Future remains clouded by lack of biggest stars

The title sponsor that Pádraig Harrington says he has up his sleeve, and anyone who may be contemplating pumping millions into the Irish Open prize fund, will not have been enthused by the leaderboard in Maynooth yesterday.

It would be extremely difficult to convince top business figures to dip deeply into their pockets to support a tournament led by Belgian Joost Luiten and closely pursued by the likes of Pablo Larrazabal of Spain, Englishman Robert Rock, Scotland’s Scott Henry and another Spaniard, Alvaro Quiros.

Of the leading five two-balls on the course, only Casey had played in the Ryder Cup and even his star was on the wane after a series of setbacks until his excellent revival at Carton House.