Moy Park Stays with DDF Irish Open

European Tour

Moy Park has announced its continuation as an Official Sponsor of the Dubai Duty Free Irish Open hosted by the Rory Foundation, which takes place at the world renowned K Club in County Kildare from May 19-22, 2016.

Moy Park, which is part of the JBS Group, the largest protein company in the world and the second largest global food business, will be celebrating its fifth year as an Official Sponsor and at this year’s tournament will showcase its products in the Moy Park food court at the Championship village food pavilion. 

Alan Gibson, Moy Park’s UK and Ireland Director, said: “As one of Ireland’s largest companies and the country’s number one poultry brand, we are delighted to continue to grow and develop our partnership with the Dubai Duty Free Irish Open – one of the world’s most iconic sporting events.

"Attracting players and visitors from across the globe, the Dubai Duty Free Irish Open gives the Moy Park brand a great platform to build upon the huge success of last year’s Championship at Royal County Down. We are thrilled that Rory McIlroy has announced his commitment to host the tournament again, on behalf of his Foundation, making this year’s Dubai Duty Free Irish Open at the prestigious K Club all the more special.”

James Finnigan, Commercial Director of the Irish Open, said: “The European Tour is delighted to secure the continued commitment of Moy Park for this year’s Dubai Duty Free Irish Open at the K Club. We are excited to be working with one of Ireland’s biggest companies who will actively promote their involvement in the championship via a number of consumer promotions. We thank Moy Park for their continued support of the Dubai Duty Free Irish Open and the European Tour.”

To celebrate its sponsorship of the Dubai Duty Free Irish Open, Moy Park has launched an on-pack competition to win a money can’t buy Irish Open experience. Running from the March 21 – April 29, shoppers across the UK and Ireland can win the ‘Ultimate Dubai Duty Free Irish Open Experience’ – which includes tickets, overnight accommodation and corporate hospitality – by picking up a promotional pack of Moy Park chicken in participating stores.

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Harrington Set to be Hero

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Padraig Harrington this week returns to India for the first time since 1992 and is in no doubt of his target in the Hero Indian Open.

“I’m looking to be in contention,” declared the Irishman in his press conference on Tuesday afternoon.

To do that, and to have a chance of following in the footsteps of the event’s inaugural champion in 2015, home favourite Anirban Lahiri, Harrington will not only have to overcome a strong field but also a course notorious for its tree-lined trickiness.

The winning score at Delhi Golf Club last year was just seven under par – SSP Chawrasia matched it but lost to his fellow Indian Lahiri in the play-off – and many players have suggested they will opt to jettison their driver, given the premium placed on straight hitting.

Not Harrington, however, who said: “I’ve heard players say they’ve taken out the driver but if I need to make eagle on the last hole then I will be hitting driver. I’ve got to have that club in my bag and that option if I’m chasing with nine holes to go.

“It is difficult off the tees. You get the ball going the wrong way and it might end up into the trees. A lot of intimidating factor off the tees but the goal is conservative off the tees and aggressive attacking the greens. 

“You have to accept that you will make a few mistakes which results in double bogeys but hopefully you make enough birdies to counter that.”

The 44 year old last played in India at the Amateur Golf Championship of India in Calcutta, and in the intervening years has forged a brilliant career, amassing 14 European Tour victories, including his Open Championship double in 2007 and 2008 and the US PGA Championship in the latter.

He last tasted victory just over a year ago in the USA, but he is intent on returning to the winner’s circle in New Delhi.

“Every week I go out there, I look to be in contention heading into the last nine holes,” he said. “I know if I did that every week, then I know I will have enough wins by the end of the year that I’ll be happy with. The goal is to have a chance and feel the pressure on Sunday.

“It is a strong field, probably stronger than I imagined. A lot of European players have come here as it is perfect scheduling time.”

Headlining the strong line-up are Lahiri, who claimed his second win in as many weeks 12 months ago, another home favourite in Jeev Milkha Singh and Australian Scott Hend, who won in Thailand last week.

