Maturing McKibbin takes on hosting role at revamped NI Open

The NI Open has been relaunched on the 2024 Challenge Tour schedule with a new host fronting the tournament – rising star, Tom McKibbin.
The Holywood golfer, a Challenge Tour graduate, has thrown his weight behind the event which will be played at Galgorm from July 23-28, 2024.
In 2016, a 13-year-old McKibbin, still competing in junior amateur events, got his first taste of professional golf when he played in the NI Open at Galgorm.
McKibbin is one of Ireland’s leading professionals in the world game and won his first professional title at the Porsche European Open on the DP World Tour in June 2023. He is also the Galgorm Touring Professional and is delighted to see more great tournament golf returning to the Ballymena venue.
“I am honoured to be part of the revamped NI Open which promises to be another outstanding event here in Northern Ireland. We have a great summer of tournament golf to look forward to and the NI Open is an exciting opportunity for golf fans to witness some of the game’s leading players,” said the 21-year-old

“I played in many Challenge Tour events when starting out in my career and they are hugely competitive with great players from all over the world. I know there will be a strong Irish contingent competing at Galgorm too, which will give the home fans plenty to cheer about. 

“I’m looking forward to getting back to Galgorm in what promises to be a great week in July.”
McKibbin follows in some well-worn footsteps by lending his name to this year’s tournament. Michael Hoey (a five-time tour winner) and Leona Maguire have both supported events at Galgorm.
Tom won’t however have the added responsibility of playing in the tournament. He has committed to playing in the Pro-Am and hopes to make it back to Galgorm for the closing stages of the final round on Sunday.
The inaugural NI Open was played at Galgorm in 2010 and evolved into one of the most popular events on the Challenge Tour, breaking all attendance records along the way. This year promises to be just as popular with FREE ENTRY all week for all the family and registration for free tickets is available online HERE.
This year’s £250,000 elevated event in 2024 will take place in a week that coincides with a gap on the DP World Tour schedule, ensuring a strong field for fans to enjoy.
Tournament week will offer attractions for all the family away from the course, while a brand-new NI Open Junior Championship will take place which will be a nine-hole format where juniors will follow the professionals onto the championship course on the Saturday afternoon of the tournament.

 

 

 

Evolving Royal County Down primed to offer stern Amgen Irish Open test

Royal County Down isn’t a museum piece. The famous links, consistently ranked amongst the world’s best, is always evolving.
“The golf course is alive. The sand keeps moving. The bunkers change shape,” said Head Golf Professional, Kevin Whitson.
Competitors at this year’s Amgen Irish Open (September 12-15) will find a course that is subtly but significantly different from the one that last hosted the Irish Open in 2015.
For a start, the type of grass used on the greens has been changed from fescue to bent which should mean the greens are running smoother and quicker come tournament time.
“Having the tournament at the end of the summer is better for any course in this part of the world,” added Whitson.
“I would love to see the green speeds up for the tournament. There’s lots of run-offs around the greens and certainly for me, one of the attractions is watching which of the players have the skills to get up and down.”
A new seventh tee has been built, a lot of buckthorn has been cleared from the dunes and players will also note that the green can now be viewed from the middle of the second fairway.
“It won’t ever be about wholesale change here. Any work we do must retain the essential playing characteristics of Royal County Down,” added Kevin.
Spectator numbers for this edition of the tournament are being capped by the DP World Tour at around 16,000 a day. Back in 2015. the daily figures during tournament week were approximately 20,000 a day. It should make for a more enjoyable viewing experience around a course that can be tricky to navigate outside the ropes.
“The feeling is that they want people, especially the younger generation, to be able to see when they’re here,”  said Kevin Lowry, chairman of the club’s Irish Open committee.
“There are plenty of good vantage points out there but there won’t be as many stands. They’ve walked the course to decide how many it can comfortably hold.”
Those fans who do make it to Newcastle will see Ireland’s leading professionals with Rory McIlroy, Shane Lowry, Seamus Power and Padraig Harrington already committed to the event.
The club would also love to see some other big names, especially some of the US stars who played on the US team that defeated GB&I at Royal County Down in the 2007 Walker Cup.
Of that side, Rickie Fowler, Billy Horschel, Chris Kirk, Jamie Lovemark and Webb Simpson are still playing on the PGA Tour and are eligible to compete.
Unfortunately, former world number one and two-time major champion, Dustin Johnson, is unlikely to return to RCD given his move to the LIV Golf tour.
General Admission tickets are available for all four tournament days and the Celebrity Pro-Am, taking place on Wednesday September 11.

