There was a great bit of news for Irish golf this morning after Dubai Duty Free signed a new deal to extend their sponsorship of the Irish Open until 2018.
As if that wasn't good enough current world number three and four time major winner, Rory McIlroy has confirmed that he will continue to host the tournament on behalf of his charity, The Rory Foundation.
The announcement follows a hugely successful tournament in Royal County Down in May which had over 100,000 fans come to see the event.
The most significant outcome of the deal is the increased prize revenue that it will bring in, which is set to make it one of the biggest events in golf outside the majors.
The tournament is set to see a staggering 60% increase in prize revenue, which will bring the purse from €2.5 million up to €4 million, making it one of the most lucrative events outside the majors and World Golf Championships and crucial for all players who are competing in The Race To Dubai.
The increased revenue is likely to bring in some of golf's biggest names from both the European and PGA tour and is a great boost for both Irish golf and the country in general.
Next years tournament takes place at the K Club from May 19-22.
Delighted to announce my @roryfoundation will host the @DDFIrishOpen for the next 3 yrs. Bring on 2016 at the K Club https://t.co/LWQhZ1AJFO
— Rory Mcilroy (@McIlroyRory) October 12, 2015
[European Tour]
