The Irish Golf Club Gazette

6/18/2013

Emirates Fly High at Carton

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One of the European Tour’s most popular events, the 2013 Irish Open takes place from 27th – 30th June, returning to the spectacular Carton House Estate in Co Kildare, following a seven year absence.

Following the record-breaking, sell-out tournament at Royal Portrush in 2012, Emirates is again preparing to welcome tens of thousands of golfing fans to the Emirates Booth at Carton House, to enjoy A Taste of Dubai with traditional Arabic coffee and dates, and view all the on-course action from a live-feed plasma screen. There will be an opportunity to learn more about Emirates and the 134 destinations to which it connects customers, along with a chance to win great prizes.

Emirates’ three-year sponsorship of the Irish Open is an integral part of the international airline’s commitment to the Irish market, following the highly successful launch of its flights from Dublin in January 2012.

The agreement with The Irish Open includes course branding, tournament hospitality, advertising and on-site activity, including a corporate marquee and team participation in the Tournament Pro-Am.

Reigning champion Jamie Donaldson returns to defend his title and among his opposition will be home-bred Major Champions Rory McIlroy, Graeme McDowell, Darren Clarke and Padraig Harrington. A special home welcome will be reserved for Ryder Cup captain Paul McGinley, who will be making his first playing appearance in Ireland since his historic appointment earlier this year.

Former Irish Open Champion and rising star of international golf, Shane Lowry, will have added incentive to win, as he has been the Touring Professional for Carton House since 2012.

“Emirates’ official airline partnership with the 2012 Irish Open was our maiden sponsorship in Ireland and a strategic part of growing and cementing our brand presence in a new, emerging market,” said Margaret Shannon, Country Manager for Emirates in Ireland.

“The Irish Open is one of The European Tour’s best attended tournaments and we are looking forward to meeting and welcoming thousands of golf fans to the Emirates Booth over the four days.”

“Emirates is a world-class partner that brings added global exposure and prestige to the Irish Open,” said James Finnigan of The European Tour and the Commercial Director of the Irish Open. “This event has massive appeal, attracting audiences from all over the world, so it’s appropriate that a like-minded sponsor with an extensive reach and a strong foothold in golf is onboard.”

Irish Open Strikes Tullow Oil

James Finnigan (left), Commercial Director of the Irish Open, with Kevin Quinn, Brand Projects Manager for Tullow Oil (EuropeanTour)

Tullow Oil, the multi-national oil and gas exploration company founded in Ireland, has joined the list of Official Sponsors for this year’s Irish Open.

Launched in 1986 in Tullow, a small town approximately 35 miles south of Dublin, Tullow Oil has gone on to become an international success story, with a record annual revenue last year of more than $2.3bn.

The company now has its headquarters in London and operates across 25 different countries, but continues to have a strong presence in Ireland. It is returning to its Irish roots as an Official Sponsor of the 2013 Irish Open, which will be held at Carton House, in Co. Kildare, from June 27-30.

James Finnigan, Commercial Director of the Irish Open, said: “"We are delighted to welcome Tullow Oil to our portfolio of Official Sponsors. It is especially pleasing that an internationally successful company with a strong Irish heritage wants to be associated with Ireland's National Open.

“The tournament promises to be a celebration of the success of Irish golf, with World Number Two and reigning Race to Dubai Champion Rory McIlroy joined in field by Ireland’s three other Major Champions, Darren Clarke, Padraig Harrington and Graeme McDowell, along with Ireland’s first Ryder Cup captain, Paul McGinley, so it is a big boost for the tournament to have another internationally successful Irish company on board.”

Kevin Quinn, Tullow Brand Projects Manager, said: “Tullow is delighted to be sponsoring the 2013 Irish Open. Tullow was founded in Ireland in 1986 and we remain listed on the Irish Stock Exchange.

“We continue to have strong connections in Ireland, especially through our Dublin office which contains a great deal of Tullow's geoscience and engineering expertise."

Irish golf fans can now book their tickets to see all four of Ireland’s Major champions, and a host of other European Tour stars, in action at Carton House. An advance season ticket for all four days of The Irish Open can be bought for €70, a saving and €10 on admission at the gate. Adult day tickets are priced at €30 pre-event, and €35 on the gate. Concessions are available at €50 for a season (€60 on the gate) and €20 for any one day (€25 on the gate).

Under-16s accompanied by an adult are admitted free of charge and all car parking is also free.

A limited number of reserved seats are still available for ‘Open House@17’ – a unique feature of this year’s Irish Open where spectators can enjoy the fun of the par three 17th hole in a special grandstand for just €10 per day. From this vantage point, fans can view Carton House’s signature hole as well as the action from the rest of the course on big screens.

Anyone who has already purchased reserved seating for the 18th green grandstand will also receive automatic entrance to the 17th stand. All reserved grandstand seating for the 18th on Saturday and Sunday is now sold out.

