GolfPlus June 2018 Digital Edition (June 2018) | Page 20

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Dubai Duty Free extends Irish Open
title sponsorship until 2022
John Farren, General Manager of Ballyliffin Golf Club, Barry Funston, Chief Executive of the Rory Foundation, Simon Alliss, the European Tour’s Championship Director of the Dubai Duty
Free Irish Open, Sinead El Sibai, Senior Vice President of Marketing at Dubai Duty Free, Des Smyth, Dubai Duty Free Irish Open Tournament Ambassador and Martin Donnelly, Business
Development Manager of Failte Ireland.
ubai Duty Free has agreed a four-year
extension of its title sponsorship of the
Dubai Duty Free Irish Open hosted by
the Rory Foundation, taking the partnership
through to 2022.
The historic tournament has reached
new heights since Dubai Duty Free began its
title sponsorship in 2015, with the prize fund
increasing year-on-year from €2.5 million
to a record $7 million last year following its
inauguration as one of the European Tour’s
eight Rolex Series events. The agreement
underlines the commitment of Dubai Duty
Free to one of the biggest tournaments on
the European Tour’s International Schedule
and emphasizes its growing prestige since
the world-renowned travel retailer came on
board three years ago. This year, the Dubai
Duty Free Irish Open hosted by the Rory
Foundation will take place at the spectacular
Ballyliffi n Golf Club in County Donegal, from
July 5-8, where World Number Three Jon
Rahm will defend the title he won in record-
breaking fashion at Portstewart last year.
Following the success of Rory McIlroy’s and
his Foundation’s hosting of the tournament,
the event will enter a new era next year with
a rotation of tournament hosts featuring the
biggest names in Irish golf. From 2019, four
more of the island of Ireland’s most revered
golfers – The 2014 Ryder Cup Captain Paul
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2018
McGinley as well as Major winners Darren
Clarke, Padraig Harrington and Graeme
McDowell – will share the hosting duties with
McIlroy, beginning with McGinley next year.
Eight-time European Tour winner and two-
time Ryder Cup player Des Smyth will also
become tournament ambassador for the Dubai
Duty Free Irish Open until 2022.
Smyth, who is already a Dubai Duty
Free Ambassador, will work closely with the
European Tour and the tournament’s future
hosts in order to ensure a smooth and consistent
evolution of the tournament in the new format
over the next four years. Colm McLoughlin,
Vice-Chairman and Chief Executive Offi cer
of Dubai Duty Free, said: “We are delighted
to announce our continued sponsorship of
the Dubai Duty Free Irish Open, which has
grown signifi cantly in the past four years.
Thanks to Rory McIlroy and his Foundation
for its support and we are looking forward to a
fantastic event in Ballyliffi n this year.”
Keith Pelley, Chief Executive of the
European Tour, said: “Dubai Duty Free has
been a fantastic partner since taking on the
title sponsorship of the Irish Open back in
2015. They have been fundamental in this
tournament’s resurgence and we sincerely
thank Colm McLoughlin, Sinead El Sibai
and everyone at Dubai Duty Free for their
unwavering support and commitment.
“Rory McIlroy has, of course, also been
instrumental in this success and we look
forward very much to his hosting of this year’s
tournament at Ballyliffi n. Rory has given us
the platform to build for the future and we are
very excited at what we can achieve with the
new era over the next four years.” Des Smyth
said: “I am thrilled to have been invited to be
an Ambassador for the Dubai Duty Free Irish
Open for the next four years. It’s an exciting
time for this tournament and I look forward
to working with the European Tour and all
of the tournament hosts over the next four
years to help bring this great event to new
levels of success.” Concessions are available
for customers aged over 60 and between 14
and 17, while children up to 13 are permitted
free entry when accompanied by a ticket
holding adult.