Novellus Finance operates in the UK and Ireland and provides alternative funding solutions to that of the mainstream banks, secured mainly by real estate. Novellus has shown a huge passion and interest in supporting the grassroots levels of sport and in giving young and aspiring athletes the tools they need to help kickstart their fledgling careers.
Novellus are also a fantastic sponsor and recently announced their return as co-sponsors for the 2025 KPMG Women’s Irish Open which will be held at Carton House, a Fairmont Managed Hotel, for the second successive year.
Novellus CEO, Billy McManus is a firm believer in sport sponsorship and is delighted for Novellus to be on board again as a sponsor of this event.
Last year the company made a significant investment in women’s golf by sponsoring several players. This year, they are delighted to be announce a new partnership with the reigning KPMG Women’s Irish Open Champion, Annabel Dimmock.
“We want to be involved with people who are doing good things in sport and the Women’s Irish Open is a very high calibre event which is well developed in terms of crowds, coverage, and professionalism of the tournament. Anything we can do to help push for more prize money and increased participation is something we are eager to support.”
“Our primary goal is to help wherever we can, and we are fortunate to be in a position to do so. Working with good people and teams really helps with the impact our capital can have and magnifies the reach. The time and energy that goes into these events is immense and we are proud to be able to play a small role alongside Forefront and these other great teams.”
“The Women’s Irish Open has gained so much momentum. With a long-term sponsor like KPMG, it became much easier for us to commit to a longer term, and we are proud to work alongside them and all the other sponsors. It’s now an established event that we fully expect to go from strength to strength.”
“From an exposure standpoint, Annabel has a strong following, and her story was one we found easy to get behind. We had the opportunity to play nine holes with her in the pro-am and she was brilliant with our guests and engaging throughout. I was fortunate to see her conduct a clinic with some juniors from a distance and see the impact she was able to have.”
“She has shown such determination during her recovery from injury, which, coupled with her amazing performance at Carton House all contributed to the decision to support her next season. We are looking forward to seeing her continue her recent good form.”
Grassroots programmes and sustainable sports initiatives are key areas of focus for McManus, whose passion for tennis and golf is evident through Novellus’ sponsorships. Beyond golf, Novellus also supports several tennis players and has recently committed to sponsoring a new tennis program in Dundalk, led by John McGahon – one of many projects aimed at fostering the growth of sports in Ireland and integration with the community.
“I was incredibly fortunate to play a lot of tennis when I was younger, and it gave me so much in my life. I understand the value that sport can offer, in terms of lifelong friendships, opportunities to travel, learning to compete and to handle the ups and downs. I owe a lot to these experiences, so being able to give something back within sport is really rewarding.”
“I love golf and seeing what the pros can do is truly inspiring. Their dedication, the hours they invest, and their commitment is truly remarkable. When we consider what golfers endure in such a tough and challenging sport, there is a tremendous amount of respect and admiration for their efforts.”
McManus also enjoys getting involved from the ground up and appears to have picked up another rising star with Sara Byrne who, in her short time as a professional is really making waves in the professional ranks. In reaching the final stage of tour school for the LPGA, Sara has secured full playing privileges on the Epson Tour in America, and she topped up her 2024 season by securing a full card on the LET, giving her lots of options for the 2025 season.
McManus is only too delighted to help the 23-year-old in the infancy of her professional career and is backing her to enjoy continued success in the game.
“Sara is fantastic. We watched her shine in the Curtis Cup at Sunningdale. She has real star quality – she is bubbly, energetic, a fabulous player and incredibly humble. Forming a partnership with Sara was an easy decision for us at Novellus. Sara is a great ambassador, and we cannot wait to see what comes next.”
Novellus also sponsors Euan Walker, a Scottish golfer who has won two tournaments on the Challenge Tour in recent years.
“We love to help these players at the start of their careers and then we’ll continue to cheer them on as their careers progress.”
The KPMG Women’s Irish Open will enter its fourth successive year on the Ladies European Tour schedule in 2025. The tournament has been described by the European players as a world-class event with a major championship feel, thanks to the exceptional quality of golf courses at Dromoland Castle and Carton House, as well as the bumper crowds that have lined the fairways in support.
In 2024, thirteen Irish players teed it up in their home open, a milestone that McManus believes will serve as a powerful source of inspiration for the next generation of young Irish girls coming through the ranks.
“With the continued success of Leona Maguire, Lauren Walsh’s very impressive season and now with Sara, I think it’s a really exciting and bright time for Ireland’s female golfers. It’s also good to see how much the Irish players all support one another – it fosters such a positive and encouraging environment.”
“With the momentum of the Women’s Irish Open and further individual successes on the course, there is a great foundation to build on. We really hope this will inspire young children and especially young girls to try the game. Having role models for them to look up is a big part of raising participation.”
“We believe from this cohort we are going to see remarkable sporting individuals who will inspire that next generation.”
As golfers we can look forward to the continued involvement of Novellus Finance in both the professional and amateur ranks, supporting emerging talent, key events and grassroots players with Irish golf poised to reach exciting new heights in the years ahead.
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