6/17/2013

Meadow Without Maguire Twins

Leona and Lisa Maguire have declared themselves unavailable for selection for the GB&I Vagliano Trophy team to meet the Continent of Europe at Chantilly this month.

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Selectors will meet in Edinburgh this morning to choose the nine-strong side. With the 18-year-old Maguires of Slieve Russell out of contention, it is likely there will be just one Irish player in the side – Stephanie Meadow, the 2012 Ladies British Open Amateur Champion from Royal Portrush.

Meanwhile, the British Championship at Machynys Peninsula in South Wales was won by Dorset teenager Georgia Hall.

Lisa Maguire reached the quarter-finals of the championship while Leona was a third-round loser.

The biennial Vagliano Trophy matches are played between GB&I and the Continent of Europe. The matches are played in foursomes and singles format.

Thornton Seals Maiden Win

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An emotional Simon Thornton dedicated his maiden European Tour victory to his late father after the Irishman showed nerves of steel to beat Tjaart Van der Walt of South Africa in a play-off and claim the Najeti Hotels et Golfs Open presented by Neuflize OBC title on Father’s Day.

The Irishman holed several tricky putts on the back nine in an enthralling battle of wits with his South African playing partner in the final group at Aa Saint Omer Golf Club.

The most important putt of all, however, came at the 18th during regular play when, after Van der Walt sealed a par, Thornton was left with a ten-foot putt to take it to extra holes.

Under the most intense of pressure, the 36 year old rolled it into the cup and clenched his fist in celebration as he signed for a one under par 70 to finish alongside Van der Walt on five under.

He kept his cool once again in the play-off, finding the fringe of the green while Van der Walt’s approach landed in a greenside bunker and after the South African’s sand shot fell 12 feet short, Thornton rolled a perfectly-weighted putt from 30 feet which slid just left of the hole but ensured a par.

When Van der Walt’s par putt came up short, Thornton tapped in for the win, before dedicating the victory to his father, who passed away three years ago.

“It’s so big for me,” said a tearful Thornton. “On father’s day too, he passed away three years ago and it still hurts, but they are happy tears today. This is dedicated to him.

“I didn’t play particularly well today in perfect conditions but I got up and down when I had to and holed good putts.

“I didn’t put myself in position very well so I was scrambling but my short game held up. I've been working hard on my short game for a couple of years now so I'm delighted. I changed my putter and my putting technique last week too so it all came together this week.

“On the last putt – I had been saying to myself all day, if I'm going to make it easy for myself you need to try on every putt and make sure it goes where you want to hit it – so I just picked a line and willed it in and it dropped.”

Thornton’s rise is an incredible story of progression to the top of European golf against all odds, as he was a seven handicap golfer just over a decade ago.

Born in Bradford, England, he moved to Ireland to become an Assistant Professional at Royal County Down Golf Club before rising through the Irish professional ranks to the Challenge Tour and then The European Tour.

“Hopefully this is a stepping stone for me,” he said. “I’ll go home this week now and celebrate, take a week off, and then play in the Irish Open.

“Last year was a huge disappointment on The European Tour after getting there through the Challenge Tour.

“To come here and play like I did is incredible. What happens now with this category is fantastic, it’s mad how things have changed. It’s surreal.”

Van der Walt, meanwhile, was disappointed not to have claimed a first European Tour victory having shared the overnight lead after every round of the week.

The George native, however, was extremely optimistic about his game and believes the performance in northern France will spur him on to greater things in the future.

“It’s really disappointing to get so close and not finish it off,” said the 39 year old, who also carded a one under par 70 after entering the final day tied for the lead alongside Thornton and Frenchman Baptiste Chapellan.

“I just didn’t chip well today and bad wedge shots cost me a bogey at the fifth and a double-bogey at the eighth, which is unacceptable.

“But the rest of my game is pretty close. I think if I can iron out those little mistakes I can go on to win tournaments by bigger margins and I'm the kind of person who gets motivated by these kind of things so hopefully the door will open again and I can do it with flying colours next time.”

Englishman Seve Benson sealed the highest finish of his European Tour career as a one under par 70 left him in outright third place, two shots ahead of his compatriot Robert Dinwiddie whose final round of 70 earned him a fourth-placed finish.

Merion Frustrates McIlroy

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Rory McIlroy admitted frustration had got the better of him as he damaged one of his clubs in the final round of the US Open at Merion.

McIlroy drove into the water on the par-four 11th and then hit his approach into the creek short of the green as well, the world number two then leaning on the offending iron so hard he bent the shaft out of shape.

That meant he could not use the club for the rest of the round as he ran up a quadruple-bogey eight on the hole and a closing 76 to finish 14 over par.

"I just hit a bad tee shot into the creek there and what you don't want to do as a golfer is follow one mistake with another, and that's what I did," McIlroy said. "And obviously I got a bit frustrated there.

"It's a hole that you want to try to take advantage of. It's a hole that you want to at least give yourself a birdie chance and you walk off with a quad and it's not very good.

"I think that's what this tournament does to you. At one point or another it's got the better of you, and it definitely did this weekend."