Returning for its sixth staging, the Annesley Williams Škoda 9-Hole Matchplay Championship at Sutton Golf Club, held on 26–27 September, will once again bring the curtain down on the PGA in Ireland calendar, with the final standings in the Elavon Order of Merit rankings confirmed at the tournament’s end.
Preceded by a Pro-Am on Friday, 25 September, 32 of the nation’s leading PGA Professionals will battle it out over the classic 9-hole links course located on Dublin’s Cush Point, with the now-traditional format once again in play. The 32 professionals are divided into eight groups of four, and each group is contested in round-robin format on Saturday, with the eight group winners advancing to Sunday’s knockout stages, where the winner will eventually be crowned.
Annesley Williams Škoda has sponsored the event from its inaugural staging in 2019, and a healthy €20,000 prize fund is on offer, with each of the 32 participants guaranteed a cheque for their weekend’s work.
“Annesley Williams Škoda is delighted to continue our support of this event, which has become a real highlight of the Irish PGA season,” said Cian Bennis, Managing Director at Annesley Williams. “It’s a pleasure to see the tournament grow year on year, and we look forward to another weekend of top-class matchplay at Sutton.”
The event is the brainchild of Sutton’s own Head Professional, Paddy Devine, and the club has a long association with the PGA in Ireland, dating back to the 1980s when the Sutton Pro-Am was perhaps the most eagerly anticipated Pro-Am in the region.
Roganstown’s Neil O’Briain is the defending champion, having first claimed the title in 2023 and then defeating Colm Moriarty in the semi-finals and Niall Kearney in the final, producing one of the shots of his life on the final hole to seal his second success in three attempts.
Limerick’s Tim Rice won the inaugural event in 2019 but had to wait almost three years before he could defend his title, which he did successfully in 2022, with North West’s Brian McElhinney winning in 2024.
“This is one of the highlight events on the PGA in Ireland Elavon Circuit, as the leading players are rewarded for their consistency throughout the season on the Elavon Order of Merit,” said PGA in Ireland Manager Conor Dillon. “The unique matchplay format is guaranteed to create plenty of excitement as we reach the final counting event of the season. The support of Annesley Williams Škoda, along with the members and team at Sutton Golf Club, is truly special and plays a huge part in making this such a memorable event on our schedule.”
Entry is free for spectators across the weekend, and members of the public are warmly encouraged to come along to Sutton Golf Club to watch some of Ireland’s leading PGA professionals in action.
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