Star Cast at Dubai Duty Free Irish Open

The success of the 2015 Dubai Duty Free Irish Open Hosted by the Rory Foundation - the first Irish Open sponsored by Dubai Duty Free - plus record prize money for this year's championship, has tempted a star-studded cast to The K Club in County Kildare from May 19-22.

Led by reigning Masters Champion Danny Willett, the field includes eight Major champions among 12 top-50 players in the Official World Golf Ranking. Rory McIlroy heads up the Irish contingent of Major champions, which includes 2007 Irish Open Champion Padraig Harrington, Darren Clarke and Graeme McDowell, with Germany’s Martin Kaymer, Korea’s Y.E. Yang and South Africa’s Trevor Immelman making up one of the strongest fields in the tournament’s history.

Colm McLoughlin, Executive Vice Chairman of Dubai Duty Free, said: “The terrific inaugural tournament at Royal County Down last year, plus the fact that the Rory Foundation will continue to host the event was central to our decision to extend our sponsorship to 2018. 

“We are also pleased that as a result of our sponsorship commitment, The European Tour has announced an increase in prize money from €2,500,000 to €4million, making it one of the highest purses on the 2016 Race to Dubai and very appealing for international players to participate.

The staging of the tournament at The K Club, which has recently undergone a major expansion, is another positive. With all these things combined, we are looking forward to a great event.

“By sponsoring the Irish Open it lifts the significance of the event considerably. At last year’s event it felt to me a bit like the re-birth of the tournament, with Dubai Duty Free and the Rory Foundation behind it. Having been without a title sponsor for a number of years it’s been a great boost for the event. The Dubai Duty Free brand is well recognised around the world and we certainly have a global reach. We believe that being involved in golf, is a good thing, particularly with golf being one of Ireland’s biggest attractions.”

McIlroy said: “The support we had last year from all our on-going sponsors, including fellow Dubai sponsorsEmirates Airline and Jumeirah Golf Estates, fans, volunteers and Royal County Down with a ‘sell-out’ tournament, attracting more than 100,000 spectators was incredible. It exceeded all expectations. I’ve got a good relationship with Colm McLoughlin and Dubai Duty Free and I’ve got a long-standing history with Dubai. I’ve got to know Colm over the years just by playing tournaments in the UAE. With our Foundation being involved it aligned very well with their charitable Foundation. It just seemed like a good fit. 

“I was absolutely delighted when Colm and Dubai Duty Free came on board. They have a great sponsorship history in the Middle East and in Ireland and England, and the association has given the tournament that extra kudos. Coming together to benefit the lives of young people can only be a good thing. The other important thing for me is that I can learn a lot from Colm and his extensive experience doing charitable work.

“I would like to thank Colm McLoughlin and Keith Pelley, Chief Executive of The European Tour for supporting my vision to develop the Dubai Duty Free Irish Open Hosted by the Rory Foundation into one of the leading events on The European Tour’s schedule, over the next three years. I am sure The K Club, celebrating the 25th anniversary of the club and their 10th anniversary as host of the 2006 Ryder Cup, and having held 11 European Opens, will be an excellent venue for the 2016 Irish Open.”

McLoughlin was equally impressed by Rory’s efforts with the tournament: “Rory has done a remarkable job in attracting the top golfers to play in the Dubai Duty Free Irish Open and bringing his Foundation into the mix has been a great initiative.”

Keith Pelley said: “The Irish Open is one of the most prestigious and most eagerly anticipated tournaments on The Race to Dubai, and having two powerful global brands in Dubai Duty Free and Rory McIlroy supporting the event as well as a record prize fund, will ensure that continues. We are delighted that Dubai Duty Free have pledged themselves to the tournament through until 2018 and we thank them for their continued commitment and vision, not just to the Irish Open but to The European Tour as a whole.

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McIlroy Overcomes Sawgrass with 64

McIlroy at Sawgrass R2 - Getty Images

Rory McIlroy’s second round in The Players produced a career-best 64, to move to eight-under-par at TPC Sawgrass, and some satisfaction over course that has over the years has caused the Holywood golfer grief.

McIlroy wasted no time in making his move, an opening with a 25 foot for birdie on the 10th, his first of the day, which was followed by four birdies in a row. There was a six-footer on 15 for his fifth birdie and then rolled in a 55 footer from off the green for eagle on the Par 5 16th.

That run on his front nine enabled him to match the day-old record of 29 strokes set by Shane Lowry on Thursday. “The back nine could not have played any easier,” admitted McIlroy.

