One of the liveliest new additions to next year’s Irish Open schedule is the Old Dogs and Young Pups tournament – a two-day generational grudge match starting on April 4.
It’s a battle of experience versus enthusiasm, wisdom versus wildness, reading glasses versus reflexes – and it promises to be as entertaining as it is competitive. Whether you’ve been grinding the felt since the 70s or you learned to play on your phone between Zoom calls, this one’s tailor-made for you.
Following the same format as its Kings and Queens sibling event, the €250 buy-in tournament features two starting flights – one for the “Old Dogs” and one for the “Young Pups.” To qualify as an Old Dog (or bitch!), you need to be 50+; Young Pups are 18-30.
EPT Paris champion and Irish Open regular Barny Boatman, currently 68 and with live tournament winnings dating back nearly 28 years, has no fear. He said: “Bring on the kids. I’ll put my pension up against their pocket money any time.”
The two flights both kick off at 7pm on April 4 and seat allocations will be carefully managed to ensure there are an equal number of players from each age range once late reg closes. The two starting flights will also wind up with an equal number of survivors to ensure there’s an even split for the multi-generational Day 2.
Players start with 30,000 chips and 25-minute levels, with unlimited re-entries for the first three hours. Expect fireworks once the two generations finally collide on Day 2 – and plenty of good-natured ribbing (or dribbling) along the way.
Even if your recall isn’t quite what it used to be, this is your chance to prove you’ve still got the chops! As one long-time Irish Open regular put it: “You can’t bluff experience – but you can definitely try!” Meanwhile, the younger crowd are equally confident. One young whippersnapper quipped: “We have loads of respect for experience … right up until we three-bet them light.”
So whether you’re an Old Dog who still has a few tricks left or a Young Pup keen to make your mark, stick March 30th in your diary. And remember – all that really counts is being a GOOD DOG.( Ps really good dogs might even get a treat!!)
