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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Irish Open on G-MAC Bucket List

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Graeme McDowell hopes to knock the Irish Open off his 'bucket list' by returning to the winners' circle this weekend.

McDowell is looking to bounce back from a US Open missed cut at Carton House, with a strong field including Rory McIlroy, Darren Clarke and Padraig Harrington also on show.

But McDowell says he has a little extra motivation to succeed this week as he looks to end a drought for Northern Ireland in the tournament that dates back almost 70 years.

"There's no doubt the Irish Open is on my golfing bucket list," said McDowell, who has two tournament successes to his name this year.

"It's an event that I've never really competed in. It's an event I would love to win and I would love to add it to my CV.

"To win your national Open is a very special win in a player's heart. It's been almost 70 years since a Northern Irish player has won this event (Fred Daly in 1946). That's a stat we would love to change this weekend.

"There's no doubt I would love to win this one. It's certainly one I'll be giving 100 per cent to this week.

"It kicks off a very busy summer of golf for me and Merion has done nothing but motivate me and make me more hungry for being in the mix come the weekend. I'm ready to go this week and I'm looking forward to it."

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Donaldson Returns to Defend Irish Title

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A year ago Jamie Donaldson had not won on The European Tour, but 12 months on he arrives at Carton House as the defending Irish Open Champion.

The Welshman started last year at Royal Portrush in ideal fashion with a hole in one on the par three sixth, and his week got better and better en route to an impressive closing 66 and a four shot victory over a trio of quality players.

Since then Donaldson has also added Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship glory to his résumé after an impressive display in the desert that saw him hold off the likes of Thorbjørn Olesen and recent US Open Champion Justin Rose by a stroke.

That win saw him jump up to 29th in the Official World Golf Ranking, and having earned his place in the world’s elite top 50, he returns to Carton House as a different player and a strong contender this week on a course that is set up a little easier than seven years ago, when the event was last held at the Maynooth venue.

“It’s great to be back in Ireland,” admitted Donaldson. “It’s also great to be back at Carton House as it’s a great golf course and it is set up very well. It's favouring lower scoring than last time I came here too, so I'm slightly happier about that, as the rough is not as brutal as it was.

“Reflecting on Portrush, it was a very special week for me. To play in front of 130,000 people through the gates during the week, massive crowds on what was a tough and fantastic golf course, Portrush, and to have a hole-in-one at the start of the week was pretty amazing. It was a Cinderella story, wasn't it.”

Donaldson missed the cut the last two times the Irish Open was held on the Montgomerie Course at Carton House, but in the seven years since the defending champion has clearly matured as a player, and as such, is confident of putting up a stern defence.

He said: “My record's not that good the two times I've been here before, but I wasn't as good a golfer as I am now the last time I came here. What's important is the fact that I'm playing well now and looking forward to it.

“I can see last time I came here that I wasn't seeing the shots, now I can see them and I'm playing them, which is very important. It will be a good week.”

The defending champion gets his defence underway alongside Irishmen Padraig Harrington and Graeme McDowell from the first at 12.50pm on Thursday, in what promises to be one of the marquee three balls of the day.

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2013 Irish Open - Draw

Rory McIlroy will get his quest for a maiden Irish Open title underway at 7.50am from the tenth tee alongside his good friend, and Carton House resident, Shane Lowry as well as Thomas Björn, who won this event in 2006 – the last time it was held at the Maynooth venue.

Other Irish interest will also come from The 2014 Ryder Cup Captain, Paul McGinley, who tees off 20 minutes later alongside the recent Nordea Masters Champion Mikko Ilonen and the Omega Dubai Desert Classic winner Stephen Gallacher.

In the afternoon, defending champion Jamie Donaldson is sure to draw a large crowd from the tenth tee alongside his all-Irish playing partners Padraig Harrington and Graeme McDowell, just moments before Darren Clarke tees off with Francesco Molinari and the 2010 Irish Open Champion Ross Fisher for company.

Other notables include Brandon Stone, who marked his professional debut at last week’s BMW International Open with a tie for tenth in Munich. The young South African will tee it up alongside Jean-Baptiste Gonnet and Matthew Baldwin at 2pm from the tenth.

Welsh amateur Rhys Pugh, who received a sponsor’s invitation courtesy of his European Amateur Championship victory at Carton House last August, starts his second European Tour appearance alongside Robert Coles and Scott Henry at 9.30am from the tenth.

To see the full draw, please click here.

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Local Knowledge is Lowry Key

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Shane Lowry is hoping to put his local knowledge to good use this week as he returns home to Carton House for the Irish Open.

Lowry won this event in 2009 as an amateur at County Louth Golf Club, Baltray after overcoming Engand’s Robert Rock in a play-off in the pouring rain, and since then has added to this with a maiden professional triumph at the Portugal Masters last October.

The Irishman has also made his home at Carton House and plays the course regularly when he is not travelling, and coming off a strong showing at the BMW International Open last week, where he shot a closing round of 65 to finish in a tie for 22nd, he is clearly very confident of a strong display this week.

“It’s definitely a huge, huge week for me and I’ve been looking forward to it ever since it was announced that the tournament was going to be here last year,” admitted Lowry. “I live here, play this golf course every week when I’m home, and I’m therefore really looking forward to it and hopefully I can have a good weekend.

“The golf was going good last week after opening up with two easy rounds of 69, it felt easy, and then it felt like my arms had been chopped off and I played poorly on Saturday. All I wanted to do Sunday morning was go out and shoot a decent score and get some confidence for this week and I managed to shoot a very easy bogey free 65 which was nice, and it gives me a lot of confidence going into this week.

“Hopefully I can give myself a chance to win this week as I definitely know that if I give myself a chance on the back nine this Sunday then I can pull it off and that’s just the confidence I’ll need this weekend.”

Put this current form alongside the pressure of playing in your national open on your home course and Lowry would be forgiven for feeling under pressure, however the Irishman sees it as an advantage, and he cannot wait to get going on Thursday.

He said: “It might look like there should be more pressure on me, but I think it is an advantage if anything as I play this golf course week in, week out and I know it like the back of my hand and I’ve always said that was the main reason I won in Baltray, because I knew the golf course so well.

“I’m definitely looking forward to it. I’m excited about it. I can’t wait and I’m looking forward to having all my friends and family up to watch me as well so if you ask me if that is added pressure then I don’t think so, that pressure is more of a privilege really.

“Portrush last year was brilliant, the crowds were amazing, the golf course was great, but I think we’re going to have just as good a week this week as the weather is going to be quite nice so the crowds are going to come out and watch us and hopefully if we get an Irish challenger over the weekend then we can get an extra couple of thousand people in the gates so it should be good.”

All the evidence therefore points to Lowry having a strong week at Carton House from Thursday, but he knows he will be hard pushed to finish as top Irishman if the likes of Darren Clarke, Padraig Harrington, Graeme McDowell, Rory McIlroy and Ryder Cup Captain Paul McGinley play their best.

“Top Irishman is tough these kinds of weeks,” said Lowry. “We have some of the best players in the world, and I think if you’re top Irishman this week then you won’t be too far off the top of the leaderboard.”

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