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Cadillac Ranch for Rory McIlroy

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Rory McIlroy came into the WGC-Cadillac Championship insisting that everything about his game is solid right now, and that his ability to contend rested solely on his mental game.

His mind must be right, because he played a mistake-free third round at Doral on Saturday.

McIlroy made four birdies and no bogeys in the third round on the Blue Monster, his 4-under 68 getting him to 12 under for the week and three shots ahead of Adam Scott and defending champion Dustin Johnson with 18 holes left in the first World Golf Championships event of the season.

"I just played a really solid round of golf," McIlroy said.

A victory would move McIlroy to 13th in the FedExCup standings, up 109 spots from 122nd.

"I think it's Rory's to lose, really," said Danny Willett, who shot 72 and is in a group five shots off the pace. "We're going to have to go out there and play clever and play aggressive when we can, and hopefully we can knock a few birdies off and post a good number."

McIlroy has made nine birdies and nine bogeys or worse in two rounds last week at The Honda Classic, which is why his preparation for Doral could start two days early with a missed cut there.

At Doral, he hasn't been flawless, but close enough. McIlroy's last bogey was on the second hole in his second round.

In 34 holes since, it's been 11 birdies and 23 pars, fueling his climb atop the leaderboard. He took the lead with a birdie at the par-4 fifth, one of only eight made on that hole Saturday. And he escaped brushes with the sand on each of his last two holes, keeping his mistake-free streak intact.

"I've seen Rory play some great golf," Scott said. "I think he's going to be very satisfied with that round. Looked like he was under total control."

McIlroy's tee ball at the par-4 17th found a bunker -- with the wind picking up a bit -- so he simply knocked his second onto the green and two-putted from 45 feet. And his approach from the middle of the fairway on 18 landed in a greenside bunker, but he knocked in a testy 6-footer for par to cap the round.

"My first bogey-free round of the year," McIlroy said. "To do it in a round like this is very pleasing."

Johnson gave himself a chance to end his day with a great par, then missed a 4-footer. After spraying his tee shot way right, Johnson punched out and then knocked a wedge close. But he missed the par try and fell to 9 under for the tournament, 1 under for the round.

Johnson rallied from five shots back in the final round to win last year at Doral. This time, his deficit is only three.

"Anything's possible," Johnson said. "With this golf course, there's trouble on just about every hole, so I just need to go out and keep playing like I'm playing. I feel like I'm playing really well. Today I missed a couple short putts and didn't really hole any putts and still shot 1 under on a tough day. So I'm pleased with that."

Willett, Bubba Watson (71) and Phil Mickelson (70) are tied for fourth, five shots off the lead. World No. 1 Jordan Spieth struggled again, his round of 73 leaving him at 2 under for the week and tied for 17th place.

Spieth played with Justin Thomas, who followed up a 66 on Friday with a 78 on Saturday.

"A rough day for us both," Thomas said.

Sergio Garcia and Rafa Cabrera Bello, had the low rounds Saturday, each shooting 67. They're both at 5 under for the week, tied for seventh place and seven shots back of McIlroy.

Anirban Lahiri, who has never finished better than 28th in four previous WGC stroke-play events, is tied for seventh at 5 under. He shot 71 on Saturday. "This is the third day in a row that we've had a different wind. So honestly, I have no idea what to expect tomorrow," Lahiri said

Five players shot 80, including first-round co-leader Marcus Fraser who is now 20 shots off the lead.

Graeme McDowell carded a third round 70

Shane Lowry finished Saturday in 75 strokes. 

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McIlroy Back in Mix After 65

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Rory McIlroy hailed a "big improvement" in his putting during a superb round of 65 that lifted him into contention in the Cadillac Championship at Doral.

The Northern Irishman has switched to a "crosshanded" putting method after missing the cut at the Honda Classic.

The 26-year-old needed just 25 putts in a seven-under round to go eight under - two shots behind leader Adam Scott.

"I did some work on the putting green last night and it paid off today," said world number three McIlroy.

"It's great to see putts like that go in. Those are the one I have not been holing over the last few months and today I saw a big improvement.

