A roundup of today's news from Killarney

Teenager gets his wish

KERRY teenager Peter McEnery got to live out a dream yesterday, as part of the Make A Wish Foundation, when he played alongside Pádraig Harrington in the pro-am. The 14-year-old, who lives with cystic fibrosis, was treated like a professional for the day. He was collected by courtesy car from his home, practiced alongside the three-time major winner on the range before his round, and then played three holes as part of the pro-am team, before being ferried to the media centre for a post-round interview.

“I play a lot of golf, I’m down here nearly every day practising. I’ll be chipping some days, or go off to the range. I play a few rounds with my friends,” said Peter, who plays off a 24-handicap. The high point of his day came when he parred the third hole, achieving the same score there as Harrington.

Harrington’s clothing sponsor, Kartel, has a charity drive on at this year’s Irish Open, to raise money for the Make A Wish Foundaton. They are selling special edition polo shirts, as worn by McEnery yesterday, to raise money through the Pádraig Harrington Foundation. The shirts are on sale at the Kartel outlet in the tented village for the duration of the tournament.

North could host Open – McDowell

YOU have to go back to Belvoir Park, on the outskirts of Belfast, for the last time that the Irish Open was held in the North.

That was in 1953 – the ninth time that the tournament was held north of the border – and US Open champion Graeme McDowell would love if it were to return, preferably either to Royal Portrush or Royal Co Down. “I think there’s plenty of golf courses in the North that would make a phenomenal Irish Open venue. Portrush has changed the golf course, they have lengthened it to modern standards.

“They want tournament golf back. And the British Open, is that a pipedream? Would getting the Irish Open there be a good stepping stone to perhaps getting the British Open? Perhaps. It would be great to see it going up there . . . when you look at the way Irish golf is right now, with the strength on both sides of the border, there’s no reason why the Irish Open couldn’t go up there. I would be a big supporter of it.”

Clarke eyes Ryder Cup place

DARREN Clarke still wants to be a player at the Ryder Cup at Celtic Manor in October, rather than a member of Colin Montgomerie’s back-room team and the Ulsterman got a huge fillip yesterday in his bid to gatecrash his way onto the side, after receiving a special invitation from the PGA of America to play in next month’s US PGA at Whistling Straits.

Clarke, ranked 102nd in the world, is currently 21st on the European points qualifying table but has shown good form of late – winning the JP McManus Pro-Am and finishing second in the Scottish Open – and his inclusion in the PGA will come as a boost, as he makes a late charge to get onto the team. “Yes, I will play if I qualify. I think Monty will want me to if I do,” said Clarke, who was added to Monty’s ticket last week as a vice-captain, alongside Paul McGinley and Thomas Bjorn.

On the last occasion that Clarke played in the PGA at Whistling Straits, he was the first-round leader, after an opening 65, and was joint third heading into the final round only to close with a 76 to drop to 13th in a championship won by Vijay Singh.

Open purse:

The prize money

1st €500,000

2nd €333,330

3rd €187,800

4th €150,000

5th €127,200