The 3 Irish Open preview

The European Tour begins four weeks in Britain and Ireland with the 3 Irish Open. The competition heads back to the coast this year, Padraig Harrington will head a strong field over the links at County Louth GC in Baltray.

Padraig Harrington will start as favourtie
Fergus Bisset
By
published

Lowdown: A strong field will assemble at County Louth Golf Club in Baltray this week for the 3 Irish Open. It’s a rare chance for the top pros to test their skills around a links layout and former Open Champions - Padraig Harrington, Paul Lawrie and John Daly are in the field. The Irish Open has a new title sponsor for this season in the shape of mobile phone network provider 3. There’s also been a hike in the prize fund – it will total €3,000,000 for the week and the winner is set to receive a cheque for €500,000.

For the last two years the Irish Open has been held at the spectacular Adare Manor just outside Limerick where Padraig Harrington and Richard Finch have been champions. But this season the contest, fittingly, returns to the coast. Last time County Louth hosted the Irish Open was back in 2004. In that event, Australia’s Brett Rumford held off the challenge of Padraig Harrington to take the title.

Harrington, winner in 2007, will lead an impressive squad of Irish players that includes – Rory McIlroy, Peter Lawrie and Graeme McDowell.

Venue: Co Louth GC, Baltray, Ireland Course stats: par 72, 7,063 yards Purse: €3,000,000, Winner: €500,000 Defending Champion: Richard Finch (-10)

TV coverage: Thursday 14 – Live on Sky Sports 2 from 10am Friday 15 – Live on Sky Sports 2 from 10am Saturday 16 – Live on Sky Sports Xtra from 2pm Sunday 17 – Live on Sky Sports 3 from 12 noon

Player Watch: Padraig Harrington – The two-time Open champion is currently the best links golfer in the world. He’ll start as favourite. John Daly – He finished second in Italy last week and has proven he can deal with links golf, winning the Open Championship in 1995. Graeme McDowell – He’s not been on the best run of form but he’ll be looking to use this week as a springboard. He grew up playing links golf and has all the shots necessary to play well here.

Key Hole: 18th. A straight par-5 of 559 yards. Depending on wind conditions, it should be reachable in two for the majority of the field. Could we see someone finishing with an eagle to steal the title?

Skills Required: Mastering the links. It’s a rare outing on the links for the European Tour and the players will have to adapt quickly. The man who has the low, penetrating iron shot and running pitch at his disposal will have a distinct advantage

Fergus Bisset
Fergus Bisset
Contributing Editor

Fergus is Golf Monthly's resident expert on the history of the game and has written extensively on that subject. He has also worked with Golf Monthly to produce a podcast series. Called 18 Majors: The Golf History Show it offers new and in-depth perspectives on some of the most important moments in golf's long history. You can find all the details about it here.

He is a golf obsessive and 1-handicapper. Growing up in the North East of Scotland, golf runs through his veins and his passion for the sport was bolstered during his time at St Andrews university studying history. He went on to earn a post graduate diploma from the London School of Journalism. Fergus has worked for Golf Monthly since 2004 and has written two books on the game; "Great Golf Debates" together with Jezz Ellwood of Golf Monthly and the history section of "The Ultimate Golf Book" together with Neil Tappin , also of Golf Monthly.

Fergus once shanked a ball from just over Granny Clark's Wynd on the 18th of the Old Course that struck the St Andrews Golf Club and rebounded into the Valley of Sin, from where he saved par. Who says there's no golfing god?

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