Graeme McDowell and Darren Clarke have both spoken of their renewed optimism that a European Tour event could be staged in Northern Ireland.

US Open champion and Ryder Cup hero McDowell says that the European Tour is keen for the Irish Open to be staged in Northern Ireland.

"A lot of players want it to happen too," McDowell told BBC Sport.

Clarke added that he would put his "full weight behind" the attempts to stage a tour event in Northern Ireland.

The third year of 3's sponsorship of the Irish Open will take place next July at Killarney but McDowell is hopeful that the Emerald Isle event could be played in Northern Ireland in 2012.

"All I would say is 'watch this space'. There's an opportunity for someone (a sponsor) to get involved," added McDowell.

"I'll certainly be on board and guys like Rory McIlroy and Darren Clarke will be on board. We're up for it.

"Golf is a 32-county sport in Ireland and it's important that both north and south shares the big events.

"Also we have so much talent up in the north, it wouldn't be fair not to have a European Tour event.

Links is the purest form of golf and Portrush is the best links course in the world Darren Clarke

"I'm confident it's going to happen. If not next year, then in the next couple of years."

McDowell believes his own Portrush club would be the ideal location if the European Tour was to journey to Northern Ireland.

"It would be amazing and it's always been a dream of mine to play a big event at Portrush."

Clarke also believes that Harry Colt's Portrush masterpiece would be the "perfect" location to stage a major European Tour event.

"It's got everything. Links is the purest form of golf and this is the best links course in the world," said Clarke, as he stood next to the 18th green at the Dunluce links.

"It presents so many difficult challenges. The new tees that have been put in as well make the course much more of a modern-day challenge.

"Of course getting an event will be a lot of hard work with the current economic climate and the sponsorship required.

"You're looking at 4 million Euro by the time you look at prize money and the hosting fee but we have an amazing product here."

Clarke's manager Andrew Chandler last year made efforts to bring the British Masters to the Lough Erne Resort in County Fermanagh but he was unable to secure the necessary financial backing.

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