| Tournament information | |
|---|---|
| Location | Ireland |
| Established | 1933 |
| Format | Stroke play (Match play in 1947) |
| Final year | 1980 |
| Final champion | |
| Des Smyth | |
The Irish Dunlop Tournament was a professional golf tournament played in Ireland until 1980. It was one of the top events on the professional circuit in Ireland. [1]
Prior to World War II, it was a 72-hole stroke play event known as the Dunlop-Irish Tournament and was one of several regional tournaments sponsored by Dunlop in which the winners were sometimes invited to play in the Dunlop-Metropolitan Tournament. After the war Dunlop revived the tournament in 1946, switching to match play in 1947. After a break of two years, the Irish Dunlop returned as a 72-hole stroke play event in 1950, after which it was staged annually until its cancellation in 1981. [2] It also provided a qualification route for the prestigious Dunlop Masters on the British PGA circuit. [3] [4]
In its final year, Des Smyth broke all records for the tournament as he finished 16 strokes ahead of the field with a 261 (27 under par) aggregate. He also set a new course record for Headfort Golf Club with a 64 in the final round, having already recorded 65 in both the first and third rounds. [5]
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