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 | | Tuesday, 28 August, 2001, 16:44 GMT 17:44 UK Ballyliffin to host tour event  Donegal golf club Ballyliffin will host next year's North West of Ireland Open. The tournament, always played on the same week as the US PGA Championship, attracts European Tour players and the best of the professionals who compete on the Challenge circuit. Germany Tobias Dier won this year's tournament which was played at Slieve Russell in county Cavan for the second successive season. However, the 2002 event is moving to Ballyliffin following successful negotiations between the Inishowen club and the European Tour. "We are going to go with it," Ballyliffin secretary-manager Cecil Doherty confirmed to BBC Sport Online on Tuesday. "Our club council discussed the issue last night and we have agreed in principle that we will host the North West of Ireland Open at Ballyliffin.
"European Tour official Richard Hill visited Ballyliffin earlier this year to hold discussions with us and we feel this is an opportunity we cannot miss," added the Ballyliffin official. The Irish Tourist organisation, Bord Failte will provide a large degree of the financial backing for the tournament but Ballyliffin will also be aiming to attract a major sponsor. Ballyliffin has emerged as one of the major golfing venues in Britain and Ireland since the addition of the Glasheady links in 1995 which added to the original Old Course. In 1993, Nick Faldo described Ballyliffin's Old Course as the most "natural links" he had ever seen. Faldo later attempted to buy the entire Ballyliffin complex but his efforts were turned down by the club's membership. The 1998 Irish Women's Open was played at Ballyliffin. | | See also:  Internet links: The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites Other top Northern Ireland stories:  Links to more Northern Ireland stories are at the foot of the page. | |
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