The HORIZON Irish Open

eirman

https://www.sportbusiness.com/news/horizon-gives-name-to-irish-open-in-strategic-alliance-led-deal/?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=London+AM_2022-02-11

eirman

Biotechnology company Horizon Therapeutic has become title sponsor of the Irish Open golf tournament in a six-year deal engineered through the ‘strategic alliance’ between the DP World Tour and PGA Tour.

The Dublin-headquartered brand will name this year’s event, hosted by the Mount Juliet Estate course in Kilkenny, as the ‘Horizon Irish Open’ with the agreement extending to 2027.

The tournament will see a significant increase in prize money to $6m (€5.3m), nearly double the amount on offer in the 2021 edition.

Guy Kinnings, deputy chief executive and chief commercial officer of the European Tour group, said: “It is a sign of Horizon’s commitment to golf on the island of Ireland that they have committed until at least 2027 and we very much look forward to working with them. This agreement is just the latest example of how the strategic alliance with the PGA Tour continues to benefit our membership.”

The alliance between the European Tour, now called the DP World Tour, and PGA Tour was announced in November 2020 and commits both parties to develop strategic commercial opportunities with the collaboration expanding to include mutually beneficial scheduling, increased prize funds and playing opportunities for members of both tours.

The new relationship has had a knock-on effect on sponsorship, as Brian Oliver, executive-vice president, corporate partnerships at the PGA Tour, told SportBusiness Sponsorship last year.

He said: “This alliance results in coordination on media rights in certain territories and collaboration in promoting events on media platforms for each Tour. In this way, sponsors on each Tour derive new and increased exposure and value.” Oliver said the co-sanctioned Genesis Scottish Open is an example of the power of the alliance.

Kinnings agreed that co-sanctioned title sponsors will benefit from the creation of a “global media and digital product, with coverage of the of the two tours, data and digital updates” and that joint central sponsorships were also a possibility.

The Horizon announcement adds towards the promotion of golf in Ireland, as it builds towards hosting the Ryder Cup in the country in 2027.

Commenting on the deal, Tim Walbert, chairman, president and chief executive officer, Horizon, said: “Horizon has called Ireland home for nearly ten years and this partnership with the DP World Tour further solidifies our continued business and community commitment. In addition to developing medicines, philanthropy is at our core.

“We have forged meaningful relationships in Ireland and know that serving as the Title Partner of this historic tournament will serve as a platform to positively impact the Irish and global community.”

Beaulieu

Jeez - I thought it was Shane's Management Company initially when I saw the headline!! Rors ---€25m ---> Horizon ---€?m ---> DP World Tour I nearly imagined was THE irony of all ironies!

But its not...

FixdePitchmark

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058232500/the-horizon-irish-open

Guys when I click this link - I get a subscription link ?

After an absolutely outstanding piece of news - is this link real ?

I'd love to know more about Horizon - I've been very frustrated with the most successful Irish/international companies in the pharma and technology sectors , not engaging in local community.

Anyway - I'm absolutely delighted with the news - but could someone review link to a paywall.

eirman

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FixdePitchmark

What on earth is that about?

I want to know about company , technology, success, team.

The company hardly want a pay wall as an introductory aspect?

eirman

"The company hardly want a pay wall as an introductory aspect?"

It's only a general sports broadcasting/rights news website.

eirman

https://ir.horizontherapeutics.com/news-releases/news-release-details/horizon-therapeutics-plc-named-title-partner-irish-open

Mantis Toboggan

Bit more info here

RTE news : Irish Open almost doubles prize fund with new sponsor

http://www.rte.ie/sport/golf/2022/0210/1279037-irish-open-almost-doubles-prize-fund-with-new-sponsor/

Trampas

K club to host in 2023, 2025 and 2027

Let the complaining begin

redarmy

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118975469#Comment_118975469

Great News

IHateNewShoes

I'll start the complaining so then... Bring it to a links!!!

Deeper Blue

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118975469#Comment_118975469

I assume Adare will take it in 24 or 26 or both

OEP

Being two weeks before The Open, and now having it on a parkland means it'll never be a big event. Americans won't come to the UK and Ireland for three weeks, and then not on a links gives even less of a reason for the big European players to come. Maybe in the future they could get it co-sanctioned by the PGA tour like the Scottish

Trampas

Players will come if someone pays them.

Where would people like it to fit on the calendar?

I don’t think players prep like they use to on playing similar courses before hand. Might play some practice rounds but a tournament a different ball game

RoadRunner

Quick Q, what would be best best links course to host, taking in all factors, such as parking, accom, proximity etc all the considerations for host a big event? Also, not every course wants to host?

IAmTitleist

With the amount of genuinely world class links courses in Ireland i just can't understand playing it on mediocre parklands that wouldn't make it into the top 1000 courses in America.