 

New OFX sponsorship deal boosts Irish Legends prize fund

Martin Donnelly, Product Sales; Distribution Manager, Fáilte Ireland; David Byrne, Head of Commercial Finance, OFX; Legends Tour Ambassador Paul McGinley; Alex Edwards, Head of Corporate Clients UK; Europe, OFX; Keith Mitchell, Chief Marketing Officer Legends Tour; and Tournament co-host Roddy Carr.

The Irish Legends tournament has signed a new title sponsorship deal with OFX that will see the prize fund raised by €100,000 to a new total of €400,000.
Phil Harrison, Legends Tour CEO said: “We are delighted to have OFX on board as the Irish Legends title sponsor and as the new Official FX Partner of the Legends Tour. As a global tour, staging tournaments and working with players and fans across four different continents, there is a natural alignment in having OFX as part of our team.
Commenting on the announcement, Maeve McMahon, President EMEA, of OFX said: “We are delighted to announce our sponsorship of the Legends Tour. This partnership not only allows us to increase our profile in the European market, but also aligns us with a tournament that showcases some of the most exceptional talent in the world of golf.”
Andrew Phelan, the CEO of Seapoint / Genesis Links, added, “The new ownership of Seapoint Golf Links is thrilled to be hosting the Irish Legends for a second year. It gives us the chance to show the ongoing enhancements to the links, our award-winning clubhouse and world-class restaurant which has become a big hit with the locals.
“The exposure that the Pro- Am, the Celebrity Pro-Am and the Tournament itself brings allows us to share the new Seapoint with all the stakeholders, namely members, suppliers, tour operators, media and the local community.”
The return of the tournament to Seapoint Golf Links in County Louth has been supported by Fáilte Ireland.
Martin Donnelly from Fáilte Ireland said: “We applaud the team at Seapoint for hosting the event for a second year and we look forward to working with them and the Legends Tour team to drive as much publicity for the property and wider Ireland’s Ancient East region, that the event provides the opportunity to do.”
The OFX Irish Legends will be staged at Seapoint Golf Links in County Louth from June 19-22 and will feature Major champions Paul Lawrie and Ian Woosnam in the field as well as the defending champion Peter Baker, who won by seven shots in 2023, with more to be announced.

Luxury hotel Dunluce Lodge to open doors this autumn ahead of the 153rd Open Championship returning to Royal Portrush

