| The 2009 Irish Open Golf Championship will take | | | | PGA Championship in America. Harrington was the |
| place at the Baltray Golf Club in County Louth, | | | | first Irish winner since John O'Leary won in 1982. |
| between May 14-17, 2009. It had been scheduled | | | | Former US Open champion, Michael Campbell won |
| to be played for the third year running at the | | | | the Irish Open in 2003, but there have been |
| Adare Country Club, however, financial difficulties | | | | several Majors winners who have triumphed in |
| has prevented that from happening this year but | | | | Ireland. Nick Faldo, who won six Majors, famously |
| the Baltray will still provide the perfect setting for | | | | won in Ireland three years in succession between |
| this prestigious European Tour Event. | | | | 1991-1993. German Bernhard Langer won a |
| Baltray however is no stranger to the Irish Open | | | | record equalling four times between 1974-94. Five |
| Golf Championship, having hosted the event in | | | | times Major winner, Seve Ballesteros has won |
| 2004, when Australian, Brett Rumford was | | | | three Irish opens while other winners have been |
| victorious with an impressive score of 14 under | | | | Ian Woosnam (twice), Jose Maria Olazabla, Colin |
| par. | | | | Montgomerie (three wins) and current world |
| The Championship was first played in 1927 and | | | | number three, Sergio Garcia. |
| continued running for 23 years until 1950. Like | | | | The O'Connors are famous Irish golfing names; |
| many sports however, at that time, the | | | | Father, Christie, won the Irish Open a record four |
| tournament suffered from post war financial | | | | times, between 1964-72 and then his son, Christie |
| constraints and was discontinued until 1975. It has | | | | O'Connor junior won in 1975. |
| been a European Tour favourite ever since and | | | | The field this year will be as illustrious as ever, |
| some of the biggest names in European Golf | | | | featuring many world and European stars who will |
| history have won the tournament. | | | | bid to join an astonishing Irish Open roll of honour. |
| The 2008 Irish Open was won by Englishman, | | | | Favourite to win the tournament is likely to be |
| Richard Finch, who famously fell into the lake | | | | Harrington as he looks to prepare to bounce back |
| when playing his second shot to the 18th green. | | | | to Major form with both the US Open and British |
| Fortunately for him, before getting wet he | | | | Open fast on the horizon over the next couple of |
| managed to strike the ball on to the green, | | | | months. However, with so many youngsters |
| before putting out to win his second European | | | | making breakthrouh's this year, perhaps it will |
| tour event. | | | | young Ulsterman, Rory McIlroy who may carry |
| Other famous winners have been Ireland's | | | | best Irish hopes on the back of a respectable |
| favourite golfing son, Padraig Harrington, who won | | | | 20th place finish at the US Masters in Augusta in |
| at the Adare Club in 2007, before going on to win | | | | April and will be looking to add to his first |
| his first golfing major, the British Open. He also | | | | European Tour win, the Dubai Desert classic back |
| won the British Open in 2008 and won his third | | | | in February. |
| Major a couple of months later when taking the | | | | |