Tiger Woods could send the Duty Free Irish Open into orbit by using it as a warm-up for a crack at his fourth Open Championship in July.

The 14-time major winner yesterday confirmed his entry for The Open at Carnoustie but with Pádraig Harrington insisting that the American superstar just needs to play more events to become a contender for that elusive 15th major, speculation is raging that he could touch down at Ballyliffin in Donegal from from July 5-8.

The Dubai Duty Irish Open is now a $7 million Rolex Series event with host Rory McIlroy and defending champion Jon Rahm the first two big names confirmed.

The event received a huge boost yesterday with sponsors Dubai Duty Free committing to a four-year extension of its title sponsorship through to 2022 — two years guaranteed until 2020 with an option for another two years — with a minimum $7m prize fund also guaranteed.

Player announcements are expected over the next few weeks and organisers admitted yesterday that the presence of a massive star like Woods would send ticket sales through the roof.

“Any event that attracts someone like Tiger Woods is catapulted to another level,” said Championship Director Simon Alliss. “I’d love it to happen.

“Rory is committed to helping build the strongest field we can get and I am sure he has taken the time to chat with the guys on the PGA Tour informally.

“But we have put no responsibility on him to do it. We have a very committed Player Relations department out in America and that’s their job.

“The US Open is coming up next so players' schedules are not yet decided.

"It would be amazing if Tiger did commit. There are a lot of rumours and there is a lot of speculation and if news comes our way, trust me, we will be shouting about it.

“Either way, there is enormous expectation about the event and we expect healthy numbers — many thousands of fans — to come to Ballyliffin in July.

“I think it is going to be an incredible event and it will surprise everybody.”

Eight-time European Tour winner and two-time Ryder Cup player Des Smyth was confirmed yesterday as tournament ambassador for the Dubai Duty Free Irish Open until 2022.

And while there is much speculation over the possible presence of Woods at Ballyliffin, he expects all the big European names to tee it up

"I’d expect all the big names to come,” said Smyth. “With it being a Ryder Cup year and with The Open two weeks later, I’m sure that the likes of Justin Rose and Ian Poulter will be there.”

Poulter confirmed yesterday that he's going to concentrate on Europe for the remainder of the summer as he chases his Ryder Cup spot.

But when it comes to Woods, McIlroy is key.

He has a good relationshhip with the American who used Ireland's links to warm up for The Open early in his career.

He could also opt for the Scottish Open at Gullane and Harrington knows the benefits of playing a warm-up for The Open on links terrain having won the Irish PGA at The European Club before lifting the Claret Jug in 2007 and 2008.

Speaking at Carnoustie yesterday, where he replayed the playoff holes where he beat Sergio Garcia to win the first of his three major titles 11 years ago, the Dubliner insisted that Woods can win another major if he plays moe regular events in the build up.

“I think his chances of winning a major are maybe better than winning a regular event.”

— Harrington on Tiger Woods

"Two months of playing and two and a half months before he gets to The Open, he could be right on form and ready to go in that," Harrington said at event for his club sponsors Wilson Golf.

"He is going to win tournaments, 100 percent yes. And I think majors would be easier for him to win because they are harder for others to win.

"The more he plays, the better he will get. But he still needs a few more tournaments to get comfortable where his game is at.

"I think everyone is glad to see him there. I think we are all glad to see Tiger back. If he starts winning prolifically again, then maybe not!

"I actually think his chances of winning are good. I think his chances of winning a major are maybe better than winning a regular event.

"His short game looks like it is coming back very strong and that would have been the questionable part where his chipping was. His putting isn't maybe as good but is still excellent.

"His long game? He just needs to have a good week because when he gets in contention I think that end of his game gets better.

"Two months of playing and two and a half months before he gets to The Open he could be right on form and ready to go in that.

"He is going to win tournaments, 100 per cent yes. And I think majors would be easier for him to win because they are harder for others to win.

