Golf

Lough Erne venue a doubt for 2017 Irish Open

The Lough Erne Resort is no longer certain to host next year's Irish Open, despite being officially named as the 2017 venue two years ago
The Lough Erne Resort is no longer certain to host next year's Irish Open, despite being officially named as the 2017 venue two years ago The Lough Erne Resort is no longer certain to host next year's Irish Open, despite being officially named as the 2017 venue two years ago

RORY McIlroy and the European Tour have massive plans for the Irish Open but it’s not good news for everyone right now with the Lough Erne Resort and the PGA Irish Region unsure of their future role.

Not only is the Lough Erne Resort no longer certain to host next year, despite being officially named as the 2017 venue two years ago, but the Irish Region of the PGA denies they haven’t been consulted about the  creation of an official Irish Open Qualifier that would be open to amateurs and PGA professionals.

On the future of Lough Erne as the 2017 venue for the Dubai Duty Free Irish Open, tournament director Antonia Beggs deferred to her new boss, Canadian Keith Pelley.

“The new chief executive came on board as a very dynamic individual who is currently assessing the strategic placing of the Irish Open and that will involve prize fund,” she said. 

“It will involve the date and venues and that is all being discussed at the moment. We can’t confirm (Lough Erne) either way. It is all down to the Chief Executive.”

She added: “Keith Pelley says we are not working as individual tournaments but as the European Tour and we have to get as many great players as possible playing and then work out which tournaments they play in. 

“There is no definitive decision (about Lough Erne) and I am not going even begin to speak on the CEO’s behalf or I’ll have my P45 tomorrow. 

“The Irish Open is such a key part of the overall strategy and as one of the biggest tournaments that there is in golf, he is looking at it as part of our overall strategy

“We have a once in a generation superstar in Rory McIlroy hosting this tournament, who transcends not just golf but sport in general. 

“So we came up with a five-point plan of how we can engage Ireland or the island of Ireland and how we can get the golf clubs of Ireland behind this tournament this year.”

The doubts about Lough Erne will be of interest to Northern Ireland’s current First Minister, Arlene Foster.

When asked during the Open Championship announcement at Royal Portrush last October about the possibility that the 2017 Irish Open might not go to the Enniskillen resort in her native county after all, she said: “You’ll have to ask the European Tour. The announcement has been made. 

“The expectation is there. Certainly all of the agencies are working towards 2017. Nothing has changed, or you would know.”

As for the Irish Open Qualifier, the PGA Irish Region says it hasn’t been consulted about the possibility that the Tour may replace the traditional, automatic places awarded two the top six in last year’s Irish Region Order of Merit with an Irish Open Qualifier that would be open to PGA qualified club pros, assorted mini tour professionals and even amateurs.

Ms Beggs said: “This one isn’t Keith Pelley’s strategy but we’d love to run a competition for the (PGA) pros. If we are looking after the amateurs, let’s look after the pros in the golf clubs as well and get them engaged with the tournament.

“We are working on with Michael McCumiskey of the Irish PGA to see what we can come up with but there is no definitive answer at the moment.”

However, when contacted for comment, Irish Region secretary McCumiskey was adamant he’d heard nothing from the European Tour or Ms Beggs and spoken with no-one about a qualifier.

While aware that Aberdeen Asset Management sponsored a 36-hole, £50,000 Scottish Open Qualifier for five spots last year, McCumiskey said: “I can only deal with the facts and I have had no conversations with the European Tour about an Irish Open Qualifier either verbally, or in person or by any means. I know nothing about it.”