Prize money at next month's Irish Open in Killarney has been slashed by nearly 50pc because of the lack of a main sponsor.

Rory McIlroy, Padraig Harrington and Graeme McDowell are among the stars who will be on show, but they will be playing for £1.35m (€1.5m) instead of £2.6m (€2.9m).

Telecommunications company 3 pulled out last November, saying: "Following a review of its sponsorship portfolio, a decision was taken to streamline activities. 3 believes its support of the Irish football team will deliver the most commercial value for the brand into the future."

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