The biggest names teeing off today at the Amgen Irish Open include Rory McIlroy, Shane Lowry, Jon Rahm, Pádraig Harrington and Brooks Koepka, but our focus is an equally interesting field of brands lining up alongside them at Trump International Golf Links in Doonbeg.
The tournament runs from today to Sunday, with a $6 million prize fund and 5,000 Race to Dubai points available to the winner. It forms part of the DP World Tour’s important nine-event “Back 9” stretch towards the end of the season.
At the centre of the commercial story is Amgen, which is now in its third year as title partner.
The global biotechnology company assumed the title sponsorship from Horizon Therapeutics following its acquisition of the company in 2023. Horizon initially became title sponsor of the Irish Open in 2022, meaning the commercial relationship has continued despite the corporate change. It extended it’s relationship with golf by adding a premium partnership with the KPMG Women’s Irish Open as well.
The company is proud of its 25-year legacy in Ireland and positions its Irish Open partnership as part of a broader commitment to the communities in which it operates. The DP World Tour’s international profile gives that local story a global platform.
When Amgen announced that it would take over the title rights, Shane Lowry, Pádraig Harrington, Séamus Power and Brendan Lawlor were also named as Amgen golf ambassadors, giving the brand a valuable connection with some of the most recognisable Irish players in the sport.
That combination of title rights, player association and community engagement makes Amgen one of the more rounded sponsorship stories in Irish sport.
RTÉ has four days of coverage from Doonbeg, alongside Sky Sports, while European Tour Productions will produce and distribute the international world feed. The DP World Tour lists the tournament as being carried across a substantial international broadcast footprint covering Europe, North America, Asia, Africa and Australasia.
That creates considerable value for Amgen.
Being able to tell their story through activations at Doonbeg, and be front and centre in news coverage alongside the President of the United States when he lands at the weekend, will amplify visibility many times over.
Benetti Menswear provides another route into the tournament by sponsoring RTÉ’s coverage over the four days.
It uses the stings around the ad breaks on RTÉ’s programmes as a platform for its autumn/winter advertising campaign. Its current product marketing continues to reference items “as seen on TV during this year’s Amgen Irish Open.”
Yoplait SKYR is also back after joining the tournament in 2025 on a three-year agreement as the Official Yoghurt of the Amgen Irish Open.
The partnership was launched with Irish professional Conor Purcell and was designed from the outset to extend beyond course branding into retail, product sampling and consumer activation.
Last year the brand built a substantial activation around the tournament, including retail promotion, outdoor advertising, social content and SKYR breakfast bars at the K Club.
The three-year term means the relationship continues through 2026 and 2027, providing the brand with the opportunity to develop rather than simply repeat its activation from one Irish Open to the next.
It is a good fit between the product’s high-protein positioning and golf’s increasingly broad appeal around health, active lifestyles, and participation.
Another important commercial stakeholder is Fáilte Ireland.
Its Keep Discovering Golf Ireland presence in the tournament village will showcase Irish golf tourism businesses, with suppliers from Ireland and Northern Ireland rotating through a dedicated exhibition space during the four days.
The tournament’s community dimension is strengthened by Make-A-Wish Ireland, which remains Official Charity Partner of the Amgen Irish Open through 2027, with Amgen supporting that relationship as part of its wider involvement.
Doonbeg itself is also likely to benefit significantly. The arrival of a major international sporting event on the Wild Atlantic Way creates business for hotels, restaurants, transport providers and tourism operators across West Clare, while the accompanying Doonbeg Fáilte Fest will extend the event atmosphere beyond the gates of the course.
The Global DP World Tour Partners
A significant second tier of commercial presence comes from the Irish Open’s place on the DP World Tour.
DP World has been the Tour’s title partner since 2022 and is naturally present throughout the tournament architecture.
Other major Official Partners of the Tour include Rolex, BMW and Emirates, each of which has built a long-standing relationship with professional golf.
Rolex has been Official Timekeeper of the Tour since 1997 and earlier this year extended that partnership long term. It is also title partner of the five premium Rolex Series tournaments.
The Amgen Irish Open is not itself a Rolex Series event, but Rolex remains an important part of the overall DP World Tour commercial ecosystem.
BMW has been involved in professional golf since 1989 and has a particularly prominent position within the Tour through events including next week’s BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth.
Emirates is the Tour’s Official Airline Partner and has sponsored the DP World Tour since 2009. Its partnership spans 21 tournaments, including the season-ending DP World Tour Championship in Dubai.
The broader current Tour partner portfolio also includes Aldar, AWS, Buffalo Trace, Fortinet, HCLTech, Husqvarna, Michelob Ultra, Nexo, Axi and Vestas.
HCLTech is one of the more recent additions, coming on board as the Tour’s Official Digital Experience Partner as part of a multi-year programme to develop the next generation of the DP World Tour website and app.
Sport for Business Perspective
The Irish Open’s commercial strength is evident.
Amgen owns the tournament name and can tell a story about its substantial Irish footprint to a global audience.
Yoplait SKYR uses the event to engage directly with consumers and build an association around health and active lifestyles.
Benetti Menswear reaches the significant domestic audience through broadcast sponsorship.
Rolex, BMW, Emirates, DP World and the other Tour partners benefit from an international platform that travels around the world throughout the year.
Fáilte Ireland uses the gathering to sell Ireland as a golf destination, while Make-A-Wish provides the community and social impact dimension.
Add a spectacular new venue, one of the strongest Irish Open fields assembled in recent years and international television distribution, and Doonbeg provides a powerful commercial stage as well as a sporting one.
For four days this week, the Irish Open will showcase not only some of the best golfers in the world, but also why golf remains such an attractive environment for brands wanting to connect with premium audiences, hospitality, tourism, television and live experience.
Golf Ireland, The K Club, the DP World Tour, the Ryder Cup and RTÉ are full members of Sport for Business. KPMG are partners of our Golf coverage.
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Image Credit: Amgen Irish Open
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