Countdown begins for golfing odyssey

Countdown begins for golfing odyssey

27 May 2015

FANS looking to follow Rory McIlroy at the Irish Open face an early start tomorrow morning.

The world number one will be one of the first to tee off at Royal County Down with an 8am start.

The Holywood superstar has been drawn in a stellar three-ball alongside US Open champion and American sensation Rickie Fowler for the first two rounds.

An even earlier start awaits Darren Clarke. The former Open champion goes off at 7.40am along with Luke Donald and Danny Willett.

Graeme McDowell, the other member of Northern Ireland’s ‘Big Three,’ begins his first round at 7.50am playing partners Lee Westwood and Miguel Angel Jimenez.

Michael Hoey is away at 8.10am with Scots Stephen Gallacher and Marc Warren, while Paul McGinley, Robert Karlsson and Paul Lawrie have an 8.30am start.

Padraig Harrington, Sergio Garcia and defending champion Mikko Ilonen begin at 12.50pm, just in front of Ernie Els, Shane Lowry and Francesco Molinari at 1pm.

Newly crowned European PGA champion Byeong Hun An from Korea goes off at 1.10pm with England’s Tommy Fleetwood and Frenchman Victor Dubuisson, while another Northern Ireland golfer, Gareth Maybin, starts his challenge at 3.50pm in the company of Oliver Fishyer and Anders Hansen.

The tournament is sold out on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Remaining tickets for Thursday are expected to sell out very quickly so the European Tour is urging golf fans to ensure that they check availability online and not to turn up at the gate without a ticket.

Big crowds are also expected for today’s pro-am, when stars from the world of sport and entertainment will tee it up with the professionals.

Among the big names taking part are Australian cricket legend Shane Warne, jump jockey great AP McCoy, former Manchester United players Paul Scholes and Phil Neville, former world snooker champion Dennis Taylor, former Spurs and Northern Ireland goalkeeper Pat Jennings, Coleraine actor James Nesbitt, Dundrum comedian Patrick Kielty and Niall Horan, of boy band One Direction Fame.