Qualifier for 2018 Dubai Duty Free Irish Open
INVITED amateurs will have a chance to qualify for the Dubai Duty Free Irish Open at Ballyliffin next year after the PGA agreed with the European Tour to abolish the traditional exempt spots for the leading players on the Irish Region’s Order of Merit and introduce a 36-hole qualifier.
The move, which has been in the pipeline since 2015, replicates the pre-qualifying tournament for the Scottish Open with four spots available from the qualifier for what is now a $7 million Rolex Series event.
An email was sent to all members of the PGA in Ireland Region on Friday, explaining that there will be a €40,000, 36-hole qualifier in 2018 with the field comprising PGA members and a limited number of amateur and Sponsor/European Tour invitations
The email explains that the pre-qualifying tournament “will be in exactly the same format as that delivered in Scotland.”
PGA in Ireland secretary Michael McCumiskey explained that the exact entry criteria, while expected to be almost identical to Scotland’s, will not be finalised until the entry form is drawn up.
A venue has yet to be decided but the event will be held on Saturday and Sunday, June 30 and July 1, which is the weekend before to the 2018 Dubai Duty Free Irish Open, which is scheduled for July 5-8.
The 130 strong field in Scotland this year included six amateurs nominated by Scottish Golf Ltd.
This will mean that the GUI will be able to nominate up to six amateurs for the Irish Open pre-qualifier which, amongst myriad exemptions, will also offer spots to the “leading 15 players (to a limit of 80th place)” on the 2018 PGA Europro Tour Order of Merit at the closing date.