Simon Thornton is relishing the chance to compete in pro-only company at the 2022 Irish PGA Club Pro Championship that makes its debut at Millicent Golf Club this September.
The Tulfarris pro, who is a former European Tour winner, has loved every minute of his time in the Irish region but is particularly excited about the chance to compete against his fellow pros away from the typical pro-am format.
“When I went to Slaley Hall for the PGA Professional Championship or the PGA Play-Offs at Slieve Russell, just because you’re playing with pros, you get that five or ten percent extra. It just means that bit more,” Thornton said.
“It’s nothing to do with not enjoying amateur company, it’s just competition amongst your peers. You’re really trying to beat them. In the pro-am, you’re not trying to beat the ones you’re playing with so it can seem so distant. So to have a pro-only event here in Millicent is fantastic.”
Thornton welcomed news of the tournament securing a major new sponsor in Zoom, and with Phone Pulse also on board, he hopes it’s the first steps towards reviving a once great championship in the region.
“To get Zoom on board is huge – everybody knows the company around the world,” Thornton continued.
“To get that injection from the relationship in tandem with The PGA and Phone Pulse can only be good for the region. Millicent is a new golf course, only 21 years old. I’d say not a lot of the guys have played it but it looks fantastic so to have the support of strong sponsors and a course like this, hopefully, the event can be around now for many years to come.”
With Zoom on board, Thornton might very well get his wish. Zoom is already the proud Official Unified Communications Partner of the DP World Tour.
“We’re delighted to be able to support this event,” commented Barry Dillon, Zoom Sales lead in Ireland and active member and Vice Captain at Millicent Gold Club.
David Lang, Sales Director at Phone Pulse noted that “as the first Zoom Phone partner In Ireland, Phone Pulse saw this as an excellent opportunity to support this historical event in conjunction with the launch of their Zoom Phone offering in Ireland.”
Commenting on the new sponsorship with Zoom and Phone Pulse, Conor Dillon, Manager, The PGA in Ireland said: “We are delighted to welcome these two fantastic sponsors to the Irish PGA Club Pro Championship.
“Zoom is a brand we have all become accustomed to and we welcome their commitment to supporting grassroots golf. We also thank the business communication solutions company Phone Pulse for their support for this historic tournament, which remains hugely popular with club pros in Ireland.”
The Zoom and Phone Pulse sponsored Irish PGA Club Pro Championship tees off at Millicent Golf Club on September 9th. The event will be preceded by a Pro-Am on September 8th.
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