Prestigious Irish Open sure to lure top players to Adare Manor

THESE are tough times for the Irish Open Golf Championship when a prize fund of €2.5million, an increase of €300,000 from last year, hardly raises any eyebrows.

It is a handsome sum but nowadays is eclipsed by several other tournaments on the European circuit. Thankfully, the majority of top players place more emphasis on prestigious titles rather than the purse and that’s the chief reason to hope the field at Adare Manor on May 17-30 will be of high quality.

There are factors weighing for and against this. The Robert Trent Jones designed lay-out is a major plus. It is widely regarded as one of the finest in these islands and comfortably maintains the high standard of previous venues, great links like Portmarnock, Royal Dublin, Ballybunion, Baltray and parkland courses such as Killarney, Mount Juliet, Druids Glen and Carton House.