West coast links to host major pro tournament

ONE of the great links on the west coast is set to be at the centre of a major professional tournament in 2007/’08.

The European Tour has been involved in co-sanctioned tournaments for several years with their counterparts in Asia, Japan, South Africa, Australia and more recently New Zealand. It has now emerged that they have convinced the USPGA that they should also become partners in similar fashion, and negotiations have advanced to such a stage that a tournament involving members of both circuits is likely to be held in the south-west of Ireland as soon as the 2006 Ryder Cup is out of the way.

My information is that Kerry is the most desirable location for prospective sponsors with Ballybunion, host to the 2000 Murphys Irish Open, and Waterville among the front runners, while Killarney is another obvious location. Discussions are at a preliminary but very positive stage, according to an informed source.