Irish Open set for return to Portmarnock
After months of speculation, a package has been put together that will ensure the future of the country’s flagship golf tournament, at least in the short term. Today’s conference is being arranged by Murray Consultants, who will remain as event managers, a role they have undertaken since Murphys assumed the sponsorship in 1994.
However, they are remaining tight lipped about all other aspects of the event and their official announcement today will coincide with the release from European Tour headquarters at Wentworth of the 2003 schedule
The new date is almost certain to be July 24-27, the week immediately after the British Open at Royal St Georges, Sandwich. At first glance, that mightn’t seem very favourable as many top players like to take a break after a major championship. Here, however, is where the significance of a links venue and especially the widely esteemed Portmarnock enters the equation.
Whereas the vast majority of Americans wouldn’t be too keen on tackling any of our top parkland venues - most of which are similar to what they have back home - it would be a different matter where a top-class links was concerned. The same would obviously apply to European Tour regulars who all too rarely get a chance to savour the glories of links golf.
The Irish Open has been played 18 times at Portmarnock, most recently in 1990 when Jose-Maria Olazabal was crowned champion. It enjoyed its greatest days over the north Dublin links where other champions included Ian Woosnam, Bernhard Langer, Seve Ballesteros, Americans Hubert Green and Ben Crenshaw as well as the last Irish winner of the title, John O’Leary, in 1982.
The news that the Irish Open is likely to return to Portmarnock will be greeted especially favourably by the players who have always regarded it as one of the best and fairest courses in the world. Indeed, the Championship may well be about to enter a new phase in its distinguished history having only a short few weeks ago teetered on the brink of extinction.
When the Championship was revived by P.J. Carroll in 1975 having been off the schedule since 1954, it was staged at Woodbrook and won by Christy O’Connor Jnr.
In the field that week was the recently crowned Open champion Tom Watson, who liked what he saw but urged Pat Heneghan, the then tournament director, to bring the event to a links and preferably Portmarnock. That was the way, he maintained, to establish the Irish Open as one of the world’s premier tournaments.
History proved Watson right. The event has known many great days since it went “inland” from 1991 until 2000, when the Millennium championship moved to Ballybunion. After two great years at Fota Island, it is, in a manner of speaking, going home and will be all the better for that.
Irish Sports Council chief executive, John Treacy expressed his delight at the package last night. “We are obviously delighted that such a prestigious event has been secured and obviously glad that a sponsor has come forward to safeguard the future of the Irish Open.”
