- Irish Open (golf)
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Irish Open Tournament information Location Killarney, County Kerry,
IrelandEstablished 1927 Course(s) Killarney Golf & Fishing Club Par 71 Length 7,161 yards (6,548 m) Tour(s) European Tour Format Stroke play Prize fund €1,500,000 in 2011 Month played July/August Tournament record score Aggregate 266 Colin Montgomerie (2001)
266 Ross Fisher (2010)To par -21 Christy O'Connor Jnr (1975)
-21 Bernhard Langer (1984)Current champion 
Simon DysonThe Irish Open is a professional golf tournament on the European Tour, currently played at the end of July or early August each year. The event has been played in many locations on the island; its current home is the Killarney Golf & Fishing Club in County Kerry in southwestern Ireland. The Irish Open was first played in 1927 and continued until 1950, when the tournament experienced financial problems. Except for a single event, held in 1953, there was a 25-year hiatus until the Irish Open returned in 1975.
The Irish Open was formerly played the week prior to the European Tour's "home tournament," the BMW PGA Championship. For 2010, the tournament was moved to July 29 – August 1. The event's 2005 rating in the Official World Golf Rankings system was high enough for the winner to qualify for the WGC-NEC Invitational. As of 2011, it is the only European Tour event played in Ireland. The European Open, held at the K Club in Straffan for thirteen years (1995–2007), moved to its new home near London in 2008.
Contents
Recent sponsorship
Following the departure of Nissan as title sponsor in 2006, Adare Golf Club, part of the Adare Manor Hotel and Golf Resort in County Limerick, had planned to host the tournament for three years, from 2007 to 2009. After two years, it was announced in January 2009 that they could no longer sustain the losses incurred by hosting the event for a third year. In early March, the European Tour confirmed the national championship would return to County Louth Golf Club, Baltray, which had last hosted in 2004, with a new sponsor, 3 Mobile.[1]
Under 3 Mobile, the purse was increased to €3 million. The event moved to Killarney in 2010, but the company elected not to continue past 2010, which again left the Irish Open sponsorless and cancellation was probable. Fáilte Ireland, the National Tourism Development Authority of the Republic of Ireland, agreed to sponsor in 2011, but with a drastically reduced purse, cut in half to €1.5 miilion.[2]
Winners
Year Winner Venue County Score Winner's
share (€)[3][4]Irish Open presented by Discover Ireland 2011 Simon DysonKillarney Kerry 269 (−15) 250,000 The 3 Irish Open 2010 Ross FisherKillarney Kerry 266 (−18) 500,000 2009 Shane Lowry (a)*County Louth Louth 271 (−17) PO 500,000* Irish Open 2008 Richard FinchAdare Limerick 278 (−10) 416,600 2007 Pádraig HarringtonAdare Limerick 283 (−5)PO 416,600 Nissan Irish Open 2006 
Thomas BjørnCarton House Kildare 283 (−5) 366,660 2005 
Stephen DoddCarton House Kildare 279 (−9)PO 333,330 2004 
Brett RumfordCounty Louth Louth 274 (−14) 316,660 2003 
Michael CampbellPortmarnock Fingal 277 (−11)PO 300,000 Murphy's Irish Open 2002 Søren HansenFota Island Cork 270 (−14)PO 266,600 2001 
Colin MontgomerieFota Island Cork 266 (−18) 266,600 2000 
Patrik SjölandBallybunion Kerry 270 (−14) 267,319 1999 
Sergio GarcíaDruids Glen Wicklow 268 (−16) 233,320 1998 David CarterDruids Glen Wicklow 278 (−6)PO 223,988 1997 Colin MontgomerieDruids Glen Wicklow 269 (−15) 159,090 1996 Colin MontgomerieDruids Glen Wicklow 279 (−5) 178,571 1995 Sam TorranceMount Juliet Kilkenny 277 (−11)PO 155,550 1994 
