Irish Open venue still "to be confirmed"
The Irish Open is TBC on the official press releaseThe European Tour has released its full 2014 schedule but as we explained here earlier this week, the venue for the Irish Open has been left blank.
While it is expected to be played on the O’Meara Course at Carton House from June 19-22, the venue was left TBC on the press release announcing 48 tournaments in 26 different destinations.
The European Tour website lists Carton House as the venue but today’s official press release leaves the venue TBC - to be confirmed.
The European Tour initially list Carton House as the venue on its website but later corrected that and it is now TBC.
The European Tour website initially listed Carton House as the 2014 venue for the Irish Open. It was later changed to TBC. It is understood that interest from Fota Island, which was bought by a Chinese hotel group this summer, is being studied.
The 12 month golfing odyssey, which begins next week with the 103rd playing of the South African Open Championship in Johannesburg next week, travels across all five continents before the curtain comes down once again with the DP World Tour Championship, Dubai, at Jumeirah Golf Estates, from November 20-23, 2014.
The European Tour has also announced that it is extending its deal with Dubai and has guaranteed the Race to Dubai through to the end of 2017.
The next edition of The Race to Dubai will once again conclude with the season-ending finale at Jumeirah Golf Estates, which will carry with it an increased Bonus Pool of US$5 million. Furthermore, at least one staging of the championship will be on the complex’s Fire course between 2014 and 2017.
The DP World Tour Championship, Dubai, is also, once again, the culmination of the four-tournament Final Series which, as with this year, will also feature the BMW Masters and the WGC-HSBC Champions in China and the Turkish Airlines Open in Antalya.
Other highlights include two new tournaments in a row in August – Made in Denmark at the Himmerland Golf and Spa Resort on August 14-17 and the D+D Real Czech Masters at the Albatross Golf Resort in Prague from August 21-14 – while also featuring on the schedule for the first time is the Nedbank Golf Challenge in South Africa from December 5-8.
Outside the 48 regular tournaments, the 2014 schedule also features The 40th Ryder Cup at The Gleneagles Hotel in Scotland from September 26-28 – whose final counting event will be the Italian Open at Circolo Golf Torino from August 28-31 – and the first staging of the new match play event between Europe and Asia – the EurAsia Cup presented by DRB-HICOM at the Glenmarie Golf and Country Club in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, from March 28-30.
Keith Waters, Chief Operating Officer and Director of International Policy for The European Tour, said: “I am delighted with our 2014 schedule which perfectly showcases not only the renewed strength in depth of The European Tour, but also our influential global footprint.
“There is no question that we have come through a challenging period economically and for that we must thank the continued commitment and dedication of our tournament promoters and sponsors, not only in our home continent of Europe, but throughout the world.
“Their collective conviction in our brand has given us the confidence to drive The European Tour forwards with genuine optimism for the future, optimism which will see us continue to grow and positively develop the schedule into 2014 and beyond.
“We maintain superb relationships with fellow Tours and Federations and nowhere more so than in South Africa, where the first appearance of the Nedbank Golf Challenge on our schedule is one of eight tournaments in that country in the 2014 season.
“We thank everyone at the Sunshine Tour for their co-operation and we look forward to working with them, and all our business partners and colleagues across the world.”
