Jonathan Millar, Bryan Somers Travel; Tom O’Donohoe, Strand Travel; and Jonathan Adair, Northern Ireland Travel News, played the Royal County Down course with England’s Andy Sullivan for Emirates – and won the ProAm competition at the Dubai Duty Free Irish Open in Newcastle, Co Down.
They were presented with their trophies by Colm McGloughlin, Executive Vice Chairman (left) and George Horan, President (right), Dubai Duty Free.
Emirates hosted groups of agents on each day of the tournament in the airline’s usual exemplary style, with coaches from Dublin and with breakfast, lunch and afternoon tea laid on in the Sponsors’ Pavilion overlooking the 18th green.
The culinary delights included Northern Ireland toasted soda farl with eggs Florentine and medallions of beef or Belfast pancakes with butter and syrup for breakfast; Copeland Island fresh crab parcels, Portavogie prawns with Marie Rose sauce or medallions of Causeway prime dry-aged fillet beef; and Newcastle rhubarb and strawberry crumble or Irish artisan cheeses for lunch; and Irish tea brack, traybakes, Belfast 15 and chocolate brownies for afternoon tea.
In between, the guests did take strolls out on to the course to watch the play – although sunshine mixed with light showers were the order of the days.
Everyone, of course, was disappointed that Rory McIlroy played poorly on the first day and failed to make the cut on the second, but the event was sold out and the Rory Foundation (www.roryfoundation.com), the official charity for the 2015 Irish Open, will select the beneficiaries in conjunction with the European Tour.
