Intense Irish contest in Killarney
BY Bruce Young | European PGA Tour | 2010 Irish Open | Round Four | 29 Jul 2010
Eighteen years after first being held at this venue, The 3 Irish Open is played this week at the Killarney Golf and Fishing Club, so named because of the abundance of great fishing spots within the land occupied by its three golf courses.
The Killeen course was first built in 1972 although in the mid 2000’s it underwent major changes under the eye of Tom McKenzie and was opened in 2006. It has previously hosted two Irish Opens, the last of which came in 1992 when Nick Faldo won the second of his three consecutive Irish Open titles.
With a purse of 3 million and the ongoing race on for Ryder Cup qualifying and selection there is a lot at stake this week and as a consequence a high class field has entered.
Rory McIlroy and Justin Rose are the two most in form players in the field although Ireland’s most successful golfer of all time, Padraig Harrington, despite missing the cut at the Open Championship, is not far from where he needs to be to win this event for the second occasion.
MCIlroy was simply brilliant at the Open Championship not only with his opening round of 63 to equal the best ever in major championship golf but also in the way he bounced back after a horrendous second round of 80 to finish in a tie for third.
Rose also missed the cut at the Open Championship but prior to that he was playing some of the best golf of the year. He won at both the Memorial and the AT&T on tough golf courses and will be ready to continue his great season this week.
Graeme McDowell may not necessarily be from the south but he has flown the flag for Irish golf in 2010 with his great victory at Pebble Beach. Understandably he has not contended in his two starts since but he might now have his feet on the ground after the heights of the US Open and if he has then he can do well.
Francesco Molinari, just like his brother Edoardo, seems to put himself in contention in nearly everything he plays in of late. He did miss the cut at the Open Championship but he was not alone there and one look at his earlier form tells the story of someone who is likely to bounce back immediately.
The Australasian challenge is headed by Richard Green who played well last week when 14th in Sweden but it might be the former winner of this event, Brett Rumford, who could do best. Rumford, who won this event in 2004, finished 4th last week in Sweden.
2003 champion Michael Campbell is in the field after withdrawing from last week’s Scandinavian Masters. Marcus Fraser, Andrew Dodt, Danny Lee, Mark Brown, Peter O’Malley, Rick Kulacz and Andrew Tampion are the others Australasians in the field.
