Pádraig Harrington says links course points to Irish win

A new title sponsor, superstar host, stellar field and a bigger prizefund. As if things were not already going swimmingly for the Dubai Duty Free Irish Open, organisers last night confirmed that today’s first-round ticket sales at Royal County Down (RCD) had made the tournament completely sold out.

As the European Tour urged non-ticket holders not to turn up in Newcastle, some of golf’s greatest exponents were busy figuring out how best to negotiate the first two rounds, which are expected to be played in 25mph winds and scattered showers.

Those are the type of conditions on a links course that make two-time Open Championship winner Pádraig Harrington believe that a home win is due for the first time since Shane Lowry won as an amateur just 100 kilometres down the east coast at Baltray in 2009.