THE IRISH OPEN is one of seven events to be included in the European Tour’s new Rolex Series for the 2017 season.
The event, hosted by Rory McIlroy’s Rory Foundation, will receive a prize-fund boost of €2.3 million for next year’s edition at Portstewart as part of the new lucrative schedule. It will take place between 6-9 July.
“I’m very grateful for the European Tour and Rolex including the Irish Open in this Rolex Series,” McIlroy said. “The Irish Open’s been given a great date as well. It’s two weeks before the Open on a links golf course (Portstewart). We’re really excited about it.
“It doesn’t change my schedule that much but it gives guys an incentive to maybe play a little bit more on this side of the pond leading up to the Open Championship and hopefully get some great fields.”
The 2017 Rolex Series will begin in May with the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth and will be followed by two tournaments in July: the Irish Open and the Scottish Open at Dundonald.
Also included in the series is the Italian Open in Rome while the final three events will be the Turkish Airlines Open, the Nedbank Golf Challenge and the DP World Tour Championship in Dubai.
The major prize-fund increase is a huge boost for the Irish Open, which has enjoyed an upturn in fortunes in recent years since the involvement of McIlroy.
Portstewart will stage a European Tour event for the first time next July and it will the the third time in six years that the national open will be held north of the border.
The prize fund for the 2017 Irish Open is set to be in the region of €6.5 million.
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