Killarney Open for business

WITH a little more than three weeks to go before the Irish Open gets under way at Killarney Golf & Fishing Club, championship committee chairman Tomás Kelliher is looking forward to a final bit of fine-tuning ahead of the European Tour’s arrival in Kerry.

The Killeen course will be closed in nine days’ time to members and those paying green fees and just two weeks after that, on Thursday, July 28, newly crowned US Open champion Rory McIlroy, fellow Irish major winner Graeme McDowell and defending champion Ross Fisher will lead a stellar field into action over the bank holiday weekend.

Those attending last Sunday’s Munster SFC final at Killarney’s Fitzgerald Stadium will have noticed a big promotional push for ticket sales and despite the lack of a title sponsor for the Irish Open this year, Kelliher is expecting a crowd every bit as impressive as last year’s total attendance of 82,000, in part thanks to McIlroy’s triumph at Congressional last month and his commitment to playing his national championship.