Bernhard LangerMount Juliet Kilkenny 275 (−13) 138,271 Carroll's Irish Open 1993 Nick FaldoMount Juliet Kilkenny 276 (−12)PO 135,282 1992 Nick FaldoKillarney Kerry 274 (−14)PO 106,784 1991 Nick FaldoKillarney Kerry 283 (−5) 85,344 1990 José María OlazábalPortmarnock Fingal 282 (−6) 81,036 1989 Ian WoosnamPortmarnock Fingal 278 (−10)PO 61,296 1988 Ian WoosnamPortmarnock Fingal 278 (−10) 54,166 1987 Bernhard LangerPortmarnock Fingal 269 (−19) 50,174 1986 Seve BallesterosPortmarnock Fingal 285 (−3) 44,380 1985 Seve BallesterosRoyal Dublin 278 (−10)PO 28,000 1984 Bernhard LangerRoyal Dublin 267 (−21) 25,662 1983 Seve BallesterosRoyal Dublin 271 (−17) 25,662 1982 John O'LearyPortmarnock Fingal 287 (−1) 18,742 1981 Sam TorrancePortmarnock Fingal 276 (−12) 18,659 1980 Mark JamesPortmarnock Fingal 284 (−4) 16,730 1979 Mark JamesPortmarnock Fingal 282 (−6) 14,000 1978 Ken BrownPortmarnock Fingal 281 (−7) 14,000 1977 
Hubert GreenPortmarnock Fingal 283 (−5) 11,200 1976 Ben CrenshawPortmarnock Fingal 284 (−4) 9,800 1975 Christy O'Connor JnrWoodbrook Wicklow 275 (−21) 7,000 Pre-revival of Irish Open name, and European Tour sanctioning
Year Winner Venue Carroll's International
(Irish Open not played between 1963 and 1974)1974 Bernard GallacherWoodbrook 1973 Paddy McGuirkWoodbrook 1972 Christy O'Connor SnrWoodbrook 1971 Neil ColesWoodbrook 1970 Brian HuggettWoodbrook 1969 Ronnie ShadeWoodbrook 1968 Jimmy MartinWoodbrook 1967 Christy O'Connor SnrWoodbrook 1966 Christy O'Connor SnrRoyal Dublin 1965 Neil ColesCork Golf Club, Little Island 1964 Christy O'Connor SnrWoodbrook 1963 Bernard HuntWoodbrook Irish Open 1954–62 No tournament 1953 Eric BrownBelvoir Park 1951–52 No tournament 1950 Ossie PickworthRoyal Dublin 1949 Harry BradshawBelvoir Park 1948 Dai ReesPortmarnock 1947 Harry BradshawRoyal Portrush 1946 
Fred DalyPortmarnock 1940–45 No tournament due to World War II 1939 Arthur LeesRoyal County Down 1938 
Bobby LockePortmarnock 1937 Bert GaddRoyal Portrush 1936 Reg WhitcombeRoyal Dublin 1935 Ernest WhitcombeRoyal County Down 1934 Syd EasterbrookPortmarnock 1933 Bob KenyonMalone 1932 Alf PadghamCork 1931 Bob KenyonRoyal Dublin 1930 Charles WhitcombeRoyal Portrush 1929 Abe MitchellPortmarnock 1928 Ernest WhitcombeRoyal County Down 1927 George DuncanPortmarnock *(a) indicates an amateur golfer, prize money awarded to top professional
Multiple winners
Rank Name # Wins Last Win 1 Christy O'Connor Snr4 1972 2 Colin Montgomerie3 2001 Bernhard Langer3 1994 Nick Faldo3 1993 Seve Ballesteros3 1986 6 Sam Torrance2 1995 Ian Woosnam2 1989 Mark James2 1980 Neil Coles2 1971 Harry Bradshaw2 1949 Ernest Whitcombe2 1935 Bob Kenyon2 1931 References
- ^ "Irish Open prize money increased". BBC Sport. 4 March 2009. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/golf/7924684.stm. Retrieved 2009-03-06.
- ^ Irish Times.com – "Purse is down but Rory will be there" – 2011-06-29
- ^ European Tour.com – player results – accessed 2011-07-28
- ^ Irish golf desk.com – accessed 2011-07-28
See also
- Irish Seniors Open
- Ladies Irish Open
References
- ^ "Irish Open prize money increased". BBC Sport. 4 March 2009. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/golf/7924684.stm. Retrieved 2009-03-06.
- ^ Irish Times.com – "Purse is down but Rory will be there" – 2011-06-29
- ^ European Tour.com – player results – accessed 2011-07-28
- ^ Irish golf desk.com – accessed 2011-07-28
External links
Categories:- European Tour events
- Golf tournaments in the Republic of Ireland
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