Ghostbuster Murray in Portrush Pro-Am

A host of stars from Hollywood screen, entertainment, and sport are now on course to take part in the Irish Open Pro-Am at Royal Portrush Golf Club on Wednesday June 27.

Principle sponsor of the Irish Open, the Northern Ireland Tourist Board (NITB), has revealed that Moonrise Kingdom, Lost in Translation and Ghostbusters! star Bill Murray will be joined by his brother Joel, star of the newly released God Bless America and well-known for his roles in The Artist and hit TV series Mad Men.

Irish-American actor Aidan Quinn, whose credits include Desperately Seeking Susan, The Mission, Legends of the Fall and Michael Collins, has also accepted an invitation to play.

Recording artist and Australian X Factor judge Ronan Keating and Northern Irish football legends Martin O’Neill and Pat Jennings are also expected to compete alongside rugby stars Andrew Trimble and David Humphreys, while former jockey and National Hunt trainer Tom Taaffe is also chomping at the bit to play the famous Portrush course.

NITB Chief Executive Alan Clarke is looking forward to showing these high profile visitors the many sights Northern Ireland has to offer during their visit to what promises to be one of the largest events on the 2012 tourism calendar.

He said: “The Irish Open is a fantastic opportunity for those involved in local tourism and sport to showcase our fantastic facilities here in Northern Ireland and the quality of the event is reflected in the attendance of such high profile guests from sport and screen.

“Their attendance will further raise the profile of Northern Ireland golf as an exciting and fast developing destination. We have a full programme of activity planned for these guests to make sure that their trip is a memorable one and many will be staying on to enjoy the tournament, see other parts of Northern Ireland and sample a wide variety of other golf courses.

“This is one of the most eagerly anticipated Irish Open tournaments in the history of this prestigious event as the competition makes its long awaited return to Northern Ireland for the first time in almost 60 years. With our three home grown major golf champions, a world class course and a fantastic line-up competing for the prize, it’s really no surprise that this event has captured the imaginations of celebrities and public alike.”

With the Irish Open now only two weeks away, The European Tour is expecting the event to be a sell-out with a crowd of 100,000 expected over the four days from Thursday June 28 to Sunday July 1.

NITB’s Alan Clarke said that it’s still not too late though to catch Rory McIlroy and company in action.

“Tickets have been selling like hot cakes since going on sale,” said Clarke, “but although Saturday and Sunday are pretty much sold out, there is still some availability for Thursday and Friday’s play with a variety of accommodation and package options still up for grabs. I would urge however that people book in advance and don’t risk turning up on the day and expecting to get in”.

www.discovernorthernireland.com or www.ni2012.com.

Attack Best Form of Defense - McIlroy

Rory McIlroy has decided that the best way to try to keep his US Open title - something only Curtis Strange has done in the past 61 years - is to attack.

Despite the Olympic Club in San Francisco being a far harder test than Congressional was a year ago, the 23-year-old Northern Irishman plans to take it on.

"I didn't expect to be saying that before I got here - I thought there would be a lot more irons off tees," said McIlroy after practising with Lee Westwood and Graeme McDowell. "I reckon I'm going to use my driver eight or nine times. I'm coming in with the mindset that I'm going to attack the golf course and play aggressively when I can."

He added: "Obviously you have to be smart, but you've got to take your chances around here. It gives you a few opportunities where you can make birdies.

"The rough is not as bad as maybe in previous years. You can get away with some tee shots. Really you just need to know your way around and know where you can miss it.

"People say it's fiddly, but I'm going to try to take the course on. If you make some bogeys you can hide them with a few red numbers (birdies)."

If not quite back to feeling supremely confident then McIlroy is certainly sounding more upbeat than he was after missing three successive cuts.

He added last week's event in Memphis to his schedule and was tied for the lead until going in the water and double-bogeying the final hole.

