Rory McIlroy, Padraig Harrington, Graeme McDowell and Darren Clarke are all headed to Fota Island for the highlight of the Irish golf calendar.
With the sun shining and the evenings now officially 'stretched' it means it is nearly time for the biggest tournament of the year for Irish golf fans, the Irish Open. This year's event will be held at the Fota Island resort in Cork from June 19 to 22.
As always, the cream of Irish golf have made sure they will be in attendance, with all Ireland's recent Major winners (Rory McIlroy, Padraig Harrington, Graeme McDowell and Darren Clarke) confirming they will be teeing it up in Cork.
Former Irish Open winner Shane Lowry, as well as Michel Hoey, Peter Lawrie and Damien McGrane will also be there, and so too will Ryder Cup captain Paul McGinley.
Speaking about the event, McIlroy said: I’ve never been to Fota – in fact, I’ve never properly visited Cork – so I don’t know the area too well, but I do know that the Irish Open was a great success when it was hosted there in the past. It should be a good venue for us again and it is great that they are moving the Irish Open around. The Irish Open is a big part of The European Tour schedule and has been for a long time now, so to still keep it going is important and I want to lend my support to it as much as I can.
“It is the week after the US Open, so I would love to get a few more international players along, but it is a strong event in itself anyway and it’s great that all of Ireland’s Major Champions are supporting it once again.”
As well as the home stars, America's John Daly has also been confirmed, so expect to see some big drives from the man they call Wild Thing.
Tickets for the event, which start at €30 for a day ticket, can be purchased at
www.irishopen.ie