"I would also go down the road that the more he plays the better he will get. He still needs a few more tournaments to get comfortable where his game is at.

"There wouldn't be too many people wanting to come down the stretch against Tiger Woods. There would be a lot of people you rather be against over the last couple of holes.

"You've got to know that in that situation he's a person who can get the job done. When the presssure is on, Tiger is more likely to reset to 'how do I get the golf ball in the hole', rather than caring about how his swing is."

Having witnessed the excitment at the Valspar Championship, where Woods contended for victory before finishing tied second behind Paul Casey, Harrington believes Tiger-mania is even bigger now than it was when he was in his heyday.

"I’m delighted he’s back for the good of golf," he said. "The buzz at Tampa, I’ve never seen anything like that before ever in the game of golf.

"When Tiger was at his best there was an incredible buzz. We just assumed that’s what it was. Over the last 10 years we’ve had players come and go and there's a buzz. But at Tampa it was all different. It was amazingly different.

"You had people who had seen Tiger at his best who wanted to see him again. You had young people who had never seen him play. But then you an element of people who hadn’t seen him play but were anxious to see him play in case they never got the chance to see him play.

"You had three sets of people out there, a good bunch of them non-golfers, who wanted to see a great sportsman play with the fear that he could play one event and then say ‘that’s it I’m gone’.

"So of course, I’m thrilled to see him back. I had a great sporting relationship with him. He wasn’t a very social person. Nor was I in our heydays. Now we are both at stage where we crave a bit more of the social side of things.

"In my day Tiger was all about him. But earlier this year at the Farmers he came onto the range. He talked to three or four people, he came to me and had a chat. He stood there with his caddie and some media. And no manager.

"Prior to 2008 I don’t think he ever stood there without his manager beside him. He does say hello. He was always polite. He was the easiest player to play golf with. He’d say ‘good shot’ when you hit a good shot and would have a few small chats but basically you were there to play golf.

"Now he’s more relaxed and he’s wanting to enjoy it. He’s got to that stage. He is a little different, it’s not all business. When you meet someone you have competed against in the day there is a bond. I do believe he will win tournaments. When you get in the heat of the hunt you know what it’s all about."

“I don’t want to be that old codger where the young guys are looking at me thinking ‘will he ever take it easy and take a step back?’”

— Pádraig Harrington

Harrington has reached an interesting stage of his own career but when it comes to the future, he's unsure what kind of competitor he will be.

Having seen major winners like Nick Faldo still grinding hard many years after they were past their best, he knows he wants to find some sort of balance.

"I’ll be playing golf somewhere," he said. "I like to play golf, I’m fascinated by it. Whether I can compete? Physically I can compete. I struggled with my putting but it’s coming back. My chipping is as good or better than any of these guys. That only leaves a bit of the mental game. That has been poor. I’ve not been as strong mentally.

"Many reasons for that. It could be experience and scar tissue and not being as innocent. I’m getting through it. I feel like I can win where I am and it’s all about winning tournaments. I had a rough couple of years, two or three years ago. I had the putting yips and I was working so hard to just shoot a 72.

"I wouldn’t want to be doing that. I’ve seen guys get to the twilight of their career and they are out there trying too hard for no return.

"I don’t want to be that old codger where the young guys are looking at me thinking ‘will he ever take it easy and take a step back?’ I want to be competitive. I’m in a good place now. Three years ago I couldn’t keep that going."

Eleven years after defeating Garcia at Carnoustie, Harrington will be back there in July using Wilson Staff equipment.

Now in his 20th year using Wilson Staff clubs on the global stage, he recreated his playoff win over Garcia using the FG Tour V6 irons 5-PW; an FG Tour V4 utility iron; a D300 hybrid 17*; an FG Tour PMP 52* wedge; and the Infinite Southside putter.

He is the second Wilson Staff player to win in an Open Championship playoff at Carnoustie, following Scot Paul Lawrie winning on home soil in 1999 after another supreme performance over the challenging closing holes.