European Open boost

Golf News: A rise in prize money to a record €3,336,288 for this year's Smurfit European Open, which takes place at the K Club from June 30th-July 3rd, sees it retain its status as one of the flagship tournaments on the PGA European Tour.

Also, the championship returns to the Palmer Course, the venue for next year's Ryder Cup, having been played on the new Smurfit Course last year when US Open champion Retief Goosen triumphed.

Since the Jefferson Smurfit Group assumed title sponsorship of the flagging European Open in 1995, there has been a significant rise in the tournament's status.

On that occasion, the purse totalled the equivalent of €910,000; now, it has reached the stage where it is one of the premier titles on the circuit, with only the majors, the World Golf Championships and a handful of tournaments (the BMW Championship, the French Open, the Dunhill Links and the Volvo Masters) having bigger prize funds.

"This is another significant landmark in the tour's special relationship with the Jefferson Smurfit Group," said George O'Grady, the executive director of the European Tour, who thanked Michael Smurfit for "his vision in bringing the event to this superb venue and also his role in developing the prize fund to a new record level".

Smurfit said: "To remain at the forefront of the European Tour, it is important that our event gets the prize fund it deserves, and we are delighted to be able to announce another six-figure rise to reach a new record level this year."

The European Open occupies a prime date on the calendar two weeks ahead of the British Open and will revert to the Palmer Course (formerly the North Course) this year after being played on the Smurfit Course (formerly the South Course) for the first time in 2004.

The Palmer Course staged the first nine editions of the tournament and will also host the 36th Ryder Cup matches in September, 2006.

PREVIOUS WINNERS (of the title have been): Bernhard Langer (1995), Per-Ulrik Johansson (1996, 1997), Mathias Grönberg (1998), Lee Westwood (1999, 2000), Darren Clarke (2001), Michael Campbell (2002), Phillip Price (2003) and Retief Goosen (2004).