McIlroy has sights on Carton House

When you’re 23, top of the world, have a Major in your back pocket and €10.5m in prize money this season it’s fair to say you’re hot property.

But for Rory McIlroy there’s no time to dwell on the year and he has already identified a target he wants to claim in 2013 — the Irish Open. Following a controversial two weeks, where his management team denied he was commanding a €1.6m fee to play the Australian Open and Oakley suing him for signing a €160m contract with Nike, he declared that the Carton House event was a very special part of his schedule.

“Winning the Irish Open would be very special,” he said.