Ireland to stage five Tour events

Ireland will host an unprecedented number of official European Tour events next year. In the provisional schedule for next season - due to be officially announced tomorrow - this country will stage five tournaments, with the Murphy's Irish Open and Smurfit European Open again being staged back-to-back in something of an Emerald Isle Swing.

Two of the events, however, are one-offs, in that the Seve Ballesteros Trophy, between Britain and Ireland and the continent of Europe, at Druids Glen in April and the American Express World Strokeplay at Mount Juliet in August are being played here for the first time and, with a policy of moving both competitions around, neither is expected to return to Ireland for a number of years.

Fota Island, which proved a resounding success in hosting the Irish Open, will again stage the tournament on June 27th-30th, the same position in the calendar it has occupied for the last three years, while the European Open will be staged at its now traditional home in Straffan from July 4th-7th.

The other event which will take place in Ireland is the North West of Ireland Open, which has been staged at the Slieve Russell for the past two years, but which moves to an as yet undecided venue next year when it will be staged on August 15th-18th, the same week as the USPGA.

Although there has been some shifting of tournament venues and dates, and the early part of the season will see three co-sanctioned tournaments taking place in Australia, perhaps the most significant switch will see the season-ending Volvo Masters return to Valderrama.