9/20/2012

Lough Erne in Ten Million Challenge


Lough Erne Hotel and Golf Resort which went into administration last year is now on sale for £10m, around one third of the price it cost to build.

Dubai-based hotel group Jumeirah, sponsor of Lough Erne Resort's former touring professional, golfer Rory McIlory, has been suggested as a possible interested party.

The 120-bedroomed hotel has two championship golf courses, including one designed by golf star Sir Nick Faldo.

The resort cost a reported £35m to build between 2005 and 2009, including the golf courses and 25 golf lodges.

There are also 25 unfinished holiday homes with planning permission to build 18 more.

Commercial property agents CBRE said they had been instructed to sell the resort as a going concern by the administrators of the resort's founding company Castle Hume Leisure, which was headed up by Jim Treacy.

Brian Lavery, head of CBRE's Belfast office, said: "There is an extensive list of interested parties and we will now be returning to them with full details."

He said Lough Erne was the "most exciting and most high-profile" hotel to come onto the market in Northern Ireland.

The administrators have had to resolve a web of issues over title to the golf course, which have drawn in owners of adjoining land.

It's understood there were also discussions with the Rivers Agency, as some tees extend onto the lough.

Michael Williamson, hotels consultant at accountants ASM, said it was difficult to say if £10m represented a good price: "It depends on the cash generation potential of the resort.

"In some sense there is little point comparing costs on four-to-five years ago as the market has changed so much.

"It will represent good value if a buyer can generate a level of profit that justifies the price."

Chartered accountant Ken Kinsella, who works for private equity firm Gaia Equity in London and lives in Co Fermanagh, said: "I would like to see it stabilised because Jim Treacy had done so much work and had put an incredible team in place."

Bank of Scotland (Ireland) appointed KPMG as administrators to Castle Hume Leisure in May last year over debts of £26.4m.

In the meantime, it has been run by operators TifCo.

Former owner Jim Treacy acquired Castle Hume Golf Course in 1999 and started work on the resort in 2005. The hotel opened in 2007 and the rest of the resort opened in late 2009.

It also has conference and banqueting rooms for 400 people, five bar rooms or restaurants and a Thai Spa.

Source: Belfast Telegraph


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Tiger Is Intimidated by McIlroy - Norman



Greg Norman believes Rory McIlroy has assumed the mantle of the world's best player from Tiger Woods and believes the American is "really intimidated" by golf's new superstar.

Norman - a two-time major champion who is second only to Woods in weeks spent as World No.1 - claims McIlroy is now likely to set the standard in the game for the next decade or so.

The Northern Irishman has hit a purple patch of form in recent months, following his second major triumph at the USPGA Championship with back-to-back victories in the FedEx Cup play-offs.

His wins all came at events in which Woods was competing and Norman claims the American is now struggling to come to terms with McIlroy's talent and consistency.

"What I'm seeing is that Tiger's really intimidated by Rory," Norman told Fox Sports. "When have you ever seen him intimidated by another player? Never.

"But I think he knows his time's up and that's normal; these things tend to go in 15-year cycles."

He added of McIlroy: "You've got to beat the guy you're taking over from to feel that you're the top guy, and Rory's starting to do that now."

Norman also believes that Woods' desperation to secure a first major title since 2008 has seen him push too hard in those tournaments and fall out of contention.

At both the US Open and USPGA this year, the 14-time major champion was tied for the halfway lead before losing form and momentum.

Norman is adamant that is because Woods is not the player he was once and is now forcing the issue, in contrast to McIlroy who has claimed two in the last two seasons.

"The more you want something, the more you reach for it, the more it gets pushed away," Norman said. "I know all about that. I had that with the Masters.

"Tiger's pushing himself harder and harder now because he's not the force he used to be, and he knows it.

"Look at Tiger's putting stroke. It used to be rock solid. Now, it changes from Fridays to Saturdays. And that comes from pushing too hard, wanting to win that major so badly."