"I saw Adam had got to 10 under so I did not want to be too far behind going into the weekend."

McIlroy carded eight birdies and a bogey in his second round and is tied for second with defending champion Dustin Johnson, who hit a bogey-free 64.

Scott, who last week won his first title in nearly two years, hit a six-under 66 to lead the field.

England's Danny Willett carded a 69 to go fourth on seven under, a stroke ahead of Charley Hoffman (70) and Bubba Watson (69) of the United States and two in front of compatriot Paul Casey (68) and another American, Phil Mickelson (72).

Shane Lowry will have been disappointed to finish with a closing bogey to sign for a 73 and a level par total. Starting on the 10th, he turned in one over but a birdie on the eighth, his 17th, was undone on the par-three ninth.

Graeme McDowell signed for a 71 to his opening 74 to be one over at the halfway stage.

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McIlroy Fails to Tame Blue Monster

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Rory McIlroy refused to blame his new putting technique for a disappointing opening round in the WGC-Cadillac Championship after the new approach initially promised to pay instant dividends.

After missing the cut in the Honda Classic last week, McIlroy changed to a “crosshanded” putting method – with his left hand below the right on the grip – and vowed to stick with it regardless of the short-term outcome, with his bid to complete the career Grand Slam at the Masters just five weeks away.

The early signs were promising as McIlroy carded five birdies in his first 10 holes on the famed ‘Blue Monster’ course alongside world number one Jordan Spieth and US PGA champion Jason Day.

But the 26-year-old then three-putted the eighth – his penultimate hole – for par and found water with his tee shot on the ninth, the resulting double bogey meaning he had to settle for an opening 71, five shots behind clubhouse leaders Marcus Fraser and Scott Piercy.

McIlroy had jokingly threatened to throw his putter in the water on the eighth, a reference to last year’s incident when his three iron was despatched to a watery grave on the same hole in frustration at an errant shot.

“One club in the water here is enough, I think,” the Northern Irishman joked.

Asked about taking 33 putts and holing just one outside 10 feet (a 14-footer on the 17th), McIlroy told reporters: “My speed wasn’t too good on the greens. I was leaving a lot of putts short.

“But I guess that’s to be expected. It’s the first day competitively with a bit of a new grip. But I felt like it was pretty good.”

Piercy was seven under par after 11 holes but eventually carded a 66 after a bogey on the last when his ball plugged in a grass bank on the edge of a lake, while Fraser also reached seven under before dropping his only shot of the day on the eighth.

It was nevertheless a superb effort from the 37-year-old Australian, who won in Malaysia a fortnight ago and was 15th in the Perth International last week before making the 11,000-mile journey to Miami.

Phil Mickelson, who has not won since claiming his fifth Major title in the 2013 British Open at Muirfield, was a shot off the lead, with Danny Willett, Jason Dufner, Charley Hoffman and Honda Classic winner Adam Scott all on four under.

“I hit a lot of good shots, I was really pleased with the way the round went,” Mickelson told Sky Sports. “I probably let a few shots go early on, but I hit a lot of good shots, I was patient with the round and on my second nine I was able to make some birdies and capitalise on some of the shots.”

Spieth carded five birdies and two bogeys to finish three under, with world number two Day faring the worst of the marquee group with a level-par 72.

Asked about playing alongside Day and McIlroy, Spieth said: “We had fun and for a while there were feeding off each other, turning in two, two and three under.

“It was nice to try and get into a rhythm together because the last few weeks have been a little rough on all three of us.

“I’ve been doing quite a bit of work. I don’t feel great about the way I am striking the ball. I’m working really hard trying to develop patience through my swing and get into my right side. I have been transitioning a little quick and that leads to a shorter swing and more inconsistent ball striking.”

Shane Lowry recovered from two bogeys in his opening seven holes to turn his round around and sign for a round of 71. 

Although he suffered a bogey on the 11th after his tee shot found the left rough, Lowry’s approach play on the 17th – where he was left with a tap-in – brought him back to one under and a safe par on the treacherous 18th.

Graeme McDowell shot an opening 74 with a lot of ground to make up on Friday.

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