Two times former winner Colin Montgomerie has decided not to play in this year's Murphy's Irish Open which starts on Thursday week in Ballybunion. The two times former winner and 7 times European number one has cited a tough tournament schedule as the reason.
Meanwhile the in-form Noel Fox needed two tie holes to get past Chris Devlin and into the last 16 of the Irish Close championship at Portrush. Leading qualifier Michael Hoey is also through. Garth McGimpsey lost on the 20th to Peter Martin.
