Ballybunion chosen as host for 2009 Irish Seniors Open

Ireland’s Ballybunion Golf Club has been selected as this year’s venue for the Irish Senior’s Open to be played on the County Kerry links course between June 5-7.

Ballybunion is regularly featured among the top courses in the world in any such poll and is widely regarded as the premier links golf course. Measuring at 6,598 yards and playing to a par-71, Ballybunion’s layout features a hole named ‘Watson’ – the par-4, 453-yard 11th hole – so named after golf legend Tom Watson, thefive-time British Open champion and Ballybunion’s Millenium Captain.

Watson, who has an honorary life membership at the course will play in the tournament and expressed his delight at the opportunity to return to the course. The appointment was made in association with AIB and Failte Ireland, and is the 17th confirmed event on the 2009 Senior’s schedule. Both AIB and Failte Ireland have been associated with the twelve previous Irish Seniors Opens.

Ballybunion has long been part of European Tour golf, and has already hosted the 2000 Irish Open, which was won by Sweden’s Patrick Sjoland. The course will represent the second straight occasion on which the event has been played on a classic links course, following on from 2008’s venue, the Ballyliffin Golf Club, County Donegal which was won by Spain’s Juan Quiros.

The addition of Ballybunion onto the Senior Tour roster, along with the 2009 Irish Open at County Louth in Baltray gives the opportunity for Irish golf fans to watch two tournaments played on a pair of courses on opposite coasts of the Emerald Isle.

(Tom Watson photograph by Getty Images via Daylife)