Kaymer and Donald to play in DDF Irish Open

The field now includes five current or former players who have reached the pinnacle of the world ranking — current Number One Rory McIlroy, Donald, Ernie Els, Kaymer and Lee Westwood.

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Published: Sat 18 Apr 2015, 11:43 AM

Last updated: Thu 25 Jun 2015, 10:43 PM

Dubai — Reigning US Open Champion and Ryder Cup hero Martin Kaymer, fellow former World Number One Luke Donald and American Ryder Cup star Patrick Reed have all added their names to a truly international field for the Dubai Duty Free Irish Open Hosted by the Rory Foundation.

Following the addition of Dubai Duty Free as title sponsor, the prize fund will increase by 25 per cent to €2.5 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 number ones in Kaymer and Donald, along with former WGC-Cadillac Championship winner Reed, will further enhance the strongest field assembled for the event from May 28-31, 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.

The field now includes five current or former players who have reached the pinnacle of the world ranking  —  current Number One 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. 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.


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