European Tour chiefs tight-lipped on reported plan to move Irish Open

The Irish Open seems the favourite to fill the vacancy created by the postponement of the Ryder Cup to 2021, but may not take place at Mount Juliet

Niall Horan plays a shot on the 9th tee during the 2016 Northern Ireland Open Pro-Am at Galgorm Castle in Ballymena. Photo by David Fitzgerald/Sportsfile

The European Tour has promised a decision on this year’s Dubai Duty Free Irish Open “in due course” following reports the Rolex Series event could be switched from Mount Juliet to Northern Ireland.

The event was originally scheduled for the end of May at the Co. Kilkenny resort but then postponed due to the Covid-19 pandemic and it appears the Irish Government’s ongoing public health restrictions could force the tournament into the Northern Irish jurisdiction in order to get played.