AIB Ladies Irish Open on again at
Portmarnock next June

FROM THE LADIES EUROPEAN TOUR WEBSITE
Big-time women's professional golf will return to North Dublin next year with the formal announcement today that the staging of the AIB Ladies Irish Open, supported by Fáilte Ireland, will again be held at the magnificent Portmarnock Hotel and Golf Links from Friday June 26th until Sunday 28th 2009.
Speaking at the announcement, the Director of Golf at Portmarnock Hotel and Golf Links, Moira Cassidy, commented, “We are proud that our course proved to be such a good test in last year’s Championship and we can guarantee a top-class links challenge again in June.”
Next year’s Championship will see an increase in Prize Money to €500,000, positioning it as one of the leading events on the LET circuit.
Last year, hot favourite Suzann Pettersen took the title in impressive style and has been invited back to defend.The natural links venue was widely praised by all the top players.
Team Ireland will be well represented in 2009, with a minimum of four Irish professionals plus leading amateurs players to be invited, based on merit.Some of the hottest players in the world are on the short-list of tournament organiser Roddy Carr over the next two years, amongst them Lorena Ochoa, Paula Creamer, Natalie Gulbis and Michelle Wie.
Speaking today, Carr admitted: “The strategy of attracting some of the biggest names in the sport to a world class venue worked very well in year one. We will continue with this approach and are looking forward to announcing some big names early in the New Year for the 2009 event.”
It is a sign of the growing interest in women’s golf in Ireland that, despite the current economic difficulties, there will continue to be considerable investment and commitment by sponsors in the years ahead.
AIB and Fáilte Ireland are both committed to the Ladies Irish Open until 2012 and to the The 2011 Solheim Cup at Killeen Castle.
AIB was delighted with the positive community response to the ’08 event and also to the inaugural AIB Amateur Club Challenge that attracted 3000 women from 200 clubs around Ireland and where 12 club teams qualified for the Pro-Am.
AIB are also a Global Partner sponsorship of The 2011 Solheim Cup at Killeen Castle.
Fáilte Ireland’s investment in the Ladies Irish Open over the next few years is part of the package that has made it possible, through the International Sports Tourism Initiative, to secure The Solheim Cup for Ireland in 2011.