Nissan ends Irish Open sponsorship

European Tour News round-up: A number of blue chip companies are believed to have made proposals to the PGA European Tour to take over title sponsorship of the Irish Open in succession to Nissan Ireland, who yesterday announced they are ending their involvement as title sponsor after four years.

O2 Ireland and Bank of Ireland are understood to be among those seriously considering assuming sponsorship of a tournament that is now owned by the European Tour. Indeed, speaking at Wentworth during the recent BMW Championship, the tour's executive director, George O'Grady, suggested the future of the Irish Open was bright, although he refused to elaborate at that time as Nissan were considering their options.

Nissan Ireland executive chairman Gerard O'Toole stepped into the breach four years ago when Murphy's tenure as title sponsors finished. In that four years, Nissan brought the tournament back to its roots by staging it firstly at Portmarnock, in 2003, when it was won by the current US Open champion, Michael Campbell.

Since that inaugural staging under Nissan's sponsorship, the Irish Open was brought to Baltray (where it was won by Brett Rumford) and, for the past two years, to Carton House outside Maynooth. Stephen Dodd won in 2005 and Thomas Bjorn won this year's event, which was hampered by exceptionally wet weather, which forced a Monday finish.

Nissan initially sponsored the Irish Open for one year, in 2003, and subsequently extended the sponsorship for three further stagings of the event up to 2006.

"Nissan have been very pleased with our association with the Irish Open over the past four years," said O'Toole, in announcing the decision to withdraw, adding: "The company actively marketed the sponsorship in all our communications during the period and each event was watched by over 290 million people worldwide, helping to promote Ireland as a world-class golfing destination.

"However, we believe that the time is right for Nissan to step aside and for a new sponsor to step forward as Nissan embarks on a new marketing strategy over the next number of years."

Meanwhile, Paul McGinley has declined the option favoured by many of his contemporaries to embark early for next week's US Open and instead has headed to Austria for this week's BA-CA Open outside Vienna.

Recent knee surgery had some influence on his decision, but he was also keen to return to the country where he recorded his maiden European Tour win 10 years ago.

That was the last time the main tour was in Austria, but it has returned this year for the €1.3 million event at Fontana Golf Club in Oberwaltersdorf. McGinley has fond memories of the country.

"It was a great tournament for me (in 1996)," he said. "It was a dream to win my first tournament, shoot 62 and win by one.

"It is very good to see Austria back on the agenda again. It was a sad day when it left the European Tour.

"My knee is not 100 per cent, but, like a footballer needing games to get match fit, I need some tournaments under my belt.

"Mechanically it is in good shape now, but it is getting the confidence to get on my left side, but I have got to play now to work my way back to fitness.

"I played last week in Wales and I had a little bit of swelling and stiffness, but I am another week down the road and three weeks since surgery."

McGinley is joined in Austria by David Higgins, Stephen Browne, Gary Murphy, Michael Hoey and Colm Moriarty.