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Dubai Duty Free and European Tour buoyed by Irish Open support

This year's €2.5m event, which is being hosted by world number one Rory McIlroy's foundation, will see 17 of the world’s top 50 tee off at Royal County Down Golf Club in Northern Ireland.

Representatives from Dubai Duty Free (DDF) and the European Tour (ET) have spoken of their anticipation and excitement ahead of the DDF Irish Open in two weeks’ time.

DDF executive vice chairman Colm McLoughlin and Nick Tarratt, the director of the ET’s international office here in Dubai, have both been greatly encouraged by the positive feedback and take-up in terms of player participation numbers and sponsorship support.

This year’s €2.5m event, which is being hosted by world number one Rory McIlroy’s foundation, will see 17 of the world’s top 50 tee off at Royal County Down Golf Club in Northern Ireland between May 28th and 31st. That figure represents a sharp increase from last year, when just five top-50 names were on the initial entry list and only three ultimately competed following two withdrawals.

Eight members of Europe’s victorious Ryder Cup team at Gleneagles last year are set to play alongside two from the losing USA side in Rickie Fowler and Patrick Reed.

There are also 10 previous Irish Open winners in the field, arguably making the 2015 line-up one of the – if not the – strongest in the tournament’s illustrious, 88-year history.

“We’re very excited about our title sponsorship of the Dubai Duty Free Irish Open and it seems that we can look forward to having the best field the tournament has had in a long time,” McLoughlin said.

“We’re thrilled with the response to it and there is a terrific media buzz in Ireland about it. I had a letter the other day from Pat Finn, the general secretary of the Golfing Union of Ireland, and he told me that there’s a fantastic buzz among the golfing community and mostly among young people. “He was just saying thank you and stating it will have a terrific effect on golf in Ireland in the future.” Tarratt shared similar sentiments to McLoughlin at this informal media gathering inside the Cu-Ba lounge at the DDF-owned Jumeirah Creekside Hotel on Wednesday morning.

“The European Tour is very excited to have Dubai Duty Free and Dubai supporting the 2015 Dubai Duty Free Irish Open,” he said of an event that has also received backing from Dubai Trade and Commerce Marketing, Emirates Airline and Jumeirah Golf Estates.

“With Rory’s involvement and Dubai Duty Free’s title sponsorship, there is definitely a buzz among the players, among the European Tour and in Northern Ireland.”

Tarratt revealed McIlroy has had a “huge influence” on the strength of the field, with the reciprocal agreements and favours brokered with fellow pros helping to bolster the event’s significance in terms of official world ranking points too.

“It’s an excellent model that a player becomes an ambassador and a host of an event and he then encourages others to play in return for reciprocal favours,” he added. “It’s a brilliant concept and for someone to do that at the age of 26 is an exceptional statement that hopefully will be followed by others. It’s a great gesture by the world number one.”

The Irish Open was first played in 1927 and previous winners of the tournament include: Seve Ballesteros (1983, 1985 & 1986), Nick Faldo (1991, 1992 & 1993), Bernhard Langer (1984 & 1987), Colin Montgomerie (1995, 1996 & 1997) & Ian Woosnam (1988 & 1989).