The Irish Open in numbers

We look at the numbers behind the richest Irish Open ever, with prize money of €4million on offer...

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The Irish Open was first played in 1927, at Portmarnock Golf Club. It was won by a Scot, George Duncan, who beat the famous English golfer and golf course designer, Henry Cotton. In all, 14 major champions have won the event: Seve, Langer and Faldo each won it three times; Woosnam won it twice, and Crenshaw, Olazabal and Pádraig Harrington have a single win to their credit. That number may well rise in 2016, as US Masters winner Danny Willett, and Rory McIlroy will be hotly tipped. Rory is also the most fancied to add to Ireland’s six victories in the event, adding to the wins of Harry Bradshaw in 1947 and 1949, Christy O’Connor Jnr in 1975, John O’Leary in 1982, Pádraig Harrington in 2007, and Shane Lowry in 2009.