OEP

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118977235#Comment_118977235

Well that is true, if paid they will come. Or if you have someone like Rory calling in favours

Mantis Toboggan

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118978132#Comment_118978132

I suppose the links courses aren't interested. Week after the open might be the best spot.

blue note

It's just mindblowing that it's not on a links. I don't know what can be said about it because there's no argument to be had with anyone. Everyone is in agreement that it should be on a links. It's not that our parkland courses are poor - I'd hazard a guess that we've half a dozen parkland courses that would be excellent for European tour events. It's just that every European country has a few that would be up to the standard. Whereas links golf is loved around the world and only ourselves and Britain have links courses. And even at that, it's largely Scotland and ourselves.

On top of the courses that have already hosted it, you'd love to see it on the Island, the European club, Co Sligo, St Patricks, Narin & Portnoo, and a few others. And obviously Corballis, maybe every second year. Every year might just be a bit too tough for the lads. I wouldn't want to see them embarrassed like that.

Trampas

Maybe the members don’t want it. How long would their course be out of action for? Never mind the cost

Golfhead65

European Club would be a great venue, Didnt Paddy play there in The Irish professional tournament before his Open wins

Motivator

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118980365#Comment_118980365

Members of these courses absolutely love it when they get to host a big event such as the Irish Open. Free tickets, bragging rights etc. not to mention the publicity the course and the surrounding area get. I know two lads who have their houses rented out for extortionate money near Mt Juliet for this summer. English lads have booked out their houses for the week and no issue with the money the lads chanced their arm pitching to them.

Exposure is what these courses need and a major European Tour event is a huge honour to be bestowed upon any Irish course. Not to mention the course can increase their green fees pre and post event. Apart from a few women members, I couldn’t see anyone giving out if their course was awarded the Irish open.

Logistically it isn’t possible for a lot of Irish courses to hold big crowds either, that’s a major reason why some of the courses mentioned above aren’t or never will be chosen. The European Tour have a ridiculously strict list of measures that courses need to meet in order to even be considered to host an event.

fungie

Why would women members specifically give out about it and not other genders?

RoadRunner

Just saw on Wiki that in it's almost 100 year history the irish open has never been hosted in Connacht. County Sligo Rosses Pt would make an utterly cracking venue. I'd defo go to that one!

Ivefoundgod

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118981778#Comment_118981778

This isn't true at all though for the big links courses. Ballybunion, Lahinch, Portmarnock, RCD, Portrush etc. don't need any exposure, their tee sheets are completely packed with tourists or visitors whenever there's no members time and they have massive presence in the US, they also charge massive money for green fees. Lahinch for example has no free slots for 2022 visitors and that has been the case since some time ago. You have to give up the course to the tour some time in advance as well as changing how members play the course, enforcing mats or sparing greens which is not going to be popular with the wealthy members or visitors. There are very few members of those elite courses who give a single thought about the 'bragging rights' of hosting a bog standard European tour event. An Open(British) would be something, Irish open is a non event. This is why resort courses like the K Club and Mount Juliet take them on, they have smaller memberships who don't mind giving up the course for a while and they are the kind of place who would be happy to host an event and who do want some exposure to try compete with the links courses, the membership profiles are also not at all comparable to the elite links courses. I'm based in the South east and could relatively easily join Mount Juliet(pricey though!), I'd be laughed out of any of the links courses or asked to stump up massive money to join.

Golf tourists come to Ireland to play links courses, not parklands which is why the big links have no interest in hosting the Irish Open. Thats not even getting into the logistics of a course like Lahinch or Ballybunion hosting an event.

blue note

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118982899#Comment_118982899

You might be 100% right. I would just find it surprising though that any club wouldn't like the prestige of hosting an Irish Open. It's still a relatively big European Tour event and you'd have some top professionals on your course. Especially if it's links.

You're definitely right for the top courses that it won't be in their interest financially to host one. But if I was a member I think I'd love to have one at my club occasionally. Maybe not every year because I wouldn't want to be playing off mats for a month every summer.

Who organises the Irish Open? Is it golf Ireland, the European tour?

paul321123

+1 for Rosses point, I played this many years ago and loved the course, I have always said that I would like to play it again but unfortunetly have never managed to get back but there is still time😁, I just hope that they can attract a lot of the big names to the irish open this year, i'm looking forward to seeing these guys perform. While mount juliet is a fine course there is something special about playing on a links courses.

Ivefoundgod

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118983048#Comment_118983048

I think you are coming at from the mindset of your average club golfer like us on here where the prestige of hosting an event like that would be good for the clubs reputation but that is really only applicable to courses outside say the Top 20 in Ireland. It hasn't been a big European tour event for some time though, particularly with it losing Rolex status. Where it needs to be is on a similar footing to the Scottish Open with co-sanctioning from the PGA tour that gets a whole crowd of top players over. If that were to happen I could see some of the bigger links taking an interest. But even look at the Scottish open, its at Renaissance which is a resort course too that while a links isn't anything like somewhere like Carnoustie, St. Andrews or the likes. That tells you a lot about links courses ability to host big events like this with any regularity.

