DDF chief hails Irish sponsorship success
dubai — Dubai Duty Free’s executive vice chairman and CEO Colm McLoughlin hailed the success of the company’s association with the Dubai Duty Free Irish Open following a four-year extension of its title sponsorship which will take the partnership through to 2022.
The Dubai Duty Free Irish Open hosted by the Rory Foundation, which is this year being held at the spectacular Ballyliffin Golf Club in County Donegal from July 5-8, has gone from strength to strength since the world’s largest duty free operator took over its title sponsorship in 2015. From an initial prize fund of €2.5 million the purse now stands at $7,000,000 and last year the event was named as one of the eight prestigious Rolex Series tournments on the European Tour’s Race to Dubai.
McLoughlin said: “We are happy to continue our association with the Dubai Duty Free Irish Open and are very pleased with how the tournament has grown over the past four years, thanks to the support of tournament host Rory McIlroy and his Foundation. Becoming part of the Rolex Series has been a great boost as well and the benefits our brand gains from the event’s media exposure is excellent.”
A star-studded field is set to descend on Ireland’s northernmost county where Spanish sensation Jon Rahm will set out to defend what was his maiden European Tour title and the victory that set the World Number Six on the path to becoming a global superstar. Rahm went on to win the seasonending DP World Tour Championship, Dubai at Jumeirah Golf Estates and has this year added victory on homesoil at the Open de Espana as he looks to solidify a place in Thomas Bjørn’s European Ryder Cup team.