* DDF unveils new three year deal as title sponsor
* Rory Foundation extends involvement for the same period
* The K Club to host the 2016 Irish Open
* Prize money for the 2016 championship increased by 60 per cent to €4million
* Tickets available to buy now
A new three year agreement with title sponsors Dubai Duty Free headlines a number of important announcements unveiled by The European Tour today in relation to the 2016 Irish Open.
Following the huge success of the championship at Royal County Down in May – a ‘sold-out’ tournament, which attracted more than 100,000 fans in Dubai Duty Free’s first year of involvement – the world’s leading airport retailer’s significant investment until 2018 is a major boost for the tournament.
In addition, four-time Major Champion Rory McIlroy has confirmed he will continue as tournament host on behalf of his charitable foundation for the next three years, starting with next year’s tournament which will be played at The K Club in County Kildare from May 19-22.
In a further significant move for the Dubai Duty Free Irish Open Hosted by the Rory Foundation, The European Tour is also delighted to announce the prize fund for the 2016 championship will increase by 60 per cent, rising from €2.5million this year to €4million for next May’s edition. It means the Irish Open will have one of the highest prize funds on The 2016 Race to Dubai outside the Major Championship and World Golf Championship events.
McIlroy welcomed today’s announcements saying: “The Irish Open has always meant so much to me, so I am really excited to announce my commitment to host the tournament, on behalf of the Rory Foundation, for the next three years.
“I would like to thank Colm McLoughlin of Dubai Duty Free and Keith Pelley of The European Tour for supporting my vision to develop the Dubai Duty Free Irish Open Hosted by the Rory Foundation into one of the leading events on The European Tour’s schedule over the next three years.
“I was delighted with the support I received, not only from the players who competed this year, but also from the fans who came along to the Irish Open at Royal County Down in May – they made it another sell-out tournament. I am sure The K Club – on the 10th anniversary as host of the 2006 Ryder Cup – will be an excellent venue for the 2016 Irish Open.”
Outside of the Irish Open, Dubai Duty Free is associated with The European Tour as supporters of both the DP World Tour Championship, Dubai and the Dubai Desert Classic – won at the Emirates Golf Club by McIlroy for the second time in February – while their golf portfolio also includes the Dubai Ladies Masters, as well as a series of high-profile events including the annual Dubai Duty Free Golf World Cup, Dubai Duty Free UAE Nationals Cup, Dubai Duty Free Golf Cup and Dubai Irish Golf Society tournament.
The company is also a keen supporter of tennis – through the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships – and horseracing, particularly as sponsor of the Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby, one of Ireland’s most prestigious races which is held at The Curragh in June.
Colm McLoughlin, Executive Vice Chairman of Dubai Duty Free said: “We are delighted to announce our title sponsorship of the Irish Open after a terrific inaugural sponsorship year in Northern Ireland earlier this year. The fact that the Rory Foundation will continue to host the event was central to our decision moving forward. 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 international players to participate. The staging of the 2016 tournament at The K Club, which has recently undergone a major expansion, is another positive. With all these things combined, we are looking forward to a great event next May.”
It will be the first time The K Club has hosted the championship and will come ten years after it staged The 2006 Ryder Cup, where Ian Woosnam memorably led Europe to a record-equalling 18½-9½ victory over the United States and 25 years since it opened. The K Club previously hosted the European Open from 1995 to 2007, a tournament which boasted an illustrious list of winners including Major Champions Michael Campbell, Darren Clarke, Retief Goosen and Bernhard Langer, alongside former European Tour Number Ones Colin Montgomerie and Lee Westwood.
Sir Michael Smurfit, owner of The K Club, said: “I am delighted that in conjunction with The European Tour, the Rory Foundation and Dubai Duty Free have chosen The K Club as the venue and home for the 2016 Irish Open.
“We look forward to the year ahead greatly as along with celebrating the 25 year anniversary of The K Club and the ten year anniversary of the staging of The Ryder Cup, it will also be the year that I celebrate my 80th birthday.
“I am confident that the team at The K Club will extend their warmest hospitality to Rory and the players, his guests and the sponsors Dubai Duty Free and make all concerned proud as we showcase the best in golf, luxury, Irish warmth and hospitality. I am sure I am joined by all at The K Club and associated, including our members, in looking forward to what promises to be a momentous occasion.”
Keith Pelley, Chief Executive Officer of The European Tour, said: “The Irish Open is one of the most prestigious and most eagerly anticipated tournaments on The Race to Dubai, and having two powerful global brands in Dubai Duty Free and Rory McIlroy supporting the event as well as a record prize fund, will ensure that continues.
“We are delighted that Dubai Duty Free have pledged themselves to the tournament through until 2018 and we thank them for their continued commitment and vision, not just to the Irish Open but to The European Tour as a whole.
“Rory is a loyal supporter of The European Tour and the Irish Open, and he is one of the game’s most recognisable superstars who helped attract a world-class field to this year’s tournament. Naturally we are thrilled he will continue as host of the Irish Open for another three years.
“We are also very happy to be taking the tournament to The K Club. I vividly remember watching The 2006 Ryder Cup and thinking what a stunning venue it was and I know all our Members will look forward to testing their games against this world-class layout.”
Denmark’s Søren Kjeldsen is the reigning champion of the Dubai Duty Free Irish Open Hosted by the Rory Foundation after prevailing in a three-man play-off with Austrian Bernd Wiesberger and Englishman Eddie Pepperell at Royal County Down Golf Club to claim his fourth European Tour title.
The Irish Open has a rich history, having been an ever-present on The European Tour since 1975. Its list of champions reads like a Who-Who of golf itself and features players such as Major Champions: Seve Ballesteros, Michael Campbell, Ben Crenshaw, Sir Nick Faldo, Hubert Green, Padraig Harrington, Bernhard Langer, José Maria Olazábal and Ian Woosnam, alongside eight-time European Number One Colin Montgomerie.