I think if I was a member of those courses I wouldn't be keen on giving up a months play just to host an Irish open. I don't believe members get any significant perks either apart from tickets to the event. Its not like they get to spend the week with the pros or mingle with them in the clubhouse. Maybe as a once off thing you might say ok but definitely not a regular occurrence that you'd want. Lahinch, Portstewart and RCD all hosted it relatively recently so I just don't see there being any appetite from the clubs or the members to have one back.

Lowry confirmed today (no shock there and probably a planned drip feed of Irish players with Power last week). I notice that Hatton seems to have confirmed he will be there on Lowry's Instagram post "Can't wait for a week on the black gold"

OEP

With it's current position in the calendar, you can basically forget about attracting Americans bar the odd one - unless big money was pulled out of somewhere. With a links course you stand a better chance of attracting the big European names like Rahm, Hatton, Fleetwood, Hovland etc.. because they can take a short flight to their families after the event and also get some links exposure, but why would they choose playing a parkland in Ireland over playing one in the US where they live? There still needs to be decent prize money to get some of them here. It would be cool if it could become a PGA Tour sanctioned event because then you could have a legitimate "Links Swing" that covers both tours, and could be marketed as such and even have it as an some sort of elevated swing or something - I don't know, just starting to ramble now!

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118984517#Comment_118984517

This year might get a couple as they have to fly into Ireland on Sunday night/Monday morning for JP's event. Might suit them to already be in Ireland.

Caddy cart

Still wondering why women members would moan about the Irish open on there course and not the men. I would say it would be the other way around. And that’s speaking as a man myself.

SeeMoreBut

The resort's second Arnold Palmer-designed course, Palmer South, will also play host to the Challenge Tour's Irish Challenge in the intervening years, beginning this July and again in 2024 and 2026.

DuckSlice

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118977945#Comment_118977945

Its between Portstewart and Lahinch of the ones that hosted it recently

OEP

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118984536#Comment_118984536

Maybe but are they not morel likely to fly in for the pro am and then head straight to Scotland for the Scottish Open. Or stay on in Ireland and play a few links courses - which is potentially what Tiger could do as he has done in the past.

Motivator

https://www.irishexaminer.com/sport/othersport/arid-40860527.html?fbclid=IwAR2m9kCuLLyXlZAwGnNTToE6_DWOcI9iI8XYt2J1408DWqqVSUwx-BlDMzQ

Trampas

With the names getting on the Scottish open timesheet there’s not much hope for a decent field here par the Irish us crew

x-x-footloose-x

Hi all, just wondering if anyone could advise if the grandstand tickets are worth buying? Have tickets for the Friday and haven’t been before so not sure what viewing is like in general.

Mushy

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119060523#Comment_119060523

Assume its just tix for grandstand on the 18th? Thought they were free, maybe charge for the Sunday.

I find it nice to have, good to see some players coming through to finish, get the weight off the feet a bit. Hard to say its worth it cos its balancing between use of it and seeing players around the course

paulie21

Hatton, Pieters and Olesen confirmed

Confirmed this morning by the man himself that Rory will skip the Irish Open for the third time since 2019.

SeeMoreBut

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119115497#Comment_119115497

Playing JP event

DuckSlice

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119115497#Comment_119115497

He was never going to play it, he has done enough for the competition in my eyes anyway. I think he will be back at the K Club though.

blue note

He arguably saved it as an event. I think it's odd that he doesn't play it now, but you certainly can't say he has any type of obligation to.

DuckSlice

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119116016#Comment_119116016

Yea i do find it odd considering he is in Adare the day after.

Who is the top name in the field at the moment? I hate the fact its on a Parkland and not one of the Top links.

StevenToast

Mcillmiss the Irish Open

IAmTitleist

The uninspiring choice of venue probably played a big part in that.

amlinopta

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119116120#Comment_119116120

Lowry, Power, Pieters, Hatton, Olesen. It's a shame with the lucrative new sponsorship that the tournament will have such a poor field compared to the JP McManus pro-am and Scottish Open. European Tour struggling in general but surely they should have had this on a links with the Open in mind.

While it seemed at the time to be a great slot in the run up to The Open it hasn't worked out in terms of attracting players when most are playing in Scotland the week after which now has the bonus of being co-sanctioned. I think they need to be looking at a different date in the coming years.

Mushy

Woukd after the Open work? Have it on a links, close out a links swing. Just thought of it cos know a few big names played week after the Masters, could be more likely than playing 2/3 weeks in a row.