Paul McGinley confirmed today that he will defend his Smurfit Irish PGA Championship next month while Padraig Harrington said recently that he also 'intends' playing at Adare Manor.
McGinley won the Irish PGA's signature event for the third time when the championship was contested in terrible conditions at Westport last year.
On that occasion the elements were so bad that the event was reduced to 54-holes. Ironically, McGinley's form dipped dramatically - dropping out of the world's top 100 after holding a top 35 spot - after winning in the west last April. Many onlookers suggested the Dubliner's swing and tempo was lost, quite literally, in the wind, a view the player himself never alluded to.
As for world number nine Harrington, he spoke of his intention to support the national championship during the Irish Open at Portmarnock a fortnight ago. However, the Dubliner is understandably non-committal given that his wife Caroline is expecting their first child around the same time.
Michael McCummiskey, Secretary of the PGA Irish Region, was delighted with McGinley's decision to defend his title:
"Given Paul's (McGinley) profile on the European Tour and his input at last year's Ryder Cup, it's great news for us to have him back defending his title."
Darren Clarke, on the other-hand, has said he will not be competing at Adare Manor from September 4th-7th. Instead, the next time he competes on these shores will be the following week in a new Challenge Tour event at Clandeboye GC, near Belfast.
Clarke, like his stablemate Graeme McDowell, are both scheduled to play the Northern Ireland Masters in support of their management company, International Sports Management (ISM), who are organising the event. McCummiskey said McDowell has yet to indicate whether he will play at Adare or not, but he is still "hopeful".
Regarding other in form Irish players on the European Tour, Gary Murphy is unlikely to compete because the Kilkenny golfer wants to retain a top 60 place on the European Order of Merit to qualify for the lucrative season-ending Volvo Masters. Murphy is currently 44th in the standings.
Peter Lawrie, meanwhile, gave a similar response to his fellow Dubliner Harrington, in that he too, intends playing in the championship but has yet to make the commitment.
In this, the 14th year for the Smurfit Group to sponsor the €137,000 PGA Championship, it will also be the first time since 1973 that the event is played in the Limerick area. The last time it was, Skerries professional Jimmy Kinsella won at Limerick GC.