Jefferson Smurfit Group yesterday announced a three-year extension to its association with the European Open in a move which should strengthen aspirations to eventually bring the Ryder Cup match to the venue. The event will be held at The K Club, which has played host for the past three years, until at least the year 2000.

Although Michael Smurfit Jnr insisted the extension of the contract with the PGA European Tour had no Ryder Cup connotation, the commitment to increase sponsorship and stage the European Open at Straffan for the next three years should increase their hand when venue negotiations do finally occur.

"We have no intention of moving the tournament to another venue," confirmed Smurfit Jnr. "Our aims in sponsoring the Smurfit European Open are to promote The K Club and place it on the world stage and, also, to promote Ireland as a golfing destination."

Since taking over the title sponsorship, Smurfit have increased prize-money from £650,000 to £850,000 inside three years. And Peter Davidson, chairman of the European Open Championship, confirmed that it is their intention to raise the tournament up to the level of the Volvo PGA championship.

Indeed, it is believed that the European Tour has a "blueprint" to gradually increase the European Open's status and move the event to an earlier summer date, making it a cornerstone of the tour.

The ideal is that the European Open would, at some stage in the future, slot in behind the Murphy's Irish Open, Loch Lomond World Invitational and the British Open, providing four exceptionally strong tournaments in succession to keep Europe's top players' on this side of the Atlantic.