The countdown continues to the 102nd West of Ireland Championship, sponsored by Connolly Motor Group, which gets underway at County Sligo Golf Club with a pre-tournament qualifier on Wednesday April 16th and the tournament proper running from Friday April 18th to Tuesday April 22nd, and anybody hoping to enter has until midnight on Wednesday March 19th to register for the event.
The Championship is held on the iconic Harry Colt designed Championship Course at County Sligo, situated on the picturesque Rosses Point Peninsula – a course that 1980 runner-up and subsequent European Ryder Cup hero Philip Walton once described as having one of the best closing stretches in golf; a closing stretch, he said, that began on the sixth hole.
Players will be greeted with a slightly different golf course to previous years as phase one of a renovation masterplan by the acclaimed Mackenzie & Ebert design team has been underway since October 2024, with notable changes that include reshaped and redesigned bunkering on many holes, the removal of bunkers and introduction of run-off areas on others, and a new green and tee box on the par-5 fifth hole.
Having sponsored the tournament for the last three editions, Connolly Motor Group have extended their partnership for a further three editions and were present at the pre-tournament launch this week.
“Connolly Motor Group are delighted to continue our sponsorship of the West of Ireland Championship,” said Kevin and Neil Connolly. “As a family-run business in the west of Ireland, we have a huge customer base in the area and are synonymous with golf so it’s very close to our hearts and we’re proud to have the entire brand involved. It’s a fantastic local tournament being one of the longest running amateur golf championships in Ireland, with past winners going on to achieve huge success.”
County Sligo Men’s Captain Robbie Fitzpatrick, whose wife Niamh is also the club Lady Captain, thanked Connolly Motor Group for their continued support and reiterated his love for the Championship.
“It’s been a big part of life for Niamh, myself and our family,” Fitzpatrick said. “We’ve hosted families over the years, hosted dinner parties for players, so it means a lot for us to be involved as Mens’ and Ladies’ Captains this year, and to have Connolly Motor Group commit for another three years of support.
“It allows us to do so much for the event and for the players, and to bring live radio coverage of the event on our local radio station, Ocean FM, which has proven extremely popular. Connolly Motor Group are a family-run business and they’ve got a lot of customers here at County Sligo Golf Club and a lot of potential customers who come to the West of Ireland Championship every year, so it’s a win-win for all involved.
“Having the Championship at a slightly later date this year allows us to get more players in as well which is another bonus, because this is a Championship that everybody wants to play in, not just because it’s the first major of the year, but it’s an iconic Championship and the roll of honour includes multiple major champions in Rory McIlroy, Pádraig Harrington and Shane Lowry, among others, right up to last year’s winner Keith Egan who will be back to defend his crown.”
Players wishing to enter the event can do so by clicking here, and the club advise that anybody who has entered and is struggling to organise accommodation can contact the club directly for help by calling +353 71 9177134, or via email.
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