Fans looking to secure their place already at The K Club next May have the opportunity to book their tickets now by going to http://tickets.europeantour.com or www.dubaidutyfreeirishopen.com
Fans can also follow the latest tournament updates via the associated Twitter accounts:
@EuropeanTour @DDFIrishOpen @TheKClub @RoryFoundation @DubaiDutyFree1.
–ENDS–
About Dubai Duty Free
Dubai Duty Free opened for business on 20th December 1983 and over the past three decades has grown to become one of the leading airport retailers in the world with a turnover close to US$2 billion in 2015.
Employing 6,000 people, Dubai Duty Free currently operating over 26,000 sqm of retail space at Dubai International Airport (DIA) and a further 7,000 sqm with the opening of Concourse D in early 2016. Meanwhile, Dubai Duty Free’s retail operation at Al Maktoum International (AMI) at Dubai South (formerly Dubai World Central) which opened in October 2013, covers some 2,500 sqm. In the long term, AMI has capacity for over 220 million passengers and ultimately, the retail operation will cover some 80,000 square metres.
To date, Dubai Duty Free has received over 500 awards which bear testimony to the operation’s retail success including Duty Free News International (DFNI) Asia/Pacific Award for ‘Middle East Travel Retailer of the Year’, Business Traveller Middle East Award for ‘Best Airport in Duty Free Shopping’ and the Frontier Award 2014 for ‘Airport Retailer of the Year in Single Location’ to name a few. A long-time supporter of major sporting events that help to promote Dubai as a leading destination, Dubai Duty Free is proud to be the title sponsor of the Dubai Duty Free Irish Open.
About the Rory Foundation
The Rory Foundation was established in 2013 to raise funds and offer support to children’s charities with a special meaning and purpose for Rory. Beneficiaries of the Foundation so far include the Cancer Fund for Children and Mencap NI, both based in Northern Ireland. The Cancer Fund for Children provides practical, emotional and financial support together with short, therapeutic breaks to families living with cancer. Daisy Lodge is their therapeutic short break centre in Newcastle, Co Down. The centre, officially opened by Rory himself in October 2014, is the first of its kind in the UK and Ireland and provides welcome breaks for as many as 500 families a year living with cancer. In 2013, the Rory Foundation donated £1 million to the registered charity.
The Foundation has also donated £250,000 Mencap NI, a charity that works alongside children and young people with a learning disability and their families. This money has gone towards a new facility in Belfast, due to open in early 2016, to provide life-changing support to children with a learning disability and their families. A further donation of up to £250,000 in match funding has also been pledged by the Rory Foundation in 2016 – if the same amount can be raised by Mencap NI and its supporters by the end of this year. For further information, go to: www.roryfoundation.com
About The K Club
The K Club is located on the banks of The River Liffey in Straffan, Co. Kildare, Ireland. Just 30 minutes from Dublin city centre, the resort enjoys a tranquil, rural location but is within easy reach of the capital and Dublin Airport. The resort incorporates a Five AA Red Star Hotel and two world class golf courses, designed by Arnold Palmer and situated on either sides of the river. The K Club famously hosted The Ryder Cup in 2006 as well as 13 European Opens and The Golf Channel’s ‘Big Break’, reality golf TV show. Other facilities include the Arnold Palmer and the Smurfit Clubhouses as well as a resort spa, swimming pool, gym and several restaurants and bars. Activities on offer include falconry, fly fishing, horse riding, archery and all weather tennis. There are lots of conference rooms and meeting spaces available throughout the resort which can cater for large groups up to 500 people. With over 550 acres of mature parkland and formal gardens, The K Club is widely recognised as one of the most stunning resorts in Europe.
The property is owned by Irish business magnate, Sir. Michael Smurfit who completed a €20 million renovation project and extension in August 2015. A brand new bedroom wing, The Liffey Wing has been added housing 70 new bedrooms as well as the addition of The Media Puzzle Bar and Lounge and the Inis Mor Conference Room.
The original house at The K Club was built by the famous Barton wine making family in 1832 and to this day, a strong wine heritage runs through all of the restaurants at the resort. The wine cellar at The K Club is located deep within the recess of the original house and is home to some of the most spectacular wines in Europe.
The K Club is a member of Preferred Hotels and Resorts and a member of Virtuoso and American Express Fine Hotels & Resorts. The property is a winner of several accolades including The AA Hotel of The Year 2011, The Best Luxury Country House awarded by the World Luxury Hotel Awards 2013 and The Number One Parkland Course in Ireland 2014 – voted by the readers of Golfing Weekly.
Over the years the property has hosted the who’s who of the golfing, entertainment, film, sport and political worlds. For more details on The K Club call + 353 (0) 1 6017200 or log on to www.kclub.ie
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About The European Tour
The European Tour is committed to celebrating the game of golf from the origins of the professional game, building a proud history of achievement, sportsmanship and integrity as well as showcasing our diverse global talent and rich landscapes. The European Tour’s innovative approach enables us to embrace the world, combining championships of tradition with new tournaments in the cities and countries of the future. The European Tour International Schedule, which from 2009 has incorporated The Race to Dubai, is a thriving global brand which, in 2015, will feature a minimum of 48 tournaments spread across five continents; the European Challenge Tour focuses on the up and coming players of the future; while the European Senior Tour provides a new start for champions celebrating their 50th birthday. The European Tour’s corporate identity features the iconic silhouette image of six-time Open Champion Harry Vardon who gives his name to The Harry Vardon Trophy, presented to the player who is crowned European Tour Number One and winner of The Race to Dubai at the end of the season.
