club.

Clarke however says he will play as scheduled in India next week.

Andrew Chandler says Clarke suffered a stiff neck and "just needed to rest this week" after a car in which he was a passenger was in an accident.

Clarke will be one of 24 players taking part in next week's inaugural Pearl Golf Premier League. The event, inspired by cricket's Indian Premier League, features eight franchises that have bought the players at an auction. The teams take part in a 14-hole competition rather than the traditional 18 at the Aamby Valley golf course from February 7-10th.

1/24/2013

Hoey's Hot Putter in Doha

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Michael Hoey signed for a three under round of 69 on Thursday at the Commercial Bank Qatar Masters, ending the second round in the clubhouse just four shots off the lead, for a share of sixteenth place at the end of the morning session.

A total of five birdies for the round - with two shots dropped at the second and eighth - prompting the tweet;

"Putter was great today, 25 putts, very happy! But not so good from the tee so of to the range...."

Damien McGrane, Peter Lawrie and Gareth Maybin have yet to complete the second round at the Doha Golf Club, with the Dubliner one shot off the current projected cut of level par.

Another Dubliner, Paul McGinley, earns a weekend off after the 2014 Ryder Cup captain carded a second round 75 to finish four over par for the two days.

Butr it was Alexandre Kaleka who grabbed the outright lead at the Commercial Bank Qatar Masters, where Justin Rose remained the man to beat after a superb response to his one shot penalty in Doha.

England's World Number Four went from four under par to three under after his ball moved a fraction as he prepared to tap in for par on the 17th green on Wednesday. But he hit straight back with a closing birdie and two more came in his first five holes this morning to leave him only a two strokes off the lead.

Portugal's Ricardo Santos led overnight and while he waited for his lunchtime resumption, Challenge Tour graduate Kaleka birdied the 433 yard second to join him on seven under, before edging ahead with another gain at the fourth.

Former PGA Championship winner Simon Khan reached seven under when he picked up shots on the tenth and 16th, but then came a double-bogey seven on the long 18th.

Northern Irishman Michael Hoey was only two back after three birdies in four holes from the 14th.

Sergio Garcia and Ernie Els, three under and level par respectively, were later starters like Santos.

Rose's next dropped stroke, unlike his unfortunate incident on the opening day, was all of his own making.

His second to the long first after he had turned in 34 was fired miles right into the desert scrub and it took him three more shots to make the green.

A five foot putt did at least limit the damage to a bogey six and on five under he was still only two behind the joint leaders - Kaleka, Santos, South Africans Garth Mulroy and George Coetzee, Australian Marcus Fraser and Rose's playing partner Martin Kaymer.

Coetzee was producing the most action-packed round. He resumed with a double-bogey seven, but then had six birdies in seven holes around the turn.

Fraser was the one to break clear at the top. After nine straight pars on the back nine he grabbed five birdies in seven holes to reach nine under.

That put him two clear, but former World Number One Kaymer - hero of last September's Ryder Cup - sank a ten foot putt on the fifth to narrow the gap to one and Chilean Felipe Aguilar had a hat-trick of birdies from the 12th to be eight under as well.

Rose remained five under with four to go and compatriot Paul Casey was alongside him after birdies on the third and fourth.