Dunluce Lodge, Northern Ireland’s newest five-star hospitality venue has announced it will open this autumn ahead of the 153rd Open Championship returning to Royal Portrush Golf Club in 2025.
Dunluce Lodge sits proudly on the edge of Royal Portrush’s fourth fairway and provides stunning views of the sea beyond.
The £16.5 million property will employ more than 80 team members from the local area.
The venue will feature 35 luxury suites and offer its guests the opportunity to experience impeccable service as they relax amidst the stunning scenery. For larger groups, Dunluce Lodge has a beautiful private lodge, offering eight private suites, private dining, and a fireside lounge space for exclusive use.
The experience at Dunluce Lodge will be infused with a residential ambiance, warm Irish hospitality, and traditional charm. The Lodge’s restaurant and bar will overlook the golf course and ocean.
Additionally, the Lodge will provide à la carte dining and tasting menus that can be enjoyed in the restaurant, wine room, or private dining spaces.
With an onsite putting green, designed by renowned golf architect, Martin Ebert, and complimentary private transfers to the nearby helipad and to the clubhouses at Royal Portrush and Portstewart Golf Club, Dunluce Lodge promises to be a golfer’s paradise.
The property will include a small and intimate spa, including a fitness facility that will provide the perfect place to rejuvenate with a massage, steam treatment, or stretching session.
Guests will have the opportunity to experience guided and curated experiences to include, country sports, the Giant’s Causeway, Bushmills Distillery, and the many other unique experiences the Causeway Coast has to offer.
Dunluce Lodge will be operated by Valor Hospitality Partners, a global, full-service hotel management company in partnership with the US based owners, Links Collection. This partnership is also responsible for the five-star boutique hotel, Seaton House at the “Home of Golf” in St Andrews which is set to open later this year.
Stephen Meldrum, General Manager, Dunluce Lodge said: “When Dunluce Lodge opens later this year it will set a new standard as the definitive five-star location on the Causeway Coast. Overlooking the fourth fairway at Royal Portrush Golf Club and facing the wild Atlantic Ocean, our location speaks for itself.
“From my very first conversations with Valor Hospitality Partners and the Links Collection, their vision for Dunluce Lodge has been very clear. They want to deliver an unrivalled, refined experience on the Causeway Coast that builds on Northern Ireland’s world-renowned reputation for sincere hospitality and deliver a resort that is intrinsically integrated with the local community.
“From employing ‘Hotelitarians’ from the local community, sourcing local materials and serving the finest seasonal produce from Northern Ireland’s abundant land and sea larder, Dunluce Lodge will set a new standard on the Causeway Coast and offer truly impeccable, genuine Irish hospitality.”

Rory’s Irish Open RCD return comfirmed

The Amgen Irish Open received a huge shot in the arm when Rory McIlroy confirmed that he will play in the September event at Royal County Down.
In committing so early in the season, and hard on the heels of Shane Lowry, the world number two has gone a long way to ensuring there will be plenty of attention on the world-famous Newcastle venue.
The four-time major champion who last year claimed his fifth Race to Dubai title after topping the season-long standings is returning to a venue he played regularly in his youth and where he represented Great Britain & Ireland at the 2007 Walker Cup.
The biennial event which pits the best amateurs of America against the leading contenders in GB&I signaled McIlroy’s emergence onto the world stage.
“Since making my first appearance at the Irish Open nearly 20 years ago, it has been such a special tournament to play in, but it will be doubly so for me this time round,” said Rory who grew up in Holywood, just down the road from the world-famous links.
“I’m incredibly excited to have the opportunity to play in this year’s Irish Open at a venue so close to home. Royal County Down is a fantastic venue and I still have some great memories from the 2007 Walker Cup.”
The 34-year-old will join fellow former Irish Open winner, major champion and Ryder Cup star Shane Lowry in chasing a second Irish Open title from Sept 12-15.
“The crowds are always so supportive of all the Irish golfers taking part and the atmosphere is unlike any other we have at a golf tournament. Time and time again the fans prove that they are some of the best in the world and I can’t wait to see them out in support of us again.”
The last time the Irish Open was held at Royal County Down was back in 2015, a tournament promoted at the time by the Rory Foundation.
It was a difficult week for all the competitors with unseasonably cold and windy conditions turning the tournament into a battle for survival. Denmark’s Soren Kjeldsen eventually clung on to claim victory with Rory amongst a host of big names to miss the cut.
He has, however, started his 2024 season strongly, finishing runner-up in his first start of the year at the Dubai Invitational and then successfully defending his Hero Dubai Desert Classic title this past weekend, winning the tournament for a record fourth time.

Maguire already looking ahead to Paris National and Olympic gold medal bid

As Leona Maguire eases herself into what will be a very busy 2024 season thoughts are already turning to the Paris Olympics (Aug 7-10).
Speaking ahead of this week’s LPGA event Drive On Championship Leona said; “I mean, it’s the biggest sporting event in the world. I know different people debate whether it should be pro or amateur or things like that, but, I mean, it’s a huge honour to represent your country and there is no bigger stage than the Olympic Games.
“Myself and Stephanie Meadow represented Ireland the past few times. We have been chatting about it. Rio was a little bit not quite a full experience of the Games with everything that was going on. Tokyo was obviously a very different Games.

