©DP World Tour

The deal provides for annual fundraising at each of the next six editions of the Irish Open, with Horizon promising to match donations raised at the Mount Juliet Estate site for Make-A-Wish Ireland – which celebrates 30 years of granting wishes in Ireland.

To launch this partnership, Horizon and the DP World Tour have invited Peter McEnery, whose dream came true at the age of 14 playing alongside Padraig Harrington at the Irish Open 2010 thanks to Make-A- Wish Ireland, to compete again in this year's Pro-Am alongside their golfing hero.

Mr McEnery, who lives with cystic fibrosis, was 14 when his wish to play alongside the three-time Major winner came true 12 years ago at Killarney Golf Club. He also had a unique VIP experience at the historic National Open.

Now 26, Mr McEnery is a four handicap golfer and credits the experience he had 12 years ago with Make-A-Wish Ireland as the main reason for his passion. for this sport. He will represent the charity at the Pro-Am Horizon Irish Open in hopes of raising awareness of his incredible work.

Many fundraising activities will be held at the venue for the 2022 Horizon Irish Open, which will take place at the Mount Juliet Estate from June 30 to July 3, including the Mega Putt Challenge in the Championship Village.

Fans will also have the option to donate when purchasing tournament tickets from the official website of the DP World Tour ticket office.

Timothy P. Walbert, Chairman, President and CEO of Horizon Therapeutics, said, “We are incredibly proud to introduce Make-A-Wish Ireland as the official charity of the Horizon Irish Open for the next six years.

"After officially opening our new headquarters in Dublin today, one of Horizon's main goals as title sponsor of this great tournament is to make a difference for communities and good causes in Ireland, through the power of sport.

“Make-A-Wish Ireland does incredible work for children living in life-threatening conditions by making their dreams come true and giving them hope and inspiration. We have been partners with Make-A-Wish Ireland for over two years and hope that this long-term commitment will continue to make a huge difference for so many children in the country.”

Susan McQuaid O'Dwyer, CEO of Make-A-Wish Ireland, said: "The longevity and scale of this partnership is extremely important to Make-A-Wish Ireland and, after two difficult years due to the pandemic, it gives us the stability to continue our hard work inspiring children who have truly need hope and happiness in their lives. With hope, a child with a serious illness finds light in the darkness of his current situation. It transforms his perspective, replacing feelings of trauma with hope for tomorrow.

“We are extremely grateful to Horizon for choosing us as the official charity of this historic tournament. As we are not government funded, Make-A-Wish relies on the incredible generosity of the Irish public as well as funders like Horizon, and we look forward to changing the lives of many young children in the years to come.."

Pádraig Harrington, Make-A-Wish Ireland and Horizon Ambassador, said: "It's great to hear that Make-A-Wish will be the official charity of the Horizon Irish Open for the next six years.

"My wife Caroline and I have been proud to be Make-A-Wish Ambassadors for many years and have witnessed the incredible work they do in bringing hope and strength to children with illnesses. serious..."

“I vividly remember the day I met Peter and played with him. It's truly inspiring to see how far he's come in golf in the 12 years since Make-A-Wish made his dream come true. I look forward to playing alongside him again at this year's Pro-Am and hope he inspires other kids who may have a similar experience to what he did back then. »

Simon Alliss, DP World Tour Championship Director for the Horizon Irish Open, said: "This is an incredibly positive announcement for the Horizon Irish Open and a significant commitment, and we thank our Horizon Title Sponsors for being the driving force behind this partnership."

"We have a front row seat to see the difference Make-A-Wish Ireland can make in children's lives and we look forward to helping tell their wonderful story at the Horizon Irish Open this year and beyond."

First played in 1927, the Horizon Irish Open is one of the most famous national opens in the world, with former champions such as Seve Ballesteros, Sir Nick Faldo, Harrington, Bernhard Langer, Rory McIlroy, Colin Montgomerie , José María Olazábal and Jon Rahm.

Last year, Mount Juliet hosted the Island of Ireland National Open for the first time since 1995 and only the fourth time in the event's history. Australian Lucas Herbert triumphed in front of a packed crowd at the County Kilkenny venue.

After this very successful reception, the tournament returns to Mount Juliet this summer, with Sunday tickets already sold out after unprecedented demand. Harrington will join compatriots Séamus Power and Shane Lowry on the pitch, with many more names to be announced in the coming weeks…