However the fireworks of that stretch didn’t continue into the homeward run,  with further birdies at the second and seventh only to come unstuck on the Par 5 ninth where McIlroy opted to lay-up with his approach. 

Having left 270 yards to the front of the green he played a poor third shot into the grassy bank of a greenside bunker and ran up a bogey six.

“I guess I have got it in my head that any time I have went for the green it hasn’t really worked out that well for me. With hindsight, that pin being on the left side, (hitting it) anywhere on the right and I would have had a chance to get up and down. But I thought if I get it within 100 yards and take my chance from there. I didn’t hit a great third shot. Maybe if I had it back, I would go for the green,” explained McIlroy, who had eyed a possible 62 if he’d managed to birdie his closing hole.

A round of 64 moved him into contention and into a position far removed from his early years in playing at Sawgrass when he missed the cut in his first three appearances in the tournament. 

“I hit a lot of quality shots, hopefully I’ll continue to see that over the weekend.”

McIlroy wasn’t the only one to take advantage of benign conditions and soft greens, as Colt Knost hit all 18 greens in regulation and shot a course record equalling 63 to leapfrog through the field to lie on 135 at the halfway stage.

Knost even had a chance to set a new course record, but three-putted the 18th for a bogey. “I was fine over the first putt. I was trying to two-putt it, which is probably the problem instead of trying to make it. I was a little nervous over the second one. I knew what it was for. But I didn’t hit a bad putt, I hit it on the left lip and it just stayed there and lipped out.”

Graeme McDowell fired a second round 70 for 142 to at least survive the midway cut.

Pádraig Harrington’s 74 means he missed back-to-back cuts after also failing to survive at the Wells Fargo last week.

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McIlroy Wells Fargo Charge Fades

McIlroy Quail Hollow - Getty Images

Rory McIlroy, the tournament's only two-time winner, had two bogeys in the first four holes and shot 73.

The two-time tournament champion who shot 11-under 61 last year in the third round on his way to a runaway victory, couldn't muster that same magic on Saturday.

He struggled throughout his round with his accuracy off the tee and putting. A double bogey on the ninth hole and bogey on the 11th seemed to zap him of any momentum and likely a chance at becoming the tournament's first three-time winner.

McIlroy said the course is "tricky," especially on the back nine but said his game still isn't where it needs to be.

"There's been spells where it's been good and I've had a couple of chances to win this year, but it's a work in progress," said McIlroy, who has not won on the PGA TOUR this season. 

"I'm trying to stay patient, as patient as possible, but there are definitely times out on the course where I get quite frustrated."

Rickie Fowler is looking to jumpstart his season at a course where he first won on the PGA Tour.

Fowler shot a 4-under 68 on Saturday to take the third-round lead at the Wells Fargo Championship.

Fowler, who broke through at Quail Hollow Club in 2012 for his first tour title, had a one-stroke lead over Roberto Castro, with Justin Rose and James Hahn two strokes back.

Rickie won THE PLAYERS Championship and Deutsche Bank Championship last year and took the European Tour event in Abu Dhabi early this year. Though he blew a late lead and lost the Phoenix Open in a playoff this season, he has the confidence to handle pressure situations in the final round. That's something he admitted he didn't have five years ago.

"It's completely different," Fowler said. "I would say before (it was) maybe not the complete belief or knowledge of knowing what to do and how to win to get the job done. But now it's fun to go out there and go take care of business."

Castro was atop the leaderboard most of the day, but bogeyed the 18th hole for a 71.

Winless on the tour, he said he's looking forward to playing with Fowler in the final group Sunday.

"If you want to win a tournament out here and really win a marquee event like this one, you're going to have to grab your hat and play with one of the top five players in the world probably the final round," Castro said. "So that's what I've got tomorrow so I'm excited about it."

Fowler parred the first seven holes Saturday before heating up with three straight birdies on Nos. 8-10. It appeared things were starting to crumble after bogeys on 10 and 12, but Fowler came back strong with three straight birdies starting on No. 14 to pull into a tie for the lead. He had a little luck along the way.

Fowler avoided potential trouble on the 18th hole when his ball held up in the high grass instead of rolling into the creek along left side of the fairway. Playing with the ball well above his feet, Fowler ripped an iron onto the green and saved par.

Phil Mickelson and defending champion Rory McIlroy struggled, dropping eight shots behind Fowler.