“So feels like Paris will almost be our full experience of an Olympic Games. It’s obviously in Europe this year, so hopefully a few more friends and family can go. Golf National a obviously an iconic venue from the Ryder Cup and all that.”

Meadow grabbed a top-10 finish at Rio, carding rounds of 72/66/68/66 to end the tournament on 12 under par, five shots behind gold medal winner Nelly Korda (USA).
Leona added; “It’s definitely circled on the calendar and really looking forward to it. I just love the camaraderie with the other athletes as well. Being from Ireland it’s one of those smaller teams.
“Everybody knows each other. You’re cheering for everybody. We typically don’t win very many medals, so when someone does win a medal there is a lot of excitement. Everybody comes back and you celebrate with everybody.
“There is a nice sense of team spirit that week that you don’t normally get. It’s a fun week.”

Lowry commits early to Amgen Irish Open at Royal County Down

Shane Lowry will tee it up at the Amgen Irish Open when the historic tournament returns to Royal County Down in Northern Ireland, from September 12-15, 2024.
Lowry claimed a memorable victory in 2009 at County Louth as he became the first amateur winner of the prestigious event and just the third player to win on the DP World Tour before turning professional.
The County Offaly native was in contention at this year’s Irish Open as he finished in a share of third place, and the two-time Ryder Cup player would love nothing more than to win his national open for a second time.
“The Irish Open is one of the greatest tournaments in the world, and I’m so excited to play at Royal County Down already,” said the 2019 Open Champion who has always been a very vocal supporter of the event.
“I came close to winning the tournament again earlier this year and I know I have what it takes to get my name back on the trophy.

“As Irish players, we know that we are always going to receive the warmest of welcomes every time we play there, but it still gives me goosebumps when I step on to that first tee box and hear the cheers from the home fans. It’s the best feeling in the world.

“I’m so pleased to see that Amgen is committed to our national open and I’m excited to see how the tournament continues to grow with their support.”
Amgen last week announced it will serve as the title sponsor of the Irish Open starting in 2024, following the acquisition of Horizon Therapeutics plc in October 2023.
Royal County Down hosted the Irish Open for the first time in 2015 and fans can purchase their tickets now to see some of the world’s best golfers in action at the prestigious venue recently named the third best golf course in the world on the renowned Top 100 Golf Courses list.
The Amgen Irish Open assumes a key position on the DP World Tour’s Global Schedule as part of the ‘Back 9’, which encompasses nine of the Tour’s most historic tournaments and national opens and runs from August to October. The Top 110 on the Race to Dubai Rankings in Partnership with Rolex will retain their playing rights for 2025 and the Top 70 will advance to the season-ending ‘DP World Tour Play-Offs’.
Last year, Sweden’s Vincent Norrman claimed his second DP World Tour title as he came through the field with a final round 65 at The K Club to win by one stroke from Hurly Long.
First played in 1927, the Irish Open is one of the world’s most celebrated national opens, with a list of former champions that includes Seve Ballesteros, Nick Faldo, Rory McIlroy Pádraig Harrington, Shane Lowry, Colin Montgomerie, José María Olazábal, Bernhard Langer and Sam Torrance.

Tickets are selling fast for next year’s event and fans are urged to act now to avoid disappointment. In addition to General Admission, limited Premium Experience options are still available with The Ballroom and Green on 18 packages. Ticket+ options are also available for purchase. Click here to find out more.

