Henrik Stenson is the latest high profile name to confirm his participation in the 2006 Nissan Irish Open, and the powerful Swede will find himself taking on Colin Montgomerie in two senses at Carton House Golf Club, Maynooth, Co. Kildare, from May 18-21.
Stenson, currently ranked second on The European Tour Order of Merit, will face the larger than life reigning European Number One in person over the exacting golf course at Carton House which bears Montgomerie’s instantly recognisable surname.
Montgomerie was rightly proud of many achievements in 2005, not least the notable feat of claiming his eighth European Tour Order of Merit title. But away from the field of play, the thing which pleased him most was the high regard in which his course design at Carton House was held, and the Scot cannot wait to return for a second year.
“For me, personally, last year’s Nissan Irish Open was a great success,” he said. “It is nice when people come off and praise a course that I am very, very proud of and I am delighted that my peers did just that. It also won the Golf World Magazine award for the best new course design in 2005 which was wonderful both for myself and for Carton House.”
Welshman Stephen Dodd took the title last year, defeating
He said: “The course last year was set up fairly, but it was tough. That way, it generally brings out the best golfers of the week.”
An indication of how successful Montgomerie felt the course stood up to its first European Tour event, is the fact that there are few changes to the layout for this year’s tournament, which will feature a record prize fund of €2,200,000.
He added: “I listened closely to the comments of my peers who played in the event last year and have taken them into account. The changes that have been made will hopefully just make the course play even better this time around.
Montgomerie himself was one of the players who did not manage to break par over four rounds last year, his one over par total of 289 seeing him finish in a share of 28th place. However, the Scot aims to improve on that effort this time round.
“I am looking forward to competing again,” he said. “Last year’s finish was disappointing but it is not easy playing your own course. However, I am looking forward to the challenge again and there would, undoubtedly, be no greater thrill than winning on your own course.”
“I think it might be easier for me this year because I will be a little bit more relaxed with people’s views about the course. For example, last year, I played with Michael Campbell who went in a bunker on our second hole on Thursday. He didn’t get it out first time and I was almost apologising to him!
“I think it did affect my own game, thinking about and wondering about what everyone was going to say about the place. But this year I can go there a bit more relaxed and enjoy the feeling that my peers are enjoying playing, in my view, one of the best courses on Tour.”
