The Dubai Duty Free (DDF) Irish Open will take place at the Galgorm Spa and Golf Resort in County Antrim, Northern Ireland next month (24-27 September).

It will mark a first for the venue and a fourth occasion for the event in Northern Ireland since 2012.

This year’s Irish Open fills the dates vacated by the rescheduling of the 2020 Ryder Cup, which will now take place in 2021 (21-26 September).

The stage was set for the 2020 DDF Irish Open to showcase at Mount Juliet Estate in County Kilkenny earlier this year (28-31 May), but this was postponed due to the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic.

RETURN OF WORLD-CLASS GOLF

A ban on mass gatherings and ongoing quarantine restrictions for arrivals into the Republic of Ireland prompted the European Tour to move the event to Northern Ireland, where it will now be played indoors similar to guidelines for ‘UK Swing’ events.

Provided all health guidelines can be met, the event plans to return to Mount Juliet next year.

Due to the change in dates and venue consequent to the disruptions, the prize money will total €1.25 million/$1.5 million and will not be part of the Rolex Series.

Colm McLoughlin, Executive Vice Chairman and CEO of Dubai Duty Free said: “We have been working closely with the European Tour over the past several months to find a way of staging the Dubai Duty Free Irish Open this year.

“The priority of course has been to stage an event that strictly follows all government protocols in light of Covid-19 and to ensure the safety of players and all those involved in the event.

“We are pleased that the Galgorm Castle Golf Club in County Antrim has been selected as a suitable venue, with the Galgorm Spa & Golf Resort as the official accommodation. Without a doubt, the tournament will be different this year but we think that the players and fans are going to enjoy this return to world-class golf on the island of Ireland.”

Keith Pelley, European Tour Chief Executive added: “The Dubai Duty Free Irish Open is an integral part of the European Tour’s schedule and despite the obvious challenges of staging any event in the current circumstances, we felt it was important to continue with the tournament providing we could do so safely.

“We did that, first and foremost with the support of Colm McLoughlin and everyone involved with our title sponsor Dubai Duty Free who once again showed commitment and understanding of the current global situation, and proved what a wonderful partner of the European Tour they are. We also did it with the support of the Northern Ireland Executive who deserve our sincere thanks.”

As reported, Dubai Duty Free has pledged its support to TRMarketplace (28 September – 2 October) as official sponsor of the event’s keynote webinar, ‘Embracing and leading through change’, which takes place on Monday 28 September.

There are now six weeks to go before the travel retail and duty free industry’s first digital conference and networking forum takes place. However, the platform opens a full month prior to the inaugural event on 28 August to allow users to book meetings in advance.

DF&TR stakeholders can now complete their registration for TRMarketplace [click above link to register]. Registration will close on 24 August.