The Irish Open 2011: The Three Musketeers Of Northern Ireland
By Ben, BettingExpert.com | Edited
Google+: Ben Bexpert
The European Tour is heading to Republic of Ireland for this week's Irish Open at Killarney Golf and Fishing Club. With Northern Ireland producing two major winners within the span of four weeks, this has never been so a timely welcome for the Irish Open to have the three major pride and joy of Northern Ireland to tee off in Co Killarney. To have Ross Fisher defends his title against its brood of Northern Irishmen champions, the last two major title holders of US Open Graeme McDowell (2010) and Rory McIlroy (2011) and recently added to the list, British Open winner Darren Clarke will be a massive boost not only to the organizer of the event but also to the entire region. The fans will be in a treat as they see them play in action against each other to win the most prestigious golfing tournament title of their country.
The Defending Champion
Ross Fisher, the defending champion collected his first
European title after winning the Irish Open last year with his final round 65, a two shots lead charge against home
favourite Padraig Harrington. Under pressure, the Englishman managed a superb finished 18-under
par 266. After his recent outing in Kent, the Wentworth player had a one week off heading to Co Killarney this Thursday. At the Royal St. George's, the 30-year-old Fisher did not make the cut with his 3-over par 73 in on Friday of the Open Championship day. With this, he has dropped 4 places, from 59 to 63 in the world
ranking. Ross Fisher has been inconsistent with his game since the
beginning of this year. Out of his five recent tournaments, his best result was
finishing T9 at the BMW International has twice missed the cut. Defending his
title against the Irish lads talent would be not be easy, nonetheless, he will
not give it up without a fight. Ross Fisher is at odds 26.00 to retain his title.
The Three Musketeers Of Northern Ireland
Darren Clarke - Going against the world’s best golfers in
Sandwich, who would have thought that the 42-year-old Darren Clarke who was
125-1 to win before the tournament begun will grab the headline at the end of 140th
Open Championship. Having been forgotten by many to even have a chance to win tournaments, let alone a Major, the newly darling of the golf 
world was even doubted by many to falter at the final round. However, he defied the odds and has proven the doubters wrong with his
two decades of perseverance to win a Major title. With time and experience in his side, this dream has come to reality two weeks ago. Perhaps it is a fairlytale indeed given his admission of nearly giving up playing in April. Nonetheless, his decision to continue has paid off, forever his name will always be remembered and will be part of the Major
Players’ elite club of from now on. The British Open champion maintain his
composure even when he was threaten by Phil Mickelson’s three birdies and one
eagle leading to the eight of the final round. However, the “Lefty’s” inconsistence have prevailed
to make the new No30 in the world to finish an outstanding win of 70, carding 5-under par. A three shot clear from the twoo Americans Phil
Mickelson and Dustin Johnson who were
both finished in T2. Darren Clarke’s success at the Open would not only mean a new found
fame but it also given him a new found confidence leading to the Irish Open. The man of the moment whose last
seven starts on Irish soil have all yielded top-20 finishes and last year, he finished T12 in Killarney. He is hoping to win a back-to-back Open but the likelihood of him finishing in top 10 is more probable and Darren Clarke is 11/5 in the market to finish in top 10 of the Irish Open.
Rory McIlroy – If there is a wonder-boy that Northern
Ireland was hoping to make a dazzling display at the Open, it would have been
Rory McIlroy. He was the hottest contention to triumph after his historic win at the US Open in June. 
Scorring he lowest score in the US Open
history with his runaway 16-under-par 268, an eight-shot lead. In contrast to his record-setting victory, in the third round in Kent, the 22-year-old
struggled to maintain his 4 shots back of the lead that by the
end of the day he carded a 4-over 74. On top of that, he failed to be in contention to be a threat the following day, blaming the wet and the windy weather with his 7-over par 73 final result, T25 in the leaderboard. Last year’s tournament, in the same ground of Killarney Golf and Fishing Club, the No4 finished T35, carding 2-under par 71 with a three bogeys and three birdies in his card. The Ulsterman might not
have been lucky in the greens of Kent but has been lucky to have found a new
love since then, tennis world number one Caroline Wozniacki. As he yet proves
again that he is not just a one-hit wonder boy, being in-love will be Rory
McIlroy's inspiration to tee off this weekend as he is the bookmakers favourite to win the Irish Open 2011 at odds 7.00.
Graeme McDowell – the US Open 2010 winner started his
opening round at the British Open Championship two weeks 
ago with a disheartening
double-bogey 6 in the first and if that was not enough, he then followed it up
a drop shot at 5th and 8th. G-Mac managed to turn the
event around to get to the 2nd round with his 2-under par 68.
However, he went from bad to worse following the 2nd round of the tournament with his five bogies
and 1 double bogey.Thus, his second miss-cut out of his five recent tournaments. Having climb the world ranking in the beginning of the year from sixth
to fourth, after a depleted outing in Kent, the 31-year-old has continued to
plummet down in 12th this week. He will be under pressure to perform with
his fellow compatriots in Co Killarney. Graeme McDowell has yet to post a top 10 finish at odds 6/5 in which he
will be hoping to do so at least at the Irish Open.
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