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| BJÖRN
HAILS THE NEXT GENERATION //
16th
May 2007 |
Thomas Björn
launches his defence of the Irish Open
title at Adare Manor Hotel and Golf
Resort warning of a new generation of
players poised to take The European
Tour by storm.
“I think one of the things that
people have got to take a very big note
of on The European Tour is that we have
a major generation change,” said
the Danish winner of nine European Tour
titles. “It might be that people
don't know many of the players on this
Tour, but in five years, people will
know a lot about these guys and they
will come through and be the strength
of the Tour. We're just going through
a generation change.
“Players like Oliver Wilson and
Ross Fisher, I think they are two players
that are going to go into a great future.
Alvaro Quiros out of Spain is a great
player. You see a lot of talent. When
you stand on the range next to them
you can certainly see that there's a
lot of potential. They are players that
will take this game to a different level.
I just think that we've got to start
looking at all of the talent we have
coming through instead of saying, well,
the top guys are not playing. Well,
the top guys are just changing.
“There's no fear. That's the difference.
When I came out on Tour, you had a lot
of respect for your Faldos and Olazábals
and your Montgomeries, and it took you
quite a while to just feel comfortable.
“These kids don't care. They just
come out. They have one goal in mind,
and they just want to win golf tournaments
and they don't care who they are up
against. That's the big difference I
see today. They are going to come out
in strength and come out in bigger numbers
as well. They just don't care and think
about themselves and winning golf tournaments
which is the right approach.”
The Irish Open moves to the luxurious
Adare Manor Hotel and Golf Resort for
the first of three years with players
facing one of the longest courses on
the circuit at 7,453 yards.
Padraig Harrington, who won the JP McManus
Pro-Am at Adare Manor two years ago,
shooting a course record 63 on the way,
will be attempting to repeat that victory
to become the first home winner since
John O’Leary 25 years ago.
“If somebody breaks 63 this week,
I'll pat them on the back, there's no
question about that,” said the
World Number 12. “The rough is
heavy out there and the fairways are
narrower, and obviously the greens are
more tournament speed than they were
the last time. It was very windy the
last time, but as I say the wind is
not a big factor on this course because
there are so many holes that are sheltered.
Yeah, if somebody shoots 63, I'll pat
them on the back and say well done.”
Harrington is also looking forward to
the festival atmosphere associated with
the Irish Open, with some of the prizes
on offer adding some extra excitement
to the event.
“I think the million Euro bonus
(for winning this week and next), McInerney
Homes the hole in one prize of the house
(Home In One), the Audi car and associated
prizes like that adds to the excitement
and the buzz of an event. I think that's
what's going to bring people back,”
he said.
It's not necessarily the prize itself;
it's the talk, the excitement, just
people, the interest, making an event
more exciting, spectators turning out.
It's a top class championship golf course,
no question about that. There won't
be a player who will walk off this place
that will not have good words to say
about the quality of the golf course.”
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