As the build up to The 2006 Ryder Cup intensifies, the host nation will have the chance to see many potential Ryder Cup stars of the future in the Ireland Ryder Cup Challenge over the Mahoney’s Point course at Killarney Golf and Fishing Club.
The Ireland Ryder Cup Challenge, as the tournament title suggests, was conceived as a result of Ireland’s successful bid to host the 2006 contest between Europe and the United States at The K Club, Straffan, Co. Kildare, in just under eight weeks time.
This week’s €130,000 event will see some of Europe’s most promising and talented players continue their quest for a place on The European Tour through the end of season Challenge Tour Rankings.
It is hoped that those players good enough to graduate the Challenge Tour can go on to develop into European Tour champions, with the best players winning one of golf’s most sought after prizes – the chance to play in The Ryder Cup - which has become of the world’s biggest sporting events.
Ten players have started their careers on the Challenge Tour and gone on to become European Tour winners, which led them to represent Europe at The Ryder Cup.
Denmark’s Thoms Björn, Andrew Coltart of Scotland, Sweden’s Niclas Fasth, Pierre Fulke, Per-Ulrik Johansson and Jarmo Sandelin, Ignacio Garrido of Spain, Thomas Levet of France, England’s Ian Poulter and Italy’s Costantino Rocca have all played their part in The Ryder Cup’s rich history since 1993. Sweden’s Henrik Stenson will almost certainly follow suit at The K Club and that some of the Challenge Tour’s class of 2006 will also emulate those illustrious predecessors some day in the future.
The Ireland Ryder Cup Challenge also gives many Irish players the opportunity to gain some invaluable Challenge Tour experience as they look to follow their own Ryder Cup heroes Darren Clarke, Padraig Harrington and Paul McGinley to The European Tour.
Last year’s tournament played a huge role in the 2005 Rankings race, as Scotland’s Marc Warren secured the maiden professional victory that kick-started his career, and enabled him to become the 2005 Challenge Tour Number One.
Warren, who received Honorary Life Membership of the Killarney Golf and Fishing Club as part of his prize for winning last season, drew a huge amount of confidence from his play-off victory over his fellow countryman Peter Whiteford, and used that self belief to go on and win the Rankings.
He said: “Winning in Ireland was huge in terms of my season last year. I had not long started working with Bob Torrance and had started to get some good results in the weeks leading up the tournament, but it was so important that I got my first win as a professional under my belt and to do it there was special.”