THE 2014 EUROPEAN TOUR INTERNATIONAL SCHEDULE
2013
Nov 21-24 South African Open Championship Glendower GC, Gauteng, Johannesburg, SA
Nov 28-1 Dec Alfred Dunhill Championship Leopard Creek CC, Malelane, SA
Dec 5-8 Nedbank Golf Challenge Gary Player CC, Sun City, SA
Dec 5-8 Hong Kong Open Hong Kong GC, Fanling, Hong Kong
Dec 12-15 The Nelson Mandela Championship Mount Edgecombe CC, Durban, Kwa –Zulu Natal, SA presented by ISPS Handa
2014
Jan 9-12 Volvo Golf Champions Durban CC, Durban, SA
Jan 16-19 Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship Abu Dhabi GC, Abu Dhabi, UAE
Jan 22-25 (sat finish) Commercialbank Qatar Masters Doha GC, Doha, Qatar
Jan 30- 2 Feb Omega Dubai Desert Classic Emirates GC, Dubai, UAE
Feb 6-9 Joburg Open Royal Johannesburg & Kensington GC, Johannesburg, SA
Feb 13-16 Africa Open East London GC, East London, Eastern Cape, SA
Feb 19-23 WGC - Accenture Match Play Championship Ritz-Carlton GC, Dove Mountain, Marana, Arizona, USA
Feb 27-2 Mar Tshwane Open Copperleaf Golf & Country Estate, Centurion, SA
Mar 6-9 WGC- Cadillac Championship Doral Golf Resort & Spa, Doral, Florida, USA
Mar 13-16 Trophée Hassan II Golf du Palais Royal, Agadir, Morocco
Mar 20-23 TBC TBC
Mar 28-30 EURASIA CUP presented by DRB-HICOM Glenmarie G&CC, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Apr 3-6 TBC TBC
Apr 10-13 Masters Tournament Augusta National, Georgia, USA
Apr 17-20 Maybank Malaysian Open Kuala Lumpur G&CC, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Apr 24-27 Volvo China Open Genzon GC, Shenzhen, China
May 1-4 The Championship Blackstone GC, Icheon, Seoul, South Korea
May 8-11 Madeira Islands Open Clube de Golf Santo da Serra, Santo Antonio da Serra, Madeira
May 15-18 Open de España TBC
May 22-25 BMW PGA Championship Wentworth Club, Surrey, England
May 29-1 June Nordea Masters PGA Sweden National, Lake Course, Malmo, Sweden
June 5-8 Lyoness Open powered by Greenfinity Diamond CC, Atzenbrugg, near Vienna, Austria
June 12-15 US Open Championship Pinehurst Resort, Pinehurst, North Carolina, USA
June 12-15 Najeti Hotels et Golfs Open Aa St Omer GC, Lumbres, France
June 19-22 The Irish Open TBC
June 26-29 BMW International Open Golf Club Gut Lärchenhof, Cologne, Germany
July 3-6 Alstom Open de France Le Golf National, Paris, France
July 10-13 Aberdeen Asset Management Scottish Open Royal Aberdeen, Aberdeen, Scotland
July 17-20 143rd Open Championship Royal Liverpool GC, Hoylake, England
July 24-27 M2M Russian Open TBC
July 31-3 Aug WGC - Bridgestone Invitational Firestone GC, Akron, Ohio, USA
Aug 7-10 US PGA Championship Valhalla GC, Louisville, Kentucky, USA
Aug 14-17 Made In Denmark Himmerland Golf & Spa Resort, Denmark
Aug 21-24 D+D Real Czech Masters Albatross Golf Resort, Prague, Czech Republic
Aug 28-31 Italian Open Circolo Golf Torino - La Mandria, Fiano, Torino, Italy
Sept 4-7 Omega European Masters Crans-sur-Sierre GC, Crans Montana, Switzerland
Sept 11-14 KLM Open Kennemer G&CC, Zandvoort, The Netherlands
Sept 18-21 ISPS Handa Wales Open The Celtic Manor Resort, City of Newport, South Wales
Sept 26-28 THE 2014 RYDER CUP Gleneagles, Scotland
Oct 2-5 Alfred Dunhill Links Championship Old Course St Andrews, Carnoustie and Kingsbarns, Scotland
Oct 9-12 Portugal Masters Oceânico Victoria GC, Vilamoura, Portugal
Oct 16-19 Volvo World Match Play Championship TBC
Oct 23-26 Perth International TBC
Oct 30-2 Nov BMW Masters Lake Malaren GC, Shanghai, China
Nov 6-9 WGC - HSBC Champions Sheshan International GC, Shanghai, China
Nov 13-16 Turkish Airlines Open The Montgomerie Maxx Royal, Antalya, Turkey
Nov 20-23 DP World Tour Championship, Dubai Jumeirah Golf Estates, Dubai, UAE