Make a date with an Irish contender

IN the housing market, it’s all about location, location, location. In the professional golf world, make that date, date, date.

The Loch Lomond Scottish Open and the Nissan Irish Open come either side of the British Open. Any sponsor who knows anything about what's going on would gladly plump for the former. Whereas most golfers like to build a bit of momentum by playing in the week before a major championship, the majority also prefer to wind down immediately afterwards, take a rest and chill out. That's why you see the likes of Phil Mickelson and Ernie Els leading the line-up at Loch Lomond this week (although Retief Goosen has withdrawn) whereas there won't be a sign of any of them near Baltray for the Nissan Irish Open on July 22-25.

I'm not suggesting there won't be a field worthy of the Irish Open for the championship's first visit to Co Louth and that it won't prove a highly successful occasion. Of course it will, considering the excellence of the venue, the palpable excitement of the club members and all the hard work and money put into the occasion by Nissan, Failte Ireland, Co Louth Golf Club and the European Tour. However, I firmly believe that the one ingredient that can make Baltray and the Irish Open truly memorable is the presence of an Irishman at or very close to the top of the leaderboard coming down the stretch on the final afternoon.