Miguel Angel Jiménez and Lee Westwood, two of The European Tour’s most prolific champions over the past decade, have confirmed their participation in the Irish Open at Adare Manor Hotel & Golf Resort, Co. Limerick, from May 17-20.

Westwood will be competing in the first European Tour event on Irish soil since The 2006 Ryder Cup at The K Club, where he further embellished his magnificent record, remaining unbeaten in all five matches for the second successive time.

Having claimed four and a half points during The 2004 Ryder Cup at Oakland Hills, Westwood duly delivered again last September with a haul of four points, with three wins and two halved matches, to further underline his status as one of the game’s finest match play exponents.

His stroke play record also stands comparison with the best as, among Englishmen, only Nick Faldo and Mark James have won more times. He dominated Europe in 2000 when he won six times, equalling the record set by Seve Ballesteros, Nick Faldo and Colin Montgomerie, and finished the season top of The European Tour Order of Merit, ending Montgomerie’s seven-year tenure at the top.

In total, Westwood has won 16 European Tour titles with a further 11 victories world-wide and played in five Ryder Cups, four of which Europe have won.

Jiménez is another of Europe’s dominant champions, winning 13 European Tour titles, the third highest by a Spaniard. In 2004, he won four times alone and, when coupled with the end of the 2003 season, captured five titles in The 2004 Ryder Cup qualifying campaign to secure a place on The European Team for a second time. Although he missed out on a third Ryder Cup appearance at The K Club last year, Jiménez continues to challenge on a regular basis, highlighted by his four top-tens this season including joint second in the Abu Dhabi Golf Championship.

Jiménez and Westwood join an impressive field that includes the reigning Order of Merit Champion Padraig Harrington and fellow Irish Ryder Cup players Darren Clarke and Paul McGinley, defending champion Thomas Björn, two Major Champions in Michael Campbell and Paul Lawrie, Europe’s victorious Ryder Cup Captain Ian Woosnam and no fewer than 11 of this season’s winners.

Tickets are available with an Adult One Day ticket costing €25, while a Four Day season pass, valid for all four days of the tournament, costs €75. Tickets for Disabled Citizens cost €15, while OAP’s over the age of 65 and juniors under the age of 16 are entitled to free entry when accompanied by an adult. The Pro-Am is free for all spectators.

For tickets and hospitality for the Irish Open, contact the Adare Manor on +353 (0) 61 605250 or Ticketmaster on + 353 (0) 818 719300. Alternatively, visit www.europeantourtickets.com or www.irishopen.ie or www.ticketmaster.ie.

For further information, please contact:
The European Tour Communications Division
Tel: +44 1344 840400 Fax: +44 1344 840444
e-mail: media@europeantour.com

Roddy Williams
European Tour Press Officer
Tel: +44 1344 840400
Mobile: +44 7899 940029