Mickelson, looking for his first win at the Quail Hollow Club in 13 starts, was in contention until a quadruple-bogey 8 on his old nemesis, the 18th hole. He finished with a 76.

He found the creek on his approach shot and, after taking a drop, needed three chips before finding the green and two-putting for an 8.

Mickelson's struggles on the final hole at Quail Hollow have been well documented. In the 51 career rounds, he is 21 over on No. 18 -- a hole he said earlier this week simply doesn't set up well for the left-hander.

Rose has quietly put himself in contention on Sunday after rounds of 70, 70 and 69.

He said the course, which will host the PGA Championship next year, is playing extremely hard especially given the gusty wind this week.

"This type of scoring would definitely hold up in a PGA Championship," Rose said. "They're not looking for us to shoot even par like a U.S. Open. Single digits under par is really good golf and it's a sign of a great golf course."

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McIlroy Mixed Day at Wells Fargo

McIlroy at Wells Fargo - Getty Images

Rory McIlroy moved into contention midway through his second round at the Wells Fargo Championship in North Carolina on Friday before dropping down the field at Quail Hollow by the last hole.

The world number three did well to avoid a double-bogey on the 18th hole – when he pitched to within a couple of feet of the pin having had to take a penalty drop after finding water with his second shot – to card a three-under 69 that moved him to two under, six shots behind clubhouse leader Andrew Loupe.

McIlroy’s wedge play was the key to his success, a brilliant chip-in eagle from 80 feet at the seventh kick-starting a run that saw him knock in three straight birdies to get to five under for his round after 10 holes

He was within four shots of Loupe at that stage, the American having earlier carded a one-under 71 to post a mark of eight under. But McIlroy failed to keep the foot down, making three bogeys on the final seven holes, with just one more birdie coming on the 14th.

Shane Lowry was two shots outside the cut after carding a a one-over second round of 73.

Pádraig Harrington also missed the weekend with five-over par 77 second round left him on seven over.

Phil Mickelson used his short game pedigree to claw his way within three strokes of Loupe.

The five-times Major champion hit only nine greens in regulation but used his vaunted touch around the greens to piece together a two-under 70.

He got up-and-down to save par on eight occasions, his lone bogey coming at his final hole, where he drove into a bunker.

“I scrapped it around,” said Mickelson. “My short game was sharp. I hit a lot of good iron shots, but I had to play for par a little too many times because I didn’t put it in play off the tee,” he said.

Loupe, who shared the first-round lead with fellow American Steve Wheatcroft, had a chance to build a substantial advantage, only to bogey two of his final three holes for a 71.

“It’s half-time,” said the long-hitting Loupe, who is without a win in 53 starts on the PGA Tour and understands a 36-hole lead counts for little.

American Roberto Castro was one shot behind Loupe on seven under after a fine six-under 66.

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Seamus Power Maiden Web.com Win

Seamus Power

Seamus Power took advantage of the other leaders' late problems to win the United Leasing & Finance Championship on Sunday for his first Web.com Tour title.

"It still hasn't really sunk in. Crazy day," the 29-year-old Power, the first Irish winner on the tour. "But, yeah, obviously, over the moon. It's going to take me a couple hours to figure out what it all means, but yeah, right now I'm just very happy and obviously over the moon."

Power shot a bogey-free 5-under 67 at Victoria National to finish at 12-under 276. He birdied the par-4 17th and parred the par-4 18th.

"To be honest I was just trying to post a number and hope for the best," Power said. "I knew the finish was playing very, very difficult, so to pick one up at 17 was a huge bonus. Then got a good up-and-down at the last after a poor second shot. So when I finished I didn't think it was going to win, but I saw some of the guys dropping shots and just hoped for the best, and it obviously worked out."

Third-round leader Adam Schenk, Cody Gribble and Jonathan Randolph finished a stroke back. Schenk, from nearby Vincennes, made a double bogey on par-5 15th in a 70. Gribble bogeyed the final two holes — hitting into the water over 18 — for a 69. Randolph bogeyed the 17th in a 67.

Roger Sloan was fifth at 10 under after a 69. The Canadian drove into the water on the final two en route to double bogeys.

Power earned $108,000 to jump from 47th to seventh on the money list with $131,733, with the top 25 at end of the regular season earning PGA Tour cards.

"That's where you're trying to get," Power said. "If I didn't see myself doing that, there wouldn't be a point in playing. This is a huge win, but at the same time, it's a stepping stone for where I'm trying to be. But it's a huge step, so I'm excited."