Northern Ireland set to host Irish Open this year
Northern Ireland is going to draw a massive limelight yet again this year, as it is going to host the much-awaited Irish Open from Thursday, June 28 to Sunday, July 1, boosting the image of the sport in the country. The venue of the event will be Royal Portrush
Golf Club.
The event is coming to Northern Ireland after a protracted absence. The last time the country hosted the championship was in 1953. This year's championship will be the tenth so far.
The country is hopeful to gain a huge fan following, owing to the European players, who recently recorded remarkable victories in last year's tournaments.
However, the decision to pick Northern Ireland as a venue for the event came following the successes of the national players, who drew attention by exhibiting phenomenal play in the events they participated in.
Northern Ireland has produced two top-flight players in recent years, which is why the country is now able to host bigger events like the Irish Open, tapping the true potential of the sport.
One of the leading players Northern Ireland has produced in recent years is Rory McIlroy. The 22-year-old McIlroy grabbed the headlines when he won the United States (US) Open in June 2011.
The victory in a major championship bolstered the young star's ranking to an all-time high. Despite his remarkable victory in the US Open, the young star has decided to participate in his country's event (Irish Open).
However, the young star faced some setbacks lately, as he lost the Race to Dubai to his Ryder Cup teammate, Luke Donald.
The Race to Dubai that typically concludes in its last event, the Dubai World Championship, turned bad for McIlroy.
The 22-year-old Northern Irishman was jockeying for the top spot, both on the money list and world rankings.
He faced a defeat and slumped to the 3rd position, putting Luke Donald atop the world rankings.
Other Northern Irish players, who put the country in the spotlight, are Darren Clarke and Graeme McDowell.
Although McIlroy seems to have eclipsed Clarke and McDowell in terms of fan following and rankings, the two experienced icons still have what it takes to move ahead.
Darren Clarke, 43, is associated with the European Tour. Although he also played on the PGA (Professional Golfers Association) Tour but most of the events he participated in are under the auspices of the European Tour.
Clarke managed to rack up 22 wins in various events played on the European Tour, the Sunshine Tour and others.
Since major events play an important role in bolstering a player's profile, Northern Irish golfers appear to have capitalised on this, proving they can pose a threat to golfers from bigger countries like the United States and England.
In addition to a major win, the 43-year-old Clarke exhibited phenomenal performance in other events as well. For instance, he racked up the World Golf Championship twice, boosting his position in the world rankings.
Another huge achievement that boosted Clarke's image was winning WGC-Andersen Consulting Match Play Championship. The victory grabbed the headlines as he beat the former world number one, Tiger Woods.
On the other hand, Graeme McDowell has also drawn attention due to his remarkable performance. The 32-year-old Northern Irishman is best known for his victory in the US Open at Pebble Beach in 2010.
In addition to winning a major event, he received the Haskins Award in 2002.
Both Clarke and McDowell looked thrilled when they came to know about the return of Irish Open to Portrush.
"Fantastic news on the Irish Open 2012 coming to Royal Portrush," McDowell tweeted. "Always been a dream of mine to play a top event in my home town".
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