THE owners of the Lough Erne Golf Resort, outside Enniskillen, have released a statement after speculation mounted over whether it would be hosting next year's Irish Open.

In April 2014, it had been announced that the Fermanagh venue would be holding the 2017 event.

However, last week the European Tour said there had been “no definite decision” had been made – prompting speculation that the tournament might be moved to another venue.

In a statement, the owners and management of Lough Erne Resort said they had been in “frequent contact” with the European Tour regarding the event and had received no notification of another venue hosting the 2017 Irish Open.

The statement added: “Our team is very much looking forward to hosting the Irish Open at Lough Erne Resort. We are continually working in conjunction with the relevant agencies and with the full support of the First Minister in this regard and we have everything in place to deliver a world-class tournament for this part of Northern Ireland and the island as a whole.”