DDF attract stellar field for Irish Open

Dubai: Eight major champions and 12 of the world’s top-50 players will play in the Dubai Duty Free Irish Open hosted by the Rory McIlroy Foundation, at the K Club in Straffan, County Kildare, from May 19-22, it was announced on Monday.

McIlroy heads the list of eight major champions in the 156-strong field, which includes Danny Willett, Padraig Harrington, Darren Clarke, Graeme McDowell, Martin Kaymer, Y.E. Yang and Trevor Immelman.

The likes of Rafael Cabrera-Bello, Russel Knox, Andy Sullivan, Shane Lowry, Lee Westwood, Soren Kjeldsen, Matt Fitzpatrick, Bernd Wiesberger, Thongchai Jaidee and David Lingmerth, round off the 12 top-50 players after McIlroy and Willett.

Dubai Duty Free first signed a one-year agreement to host the Irish Open last year, after which they followed up with a three-year deal which has an option to extend by a further two years.

Prize money this year has risen to €4 million (Dh16.8 million) up from €2.5 million last year and there is an ambition to raise that to €7 million by 2018. The winner this year takes home €675,000.

With this tournament being one of the last big events before July 11’s Olympic qualification cut-off, and with six of the nine European Ryder Cup squad in attendance, the Irish Open could proof decisive.