"It was a really good idea that I went there. I definitely feel more comfortable about my game than if I hadn't played," he said. "I'm feeling ready to go. The missed cuts were maybe what I needed - you've still got to work hard, put the time and effort in."

He plays the opening two rounds on Thursday and Friday with Westwood and Luke Donald - his fellow members of the world top three in other words.

Rory Really Ready for US Open

One year on from announcing his arrival as a golfing superstar with a truly devastating display, World Number Two Rory McIlroy tees up at the Olympic Club this week bidding to become the first man for more than two decades to successfully defend the US Open Championship title.

At Congressional Country Club 12 months ago, McIlroy left a world-class field trailing in his wake to win by eight strokes from Jason Day and so record the largest margin of victory since Tiger Woods triumphed by 15 shots in the 2000 US Open Championship at Pebble Beach.

McIlroy will have a rejuvenated Woods to contend with in San Francisco, as well as the BMW PGA Champion Luke Donald of England – the one player above the Ulsterman in the Official World Golf Ranking.

Donald, McIlroy and World Number Three Lee Westwood, who warmed up with an impressive victory at last week’s Nordea Masters, will headline a 46-strong European Tour contingent hoping to keep the US Open Championship title in European hands, following Graeme McDowell’s success in 2010. 

As part of his preparations to emulate the achievements of American Curtis Strange, who won back-to-back US Open Championships in 1988 and 1989, McIlroy recently played three practice rounds at the Olympic Club in the company of his long-term coach, Michael Bannon.

Having familiarised himself with its penal rough and lightning fast greens, McIlroy is expecting a fearsome test when the 7,170 yards, par 70 Lake Course plays host to the 112th edition of the US Open Championship from Thursday. 

McIlroy said: “It was a very productive weekend. I did a lot of good work with my coach, and also got to see the course for next week. They made a few changes and it’s a really good set-up. So I got a lot out of it and I can’t wait to get going for real now.

“Last year at Congressional it was pretty wet and the course played fairly soft, but I’m expecting the Olympic this year to be a little similar to Pebble [Beach] in 2010. The course will be fast and firm, so it won’t necessarily be long hitters who will do well there – you just really need to control your ball.

“So if you can shoot four rounds of 70 you’ll have a great chance, because I shouldn’t think par will be too far away from winning. The US Open is probably the toughest test we face all year, which perhaps explains why there hasn’t been a repeat champion since Curtis [Strange]. But obviously I’m going to try my hardest to make that happen this year.

“Winning my first Major last year was a life-changing experience. You always dream and hope one day that you’ll be able to do it, and to make that dream become a reality is something that was very special, because it puts you among an elite group of players who can call themselves Major winners. So people always view you a little differently, and maybe you gain a little bit more respect from guys who have won Majors when you join the club.”

In light of his consistency over the past two seasons, Donald undoubtedly deserves to join that exclusive club, and the 34 year old believes his dominant display on the West Course at Wentworth Club last month was the perfect warm-up for his bid to secure the Major title which would complete a glittering CV.

The Englishman returned to the summit of the World Ranking after holding off his compatriot Justin Rose by four shots in The European Tour’s flagship event, and Donald is now determined to cement his status as the world’s pre-eminent golfer with victory in San Francisco.

Similarly, World Number 7 Rose, whose runner-up finish at the BMW PGA Championship propelled him to the top of The Race to Dubai, is also a strong contender to capture his maiden Major, having won the biggest prize of his career at the WGC-Cadillac Championship in March.

The only other European Tour Member in the top twelve of the World Ranking, Germany’s Martin Kaymer, already has one Major to his name, having captured the US PGA Championship in 2010.

Like McDowell at Pebble Beach, Kaymer proved he could cope with the intense pressure of leading a Major Championship on the final day, and the duo will be among the favourites to succeed McIlroy as champion.

From Nairn to Dun Laoghaire for Curtis

The attendance figures for the 37th Curtis Cup match exceeded the Ladies Golf Union's anticipated figure of around 8,000 at The Nairn Golf - a record for a three-day Curtis Cup fixture in Scotland. 