Leona Maguire and Tom McKibbin claim Irish Golf Writers’ awards

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Leona Maguire has been rewarded for another outstanding year by being named as the recipient of the Irish Golf Writers’ Association’s 2023 Women’s Professional of the Year award.
The touring professional for The K Club, 29, receives the McGuirk’s-sponsored award after a season that saw her capture her second LPGA Tour title with a two-shot victory in the Meijer LPGA Classic.
She was also the driving force for Europe in the Solheim Cup in Spain, winning three points as the team made history in a drawn match by retaining the crystal trophy and lifting it for the third time in a row.
Tom McKibbin, 20, is the recipient of the Men’s Professional Award after he became Irish golf’s youngest tour winner since Rory McIlroy in 2009 when he captured the Porsche European Open in his 26th start on the DP World Tour.
The Galgorm touring professional also recorded another nine top-25 finishes in an outstanding rookie season and qualified for the DP World Tour Championship, finishing 44th in the Race to Dubai.
Laytown and Bettystown’s Alex Maguire and Douglas’ Sara Byrne won the Men’s and Women’s Amateur of the Year Awards.
Maguire, 22, became the first player since Raymie Burns in 1993 to retain the East of Ireland Amateur Open Championship at County Louth and went on to win the St Andrews Links Trophy at the Home of Golf the following week.
He reached the quarter-finals of the Amateur Championship at Hillside and topped the first R&A Open Amateur Series, earning him a place in The 151st Open at Royal Liverpool and, ultimately, a spot on the Great Britain and Ireland Walker Cup team at St Andrews last September.
Sara Byrne captured the Women’s Amateur of the Year award for the second time since 2018.
The 22-year-old from Douglas Golf Club won her second AIG Irish Women’s Close title with a one-up win over Beth Coulter at Connemara Golf Links before finishing as the leading amateur in the KPMG Women’s Irish Open at Dromoland Castle.
She also made back-to-back cuts on the LET Access Tour and completed a stellar year by winning back-to-back individual titles with the University of Miami on the US collegiate golf circuit in October.
Cork’s Denis O’Sullivan was named the recipient of the 2023 Distinguished Services to Golf Award sponsored by Galvin Green.
A former Irish international and selector, he was Irish Amateur Close champion in 1985 and East of Ireland winner in 1990 before he turned professional at 49 and qualified for the European Seniors Tour, where he won six times.
Former Skerries professional Jimmy Kinsella, the first Irishman to win on the European Tour, was also presented with his 2022 Distinguished Services to Golf Award at a luncheon held at The K Club on Tuesday.
BBC NI Sport’s Stephen Watson, Chairman of the Irish Golf Writers’ Association said: “We are thrilled to be able to return to present the Irish Golf Writers’ awards in person this year at The K Club.
“The incredible quality of Irish golf, both amateur and professional, north and south, is reflected in our winners. Congratulations to all our award recipients.”
The Irish Golf Writers’ Association (IGWA) was founded in 1976. Previous winners of the IGWA awards are listed here: http://www.irishgolfwriters.com/igwa-award-winners

Brown and Pano make lasting mark at ISPS HANDA World Invitational

Two completely contrasting final days for the respective winners of the ISPS HANDA World Invitational Presented by AVIV Clinics at Galgorm Castle.
In the men’s event, Dan Brown completed a superb wire-to-wire success to claim his maiden professional win. While in the ladies it took a play-off to decide the winner with Alexa Pano eventually finishing on top.
After rounds of 76-70-69-66, Pano ended the tournament with a total of eight-under-par and found herself in a playoff alongside Germany’s Esther Henseleit and England’s Gabriella Cowley.
The American, just 19 years of age, headed back down 18 and made a birdie on the first playoff hole, as did Cowley to send them back to the tee.
Despite her tee shot ending up in the trees, Pano made a par on the second playoff hole while Cowley missed her birdie putt as they both headed back to the 18th tee again.
On the third playoff hole, Pano made the green in two and was able to two-putt for a birdie to win her maiden title on the LPGA Tour and Ladies European Tour (LET).

“I’ve kind of been saying that I really wanted to win this event because it’s on my birthday,” said the LPGA Tour rookie.
“My best friend can contest it’s been for like two months. It feels so surreal that it’s happened. It’s been a little bit crazy because I didn’t have my clothes and clubs earlier in the week, but it’s all worth it.
“It just feels so surreal right now to have my dad on the bag as well. I can’t actually process that that just happened.”
Stephanie Meadow finished in a share of 27th with Leona Maguire finishing in a share of 16th. Maguire was later confirmed as part of the European Team for the 2023 Solheim Cup in Finca Cortesin. The Ireland star shone on her debut in Toledo two years ago.
Maguire said: “I’m really excited to be part of the European Team at this year’s Solheim Cup. I had an incredible time in Toledo, it was way beyond my expectations, but I can’t wait to be part of Team Europe on European soil and to play in front of home fans. It’s great to be flying the flag for Ireland once again and I hope to have lots of support in Spain.”
Brown had a much more relaxed day. His six-shot overnight advantage was shaved only slightly as he posted a one under-par round of 69 at Galgorm to reach 15 under par and secure a five-stroke victory over fellow Englishman Alex Fitzpatrick, who finished second on ten under.

