Irish Open seeks new date and more cash

NISSAN Irish Open organisers are negotiating to move the competition to the second week of May and secure greater prize money.

The car giant are also bidding to gain title sponsorship of the prestigious event for another five years. The car company's executive chairman Gerard O'Toole is already contracted to a third sponsorship of the tournament at Carton House in 2005 but admitted last night that: "three years isn't enough, you need five or seven years to build a heritage.

"I'm going to make a decision in the next six months about whether or not we continue for a longer term. My genuine wish is that we will continue for more that three years. I've just got to make some commercial decisions halfway through next year."