Irish rugby legend Paul O’Connell and Clare Hurling star Shane O’Donnell are the first Irish sports stars confirmed to take part in the Dubai Duty Free Irish Open pro-am, which will take place at on Wednesday July 3, ahead of the second Rolex Series event of the 2019 Race to Dubai.
The tournament, which for the first time will played over the spectacular Old Course at Lahinch Golf Club from July 4-7, will be hosted by The 2014 Ryder Cup Captain Paul McGinley.
Paul O’Connell, who will return home from France this summer, said: “I’m a member of Lahinch Golf Club so I know how tricky the course can be but I’m looking forward to being back there this summer and playing with the professionals. They could teach me a thing or two!
“I think the Dubai Duty Free Irish Open will be a really special one. Obviously, Lahinch and the Munster region is close to my heart, and I think the support down there will be some of the best the event has ever seen.”
Shane O’Donnell has recently returned home to Clare after studying for a PhD in Harvard. Shane said: “I’m delighted to be back in Ireland and thrilled to be taking part in the Dubai Duty Free Irish Open Pro Am.
“I’ve played at Lahinch a few times and it’s an incredible place to play. It’s great to be back on this side of the Atlantic Ocean and I suppose you don’t get much close to being back in the USA than at Lahinch!
“As well as having the hurley back in my hands, I’ll have to get the clubs out too to practise. I’m looking forward to the challenge.”
The rest of the pro-am line-up will be announced over the coming weeks.
Joining Paul McGinley in Lahinch this July is a star-studded field which includes Shane Lowry, Padraig Harrington, Graeme McDowell, Lee Westwood, Danny Willett, Tommy Fleetwood and Louis Oosthuizen, with further names to be announced over the coming months.
The European Tour is also giving one Munster primary school the chance to enter into a fun trick shot competition for the chance to win a VIP trip to this year’s Dubai Duty Free Irish Open, while the winning participant will also have the tournament trophy visit their school for a day.
To enter the competition, parents and teachers are asked to submit the trick shot video online via Twitter, Facebook or Instagram, name the school and location in the post and use the hashtags #DDFIrishOpen and #KidsTrickShot.
The Dubai Duty Free Irish Open takes place from the 3rdto the 7thof July. Tickets are available fromwww.dubaidutyfreeirishopen.com.
