- Sep 1, 2004
- 6,546
- 4,981
Gotta love being an Irish Golfer these days;
Irish golf fans are set to welcome home their golden generation of golfers at this week’s 3 Irish Open, with Padraig Harrington, Graeme McDowell, Rory McIlroy leading the charge at Killarney Golf and Fishing club for what is sure to be a true festival of golf over the Irish Bank Holiday weekend.
Having claimed four of the last 13 Major Championships, Ireland is undoubtedly enjoying the most successful period in its romantic history, with Harrington, McDowell and McIlroy at the forefront of the nation’s global success.
They are being supported by a considerable pool of talent, including defending champion Shane Lowry who added his own creative chapter to the country’s golfing history by winning last year’s 3 Irish Open while still an amateur.
Who can forget the scenes of celebration as Lowry defeated Englishman Robert Rock in a sudden-death play-off at Baltray last year with thousands of fans charging onto the 18th green to congratulate their newest golfing hero?
Lowry, who was only the third amateur to win on The European Tour, will defend his 3 Irish Open title as a changed man, a player who is now a highly promising Tour professional.
The above mentioned Irish quartet will be hoping to provide a second consecutive home winner at the Killarney Golf and Fishing Club this week, while their compatriots Darren Clarke and Paul McGinley, who were last week announced as Vice-Captains to European Team Captain Colin Montgomerie for The Ryder Cup in October, are also in the field for the €3million event.
McDowell sealed his place in the Team for the contest at The Celtic Manor Resort with victory at last month’s US Open, and he admits he cannot wait to head to Killarney as Ireland’s newest Major Champion.
“To be able to tee up at the 3 Irish Open as the US Open Champion is going to be pretty special,” he said. “I look forward to the 3 Irish Open every year, but to able to compete in front of the Irish fans as a Major winner will be an awesome feeling. It’s shaping up to be a great event in Killarney.”
McIlroy, just 21, has been inspired by McDowell’s triumph at Pebble Beach and is in fine form following his third place finish at The Open Championship, where he posted a record low 63 in the first round at St Andrews.
“I will be playing some social golf with my friends at home so let’s hope they can inspire me to win at Killarney,” said McIlroy, who will hope to emulate Harrington, the 2007 and 2008 Open Champion who won the Irish Open at Adare Manor Hotel & Golf Resort three years ago.
“It would be huge to win it. Padraig always says that outside the Majors, the Irish Open is the one he wants to win above all the others and I feel the same way about it. It’s the Bank Holiday weekend in Killarney so hopefully we will have big crowds, decent weather and great tournament.”
Irish golf fans are set to welcome home their golden generation of golfers at this week’s 3 Irish Open, with Padraig Harrington, Graeme McDowell, Rory McIlroy leading the charge at Killarney Golf and Fishing club for what is sure to be a true festival of golf over the Irish Bank Holiday weekend.
Having claimed four of the last 13 Major Championships, Ireland is undoubtedly enjoying the most successful period in its romantic history, with Harrington, McDowell and McIlroy at the forefront of the nation’s global success.
They are being supported by a considerable pool of talent, including defending champion Shane Lowry who added his own creative chapter to the country’s golfing history by winning last year’s 3 Irish Open while still an amateur.
Who can forget the scenes of celebration as Lowry defeated Englishman Robert Rock in a sudden-death play-off at Baltray last year with thousands of fans charging onto the 18th green to congratulate their newest golfing hero?
Lowry, who was only the third amateur to win on The European Tour, will defend his 3 Irish Open title as a changed man, a player who is now a highly promising Tour professional.
The above mentioned Irish quartet will be hoping to provide a second consecutive home winner at the Killarney Golf and Fishing Club this week, while their compatriots Darren Clarke and Paul McGinley, who were last week announced as Vice-Captains to European Team Captain Colin Montgomerie for The Ryder Cup in October, are also in the field for the €3million event.
McDowell sealed his place in the Team for the contest at The Celtic Manor Resort with victory at last month’s US Open, and he admits he cannot wait to head to Killarney as Ireland’s newest Major Champion.
“To be able to tee up at the 3 Irish Open as the US Open Champion is going to be pretty special,” he said. “I look forward to the 3 Irish Open every year, but to able to compete in front of the Irish fans as a Major winner will be an awesome feeling. It’s shaping up to be a great event in Killarney.”
McIlroy, just 21, has been inspired by McDowell’s triumph at Pebble Beach and is in fine form following his third place finish at The Open Championship, where he posted a record low 63 in the first round at St Andrews.
“I will be playing some social golf with my friends at home so let’s hope they can inspire me to win at Killarney,” said McIlroy, who will hope to emulate Harrington, the 2007 and 2008 Open Champion who won the Irish Open at Adare Manor Hotel & Golf Resort three years ago.
“It would be huge to win it. Padraig always says that outside the Majors, the Irish Open is the one he wants to win above all the others and I feel the same way about it. It’s the Bank Holiday weekend in Killarney so hopefully we will have big crowds, decent weather and great tournament.”