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9/19/2012

Furyk Lays Down McIlroy Marker


Jim Furyk has described Rory McIlroy as "a marked man" with just over a week to go to the Ryder Cup.

The 23-year-old Northern Irishman has the chance to make himself £7million richer this week by winning the Tour Championship in Atlanta and with it the FedEx Cup play-offs - just as Furyk did two years ago.

"He won the PGA by a ton of shots, won his last two events and no matter how he plays here he's right now the present day Tiger Woods where everyone's eyes are on him," Furyk said. "Tiger is still Tiger - everyone would love to see that pairing in the Ryder Cup - but obviously he (McIlroy) is a marked man."

He added: "He's the number one player in the world. He's going to garner all the attention, as well he should. He's played phenomenal this year.

"It's hard to imagine Rory not being in contention this week as well as he's been playing. I think all we can do is really worry about our game and try to get ourselves in position to try to win a golf tournament."

Only 30 players are in the field at East Lake, including all 12 of the American Ryder Cup side and European team members Lee Westwood, Luke Donald, Justin Rose and Sergio Garcia in addition to McIlroy.

As winner of the second and third legs of the play-offs, McIlroy could even finish as low as 29th on Sunday and still take the £6million FedEx bonus, but the points system is also such that he will miss out on that if Woods, Nick Watney, Phil Mickelson or Brandt Snedeker win the tournament.

Furyk came from 11th on the standings in the final week to pip Donald to the jackpot, but it was Donald who was celebrating at the end of the Ryder Cup at Celtic Manor a week later.

"The Ryder Cup is a little different animal," added Furyk, a wild card pick by United States captain Davis Love this time. "We'll have some team dinners, the big gala - you're more on someone else's schedule that week rather than your own.

"But I've been involved in a lot of them. I know what is expected of me. I know how to manage my time and how to pace myself. I made all of the rookie mistakes the first couple and was kind of worn out by Friday - I'll make sure that's not going to be the case for me and try to help some of the young guys along as well."


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Kearney is Q School Wunderbar

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Cian Curley's two-under-par 70 saw him finish as the top Irish golfer on day one of the first stage of European Tour qualifying at Wychwood Park in Cheshire.

Lucan-born Curley completed his round with a birdie to end the day tied for fifth, two shots off the lead held by Sweden's Nils Floren.

British Amateur champion Alan Dunbar is seven adrift after shooting a three-over 75, which included two birdies and five bogeys. 

Waterville's David Higgins shot a level-par 72, while Clandeboye's Jonathan Caldwell and Donal Gleeson both carded 74s.

In qualifying at Fleesensee in Germany, Royal Dublin's Niall Kearney recorded five birdies in an excellent opening three-under 69, which put him joint 15th, five strokes off the lead.

Athenry's Shane Franklin and Stephen Grant of The Heritage both came home in 76, the former's round featuring a forgettable triple-bogey seven.


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9/18/2012

Lee Laughs Off Rory Rift

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Lee Westwood has laughed off speculation of a rift between himself and Rory McIlroy and insists he would love to play alongside the world number one at the upcoming the Ryder Cup.

Talk of ill-feeling between the pair has been rife since McIlroy quit the management company Westwood has been with for 20 years, with the two then exchanging views over the split on Twitter.

But according to Westwood, they remain friends and he would love to play alongside the in-form Northern Irishman in Medinah next week.

Referring to a conversation the pair had at the BMW Championship two weeks ago, he told the Daily Telegraph: "We were talking about it as we were going around Crooked Stick. I said to him 'have you had any thoughts about who you are playing with a Medinah? Because if nobody else wants to play with you and you're desperate, I really don't mind filling in'. 

We had a laugh about that.

"There is nothing there. Fans must watch us having banter on the course thinking 'so where is this grudge?' So he left the management company I'm with. So what? It was a business decision. There is nothing personal with me.

"There is nothing between us personally that would get in the way.

"Who wouldn't want to play with Rory when he's in this nick. I'd love to. It'd be good. In fact, it would probably be way better than good, particularly in the four balls. We'd make a ton of birdies."