Irish Open - Dubai Duty Free contemplates extending sponsorship for another three years
BALLYMENA, NORTHERN IRELAND - SEPTEMBER 27: John Catlin of the United States receives the trophy from Sinead El Sibai, Dubai Duty Free Senior Vice President of Marketing. (Photo by Warren Little/Getty Images)
THE good news keeps on coming for the Dubai Duty Free Irish Open with the R&A offering three qualifying places into The Open at Royal St George’s.
The news comes just days after Minister of State for Sport, Jack Chambers confirmed a limited number of fans will be allowed on site at Mount Juliet Resort from July 1-4.
It is also understood that the Tour is talking to Mount Juliet about returning as host venue in 2022 while Colm McLoughlin, executive vice-chairman and CEO of Dubai Duty Free, is considering extending the deal with the European Tour for another three years.
The addition of three qualifying spots for The Open can only help improve the field in Kilkenny with the R&A explaining yesterday it will also offer spots to the leading non-exempt player at the Kaskada Golf Challenge in the Czech Republic (July 1-4) and the Le Vaudreuil Golf Challenge in France (July 8-11).
The extra spots are being offered as an alternative to golfers who have entered Final Qualifying in England on 29 June due to existing international travel measures and the requirement to mitigate the risk of Covid-19 transmission.
Golfers who fail at Final Qualifying cannot avail of the places on offer at Mount Juliet or at the two Challenge Tour events but they can compete for three places confirmed for the Aberdeen Standard Investments Scottish Open (July 8-11).
Rory McIlroy is exempt for Sandwich but the Holywood star had to rely on his putter to open with a level par 72 in the weather-delayed Memorial Tournament at Muirfield Village.
The Holywood star found just nine greens in regulation but took just 24 putts as he mixed five birdies with three bogeys and a double-bogey to lie tied 39th, six shots behind Collin Morikawa whose 66 gave him a one-shot lead over Chris Kirk, Scottie Scheffler and Adam Long.
As McIlroy headed out for his second round, late starters Shane Lowry (three-under) and Pádraig Harrington (six-over) were only expected to complete a few holes before darkness.
On the European Tour, Jonathan Caldwell, Paul Dunne, Cormac Sharvin and Niall Kearney tee it up in front of 2,000 fans in the first round of the Porsche European Open at Green Eagle in Hamburg.
Paul Casey defends the title while Ryder Cup hopefuls Bernd Wiesberger and Henrik Stenson are looking to impress European skipper Harrington.
“I feel like I’ve got one thing to set straight on my Ryder Cup career and that would be to be on a winning team in America,” said Stenson, who has won in three of five Ryder Cup appearances, all of them at home. “I know I need to show a lot and pick up the pace in the next couple of months to have a chance to be on that team.”
At the Challenge Tour’s D+D REAL Czech Challenge, Naas’ Conor O’Rourke added a three-under 69 to his opening 71 to go into the weekend tied for 26th on four-under, eight shots behind Swede Christoffer Blomstrand (62) and Spain’s Alfredo Garcia Heredia (64).
Michael Hoey (73, one-over), Robin Dawson (71, four-over) and Paul McBride (74, six-over) missed the two-under-par cut.
