Dubai: Reigning US Open Champion and Ryder Cup hero Martin Kaymer and fellow former world No.1 Luke Donald have added their names to a truly international field for the Dubai Duty Free Irish Open, to be held from May 28-31.
Following the addition of Dubai Duty Free as title sponsor, the prize fund will increase by 25 per cent to €2.5 million (Dh9.9 million) with the 2015 champion taking home €416,660 compared to the €333,330 which Mikko Ilonen received last year.
The addition of two ex-world No.1 in Kaymer and Donald, along with former WGC-Cadillac Championship winner Patrick Reed, will further enhance the strongest field assembled for the event when at least five of the top 20 players in the world will battle it out over one of golf’s most famous links courses, Royal County Down in Newcastle, Northern Ireland
The field now includes five current or former players who have reached the No.1 rankings – current No.1 Rory McIlroy, Donald, Ernie Els, Kaymer and Lee Westwood – and eight major champions in McIlroy, Els, Kaymer, Darren Clarke, Padraig Harrington, Graeme McDowell, Paul Lawrie and José Maria Olazábal.
Between them, those eight players have shared no fewer than 16 Major titles. The event now carries the most Official World Golf Ranking points since its inception while the holders of three of the four ‘Grand Slam’ tournaments will be in the field – Kaymer (US Open) and McIlroy (The Open and US PGA).
The importance of the event on The Race to Dubai schedule is further signified by the presence of seven current or former European Number Ones – Donald, Els, Harrington, Kaymer, McIlroy, Westwood and Robert Karlsson.
Englishman Donald last played the Irish Open in 2004, but was part of Europe’s victorious and record-equalling Ryder Cup team of 2006 at The K Club. US Open Champion Kaymer last played in Ireland in 2008, while American Ryder Cup star Reed will be making his debut in the tournament.
Kaymer, two-time major champion and winner of the Players’ Championship on the US PGA Tour in 2014, is anticipating the Irish Open ‘buzz’ at Royal County Down.
He said: “There is definitely a good feeling about this year’s Irish Open and I think Rory has done a great job to get such a great field for the event and to create a really nice atmosphere about the tournament. He is very passionate about the tournament, and also the golf course at Royal County Down, so I am sure it will be a great week.”