Rory McIlroy will continue to host the Irish Open for the next three years on behalf of his charitable foundation, with the next year’s prize fund set to increase by a sizeable 60 percent.
Advertisement
As expected, the 2016 tournament will move to the K Club in Kildare following their €20m renovation.
With the Portstewart Golf Club confirming last week that they are keen to host the event on their famous Strand links, and with former Irish Open venues such as Adare Manor and Mount Juliet undergoing facelifts, a future strategy for the event appears to be taking shape.
Next year will be the first time the K Club has hosted the championship and will come ten years after it staged the 2006 Ryder Cup.
However, such was the success of the tournament – nearly 107,000 spectators attended throughout the week – that Dubai Duty Free have now committed until 2018.
Rory McIlroy has confirmed he is extending his hosting of the Irish Open for another three years on behalf of his foundation. McIlroy’s influence will again ensure a stellar global field, with Dustin Johnson and Tiger Woods among those likely to get a tap on the shoulder from the Ulsterman, who called in favours from Rickie Fowler and Sergio Garcia for this year’s championship at Royal County Down. McIlroy had earlier missed the cut.
Advertisement
The K Club previously hosted the European Open from 1995 to 2007, a tournament which boasted an illustrious list of winners including Major champions Darren Clarke, Retief Goosen and Bernhard Langer. We are also pleased that as a result of our sponsorship commitment, The European Tour has announced an increase in prize money to 4million making it very appealing for global players to participate. “With all these things combined, we are looking forward to a great event next May”.
