Tour’s top Euro stars slow to get on the road to Baltray

MOBILE phone company 3, the new sponsors of the Irish Open, must be anxious at the lack of big-name foreign players who will compete in Baltray next month (May 14-17).

True, the Wild Thing, John Daly, will be there, as will three-time former champion Colin Montgomerie, but it’s a matter of opinion as to how much public appeal they command these days.

The good news is that Lee Westwood will maintain his unwavering support of the Irish Open and other Ryder Cup players intending to enter over the next couple of days include Pádraig Harrington and Graeme McDowell, along with Miguel-Angel Jimenez and Soren Hansen. Leading members of the circuit such as Volvo Masters champion Soren Kjeldsen, big hitting Ross Fisher, former winner Thomas Bjorn and Richard Finch, last year’s winner at Adare, will also be there.