The K Club in Co Kildare is to host the 2005 Ryder Cup. This will be officially confirmed by the European Ryder Cup Committee next Friday at a Dublin press conference.
The overall investment towards bringing the biennial golf showpiece to Ireland amounts to more than £15 million from various Irish sources, spearheaded by the Government.
Mr Mark Mortell, the Bord Failte chairman, said: "From now until 2005 we will set about achieving the major rewards which the Ryder Cup is certain to deliver for Irish tourism."
Mr Mortell claimed not to know the identity of the successful venue. "It would have been invidious of us to choose one venue over another. We were happy that the European Tour had the expertise to make an appropriate decision."
There was no official comment yesterday from the Jefferson Smurfit Group. Dr Michael Smurfit owns the K Club.
It appears the European Tour responded to growing media speculation and not a little pressure from Dr Smurfit, who insisted he needed an early decision if various developments to the K Club were to be undertaken. These include a major extension to the onsite five-star hotel.
Where the Ryder Cup is concerned, money talks. Mr Mortell was left in no doubt of that during his first business meeting with Mr Ken Schofield, executive director of the European Tour, in April 1997. "He told me that his responsibility was to get as much money as possible out of the Ryder Cup for the benefit of his members," recalled Mr Mortell. This formed the basis of the Irish strategy.
It led to a commitment of £7 million to the European Tour, half of which would come from the Government and the other half to be split among supporting sponsors Aer Lingus, AIB and Waterford Crystal. Bord Failte is to have a promotional presence at 14 Ryder Cup qualifying tournaments, building up to this year's staging at Brookline in the United States next September and again in 2001, 2003 and, of course, 2005.
There is little point in purists complaining the event is not going to the superb links terrain of Portmarnock, which is so representative of what this country has to offer the golfing tourist. Mr Mortell accepted the ground rules. So did Dr Smurfit. That is why both men now have reason to be pleased with the outcome.
The other leading applicants were Portmarnock, Mount Juliet and Druids Glen, while Portmarnock Links, Ballybunion, the European Club and Waterville also threw their hats in the ring.