"I could never have dreamt this up over recent years…"

It's been a remarkable rise from the EuroPro Tour in 2021 to DP World Tour winner 🙌#WorldInvitational | @danbrown212 pic.twitter.com/xNJ2JvYwLH

— DP World Tour (@DPWorldTour) August 20, 2023

“I could never have dreamed this up in the past, however many years or whatever it is. I don’t think it’s sunk in but, yeah, amazing,” said the 28-year-old, who earned his playing privileges via the DP World Tour Qualifying School in 2022,
“I didn’t really putt great yesterday. It was a bit nervy, struggling to get the pace and it was kind of similar again today. And then once you got down the closing stretch, last six, seven holes, I said to my caddie, just make sure your pace is good on each putt. I almost forgot about the line and all that kind of thing. I was just trying to make sure that it was a decent pace.
“I’m over the moon, but it probably hasn’t sunk in yet. I don’t know. I almost still feel like someone’s going to crop up and say there’s another day left or something. But yeah, crazy.”
Tom McKibbin, the only ‘home’ player to make the cut carded a final round 70 for a share of 20th place.

 

Tom ready for ISPS Handa World Invitational home-coming

Tom McKibbin will tee it up on home soil for the first time as a DP World Tour winner at the ISPS HANDA World Invitational presented by Aviv Clinics from August 17-20.
The 20-year-old became the youngest winner from the island of Ireland on the DP World Tour since Rory McIlroy when he triumphed at the Porsche European Open last month, producing a display of maturity beyond his years in Hamburg enroute to winning by two strokes.
A product of Holywood Golf Club, the same club where McIlroy honed his skills as a junior, McKibbin now represents Galgorm, co-host venue of the ISPS HANDA World Invitational, and will receive a hero’s welcome when he competes in the innovative event at the Co. Antrim venue and Castlerock Golf Club.
He earned his DP World Tour card for 2023 after finishing tenth on the European Challenge Tour’s Road to Mallorca Rankings, which included winning the Christy O’Connor Memorial Trophy as leading Irishman in the Irish Challenge, and secured his maiden victory on just his 26th start.
“I’m really looking forward to heading back home to Galgorm next month,” said McKibbin, who finished in a tie for tenth in this event last year.
“There is nothing like teeing it up on home soil and playing in front of home crowds. Galgorm have been very good to me over the years and it holds a special place in my heart.

“It makes me extremely proud that this event has been such a trailblazer for innovation over the years, with men and women playing the same courses and now the G4D event taking place at the start of the week. I’m sure it’s going to be another great event and I can’t wait to see everybody there next month.”

The ISPS HANDA World Invitational sees men and women play on the same courses, at the same time, while being co-sanctioned by the DP World Tour, LPGA Tour and the Ladies European Tour.
Galgorm will again return as host venue, but will this year be joined by the stunning Castlerock Golf Club as every facet of the players’ games are to be tested with the challenge of parkland and links golf.
Each player will play one round at each venue over the first two days, before all the action takes place at Galgorm once the cut falls after 36 holes.
Additionally, the G4D Tour @ ISPS HANDA World Invitational will take place during the tournament week, pitting together the best players from the Word Ranking for Golfers with Disability.
In 2022, Scotland’s Ewen Ferguson picked up his second DP World Tour title in wire-to-wire fashion, while Sweden’s Maja Stark fired a stunning closing round of 63 to win the women’s competition by five strokes as she continued her magnificent ascent up the women’s ranks.

How the new star from Holywood followed in his hometown hero’s footsteps.@tommckibbin8 shares his story 👇 pic.twitter.com/ozA9mwdMM3

— DP World Tour (@DPWorldTour) August 1, 2023