O’Meara ‘confident’ of hosting Irish Open again next year

KILLARNEY Golf & Fishing Club officials are keeping their fingers’ crossed that the Irish Open will return to the shores of Lough Leane for a third year in a row in 2012.

Simon Dyson’s one-stroke win over Richard Green brought the curtain down on a second successful year for the event with the European Tour last night announcing a final-day crowd of 23,958 that pushed total attendance past last year’s 81,738 to a new high of 85,179.

That represents a great return for a tournament lacking a title sponsor and with a prize fund 50% down on 2010.

The European Tour certainly got the event they had hoped for in their attempt to showcase the Irish Open to potential new title sponsors, despite two of the homegrown major winners Darren Clarke and Pádraig Harrington missing the cut. And though any new backers will have a say in the venue for 2012, Killarney’s general manager Maurice O’Meara believes his club has done enough to warrant a third staging in succession.

“I wouldn’t say bullish, confident would be the word,” O’Meara told the Irish Examiner of Killarney’s chances.

“I think we’ve proved ourselves again. We took the bull by the horns when we pushed for it in 2009 for 2010. We said we’d do X, Y and Z that year and we did it. We said we’d do X, Y and Z and more this year and we did it.

“We’re aware events like this have to move around for various reasons but why not do a third year and bring it back to where the people, the players and the Tour enjoy themselves. Why change it? If it’s not broken, don’t fix it.

“Obviously there’s negotiations going on with various people that might come on board as a sponsor and if they’re going to be a title sponsor and you can guarantee 80,000-plus through the gate they’re going to want to come back here and we would proudly welcome them with a Kerry welcome.”

Killarney also got a ringing endorsement from European Tour chief executive George O’Grady who in his remarks at the trophy presentation on the 18th green told spectators: “This has been the most tremendously successful tournament. Our golfing tournament director David Probyn has told me nowhere he travels in the world does get more help, more willing, friendly help than here in Killarney. You’ve made us feel so very, very welcome.”

Graeme McDowell agreed that the event’s scheduling, a week before the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational and two weeks before the PGA Championship, was far from ideal.

“It’s difficult,” McDowell said. “First and foremost it’s been a great celebration of Irish golf and what everyone’s achieved over the last three or four years. I think we have a potential sponsor hopefully in the wings and if not, hopefully we will attract one to the tournament after this week. Perhaps a better date, may be the week after The Open Championship or something along those lines could be looked at.”