Irish Open: Galgorm venue proving 'a success' says European Tour's Simon Alliss

The European Tour's Irish Open tournament director Simon Alliss has heaped praise on Galgorm Castle's hosting of this week's event.

After the original late May date at Mount Juliet in Kilkenny fell victim to Covid-19, Galgorm was only announced as the tournament venue six weeks ago.

While the event is being played without spectators, Alliss says the Ballymena course is proving a true golfing test.

"It's been a riotous success from my point of view," said Alliss.

Speaking to BBC Radio Ulster's Sportsound, the tournament director, a son of legendary BBC golf commentator Peter Alliss, added: "The course has been excellent."

Unseasonal frost at the county Antrim course on Friday morning led to a 90-minute delay to play, but the ever-optimistic Alliss saw the funny side.

"We've got a tournament director who is from Barcelona and seeing him yesterday wrapped up like he was climbing Everest was hysterical. We've had every temperature here.

"The golf course is a quality track. It's baring its teeth. The rough is good. The wind got up.

"There is some really good golf being played but you have got to treat the course respectfully and hit the fairways. The greens are easily some of the best we've played on this year.

"Testament to Gary Henry and all the team here at Galgorm Castle for presenting the course in such a short time."

Everybody involved in this week's event has had to comply with the European Tour's Covid-19 guidelines which has involved the setting up of a tournament bubble in and around the Galgorm Spa & Golf Resort venue.

On Friday morning news emerged that Swedish player Sebastian Soderberg had withdrawn from the tournament after a contact of his tested positive for Covid-19.

Alliss said the Swede, who won last year's European Masters in Switzerland, had been "terribly unfortunate".

"This has happened him through no fault of his own. It came through the national track and trace programme and he's done the right thing in having to withdraw."

Galgorm Castle managing director Gary Henry's confidence that the course would prove a genuine test for European Tour players has proved well-founded with the windy and chilly conditions ensuring only 20 players were under par after two rounds as England's Aaron Rai and little-known Australian Maverick Antcliff led on five under.

"The feedback from the players has been excellent and it shows that our greenkeeper Rodney McKay and his team have done a fantastic job," added Henry.

The only oversight the greenkeeping team appear to have made was not removing the giant dead branch which Padraig Harrington upended from behind the 10th green on Thursday after his ball had ended up in the woods.

"When Padraig was in the process of moving that branch I had several texts from members saying that they had been complaining about it and that it should have been put away weeks ago," laughed Henry.

While the lack of fans inevitably means a somewhat subdued atmosphere, Henry is preferring to take a "glass half full" perspective.

"If the situation wasn't as it is, we wouldn't be having the event here. Maybe some day in the future we'll be able to have it here with fans."

Asked about the prospects of the event returning to Ballymena, Alliss joked: "That's one for a few pints of Guinness with Gary at a later date.

"We're always talking and looking for opportunities and terrific partners and so far Gary and all of the team are exactly those things. Who knows?"