"9,190 beats the St Andrews figure in 2008 by miles," said a delighted Susan Simpson, the LGU Head of Golf Operations. 

The 38th Curtis Cup match in 2014 will be played at St Louis Country Club, Missouri. 

The next Curtis Cup on this side of the Atlantic will be the 39th and will be hosted by Dun Laoghaire Golf Club, near Dublin in 2016. 

CAPTAIN TEGWEN MATTHEWS (Great Britain and Ireland) 

"This is the best day in my whole life. I'm really going to party tonight. The only sad bit is that Sue Turner (the team manager who died after being appointed) was not here to share this triumph with us. But I bet she's partying up in heaven! Kelly Tidy's win in the top singles was so important."

"She has such an impressive match-play record that I deliberately put her in at No 1 so that she would have the chance to win and the good news would filter down through the team in the matches behind. And that's exactly what happened. What a great effort by Kelly to come back so brilliantly from three down after six holes to win the top singles in a Curtis Cup."

"It was vital for the overall team spirit during the afternoon. It is a very special moment too to think that we now have the Curtis Cup, the Ryder Cup, the Walker Cup and the Solheim Cup in our possession on this side of the Atlantic. Majestic that the GB and I women's amateur team completed the set."

PAT CORNETT (United States). 

"Our girls did not play badly. It was simply a case of the GB and I girls played that bit better. I am proud of the United States effort. Both teams, in fact, played the game in the spirit that Margaret and Harriet Curtis envisaged when they put up the idea of a Curtis Cup international match."

"I think the turning point - when the match started to turn the way of GB and Ireland - was near the end of the second day when the home team won two late four-ball matches."

MOST SUCCESSFUL PLAYERS 

Brooke Pancake finished as the MVP (the most successful player) of the 2012 Curtis Cup with 3 1/2 pt out of a possible five by the American. 

Top players for GB and I were Kelly Tidy, Holly Clyburn and Stephanie Meadow who each earned 3pt. 

GB AND I Great Britain and Ireland teams have a 100 per cent winning record at The Nairn Golf Club. Victories were recorded in the 1991 Vagliano Trophy, the 1999 Walker Cup and now the 2012 Curtis Cup.

Olympic Greens Good says GMAC

Photo: Getty Images

Graeme McDowell has hailed the quality of the greens at this year's US Open and admits he is looking forward to challenge of tackling Olympic Club's monstrous par-five 16th hole.

The US Open is traditionally regarded as perhaps the most demanding of all the majors and the Ulsterman believes that will be no different this week.

However, after arriving in San Francisco over the weekend to get an early look at the Olympic Club course, McDowell is impressed by what he has seen and had particular words of praise for the condition of the greens.

"To me it seems like it's a left-to-right players set-up and I like the way it sets up for me so far," he told Sky Sports News HD.

"The greens are maybe the best greens I've seen in a very, very long time. They roll perfectly and it's going to be a great test - it's the US Open and we expect it to be tough."

This year's event will also see the longest hole ever to be played in a major with the par-five 16th at Olympic Club measuring a whopping 670 yards.

McDowell concedes that will take some reaching for him, but feels even the longest hitters will not be able to take it on.

"It's a driver, three-wood and maybe a medium iron so it's interesting," he continued.

"I'm looking forward to seeing it obviously. It's a three-shotter for everyone which I like I suppose."

McDowell revealed he is delighted to be back in California for the season's second major having won the event two years ago in the same state at Pebble Beach.

"I'm here feeling good, California has been a good state for me, 2010 I won twice in the state - most notably at Pebble and we're just up the road from Pebble," he added.

"The air feels the same, it's got that ocean breeze feel to it.

"The air is heavy and the ball doesn't fly so far in the mornings here and you've really got to give the wind a lot of respect here.

"It's a nice buzz here, San Francisco is an amazing city and this place (Olympic Club) has already got a great feel to it."