Dutchman Daan Huizing won the Northern Ireland Open at Galgorm Castle in 2013 – the European Challenge Tour event returns to County Antrim in September

THE Northern Ireland Open will return to Galgorm Spa & Golf Resort in September – helping to kickstart tourism in Country Antrim.

The Challenge Tour event will take place from September 3-6 – with support from The R&A – and offer a €200,000 prize fund.

It will be the first of two back-to-back events on the island of Ireland forming a key part of the European Challenge Tour’s 2020 Road to Mallorca schedule.

The Irish Challenge follows on September 10-13 at a venue still to be confirmed by the European Challenge Tour.

The announcement follows the overall Challenge Tour strategy for the reshaped 2020 season of playing events in regional clusters where possible.

The tournament will be backed by The R&A COVID-19 Support Fund – a £7million package to help golf deal with the impact of the global pandemic.

The R&A’s Fund is providing an additional £300,000 in support of the Challenge Tour in 2020 on top of its existing annual grant.

The Northern Ireland Open will be subject to stringent safety and medical protocols set out in the Challenge Tour’s comprehensive Health Strategy.

It will proceed subject to Government and health guidelines at the time of the event.

The Galgorm Golf & Spa Resort is one of Northern Ireland’s top destinations

Season reshaped by pandemic

CHALLENGE Tour head Jamie Hodges said: “We are delighted to be able to add the Northern Ireland Open to the 2020 schedule as we continue to reshape the season due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“The R&A is dedicated to supporting golf and its additional support this year has been crucial in helping us to stage this event.

“Our thanks also go to Galgorm Castle, a venue that our members know well, and always enjoy playing, and to Tourism Northern Ireland and Mid & East Antrim Borough Council for their valued support.

“While there will be no formal graduation to the European Tour this year, adding events like this to the Road to Mallorca will provide playing opportunities and experience for the stars of the future.

“It is hugely important for our members in the current circumstances.”

Kevin Barker, The R&A’s director of Golf Development, said: “We are pleased to be able to support the Challenge Tour in running this event, and to help to provide the players with another opportunity to compete in what has been such a difficult period for them.

“Through The R&A Support Fund we are trying to provide assistance at all levels of the game from grassroots through elite amateur golf, and on to emerging professionals.

“Following the huge success of The Open at Royal Portrush last year, we are also excited to see this important championship being played at Galgorm Castle, another of Northern Ireland’s outstanding venues.”

The seventh hole on Galgorm’s Championship Course, which will host the Northern Ireland Open again in 2020.

Galgorm Castle Estate a ‘premier destination’

THE parkland Championship Course is nestled in the heart of the 220-acre Galgorm Castle Estate.

It is part of Galgorm Spa & Golf Resort – Northern Ireland’s premier luxury hotel and spa destination.

It is an established venue on the Challenge Tour, having hosted events every season since 2013.

Most recently the ISPS Handa World Invitational Men|Women, which was presented by Modest! Golf Management, was held there in 2019.

Galgorm Castle managing director Gary Henry said: “We are delighted golf is returning to Galgorm Castle and Northern Ireland.

“The Northern Ireland Open is a real positive for the area. We are operating within stringent government guidelines for an event that will help kickstart the tourism economy and generate significant bed nights and spend by bringing players, staff and media to the local area.

“TV coverage of the event will enhance the message that Mid & East Antrim and Northern Ireland is open for business.”

Leanne Rice, Tourism NI’s marketing manager, said: “We are delighted to support the Northern Ireland Open this year.

“Bringing a European Challenge Tour event to Northern Ireland is a fantastic opportunity for our economy and tourism industry as it starts to recover.

“The tournament will deliver significant economic benefits while providing international exposure for Northern Ireland as a premium golf destination.

“Our golf clubs and wider sector have been significantly affected by the pandemic and we are delighted that participants will get to enjoy our fantastic golf product, with the appropriate health and safety guidelines in place.”

Mayor backs bid to kick start tourism sector

MID and East Antrim Mayor councillor Peter Johnston said: “I am delighted to give my support to the Northern Ireland Open in the world-class surroundings of Galgorm.

“An event as prestigious as the Northern Ireland Open is a major asset for the area at any time. But particularly so this year in terms of helping our tourism and hospitality sectors to recover from the Covid-19 pandemic.

“The council is leading on a major tourism campaign to support our local sector, called #RediscoverMEA, and the Northern Ireland Open aligns perfectly with that.”

Following the suspension of the season in February, the Challenge Tour re-started with the first of two dual ranking events in Austria last week – the Austrian Open – won by Scotland’s Marc Warren – followed by this week’s Euram Bank Open.

•The Northern Ireland Open is the next scheduled event from September 3-6, with details of further events from September through to the end of the season to be confirmed in due course.

The Challenge Tour draws on relationships with golf federations and PGAs around the world to create an international schedule for golf professionals from across the globe.

It gives players from developing golfing nations the opportunity to test their skills among some of the most talented up-and-coming stars.

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The R&A will use the COVID-19 Support Fund to invest £7million through the national associations and affiliated bodies in the UK. Picture by ANDREW GRIFFIN/ AMG PICTURES

THE £7million R&A COVID-19 Support Fund has been launched by the game’s governing body to help golf deal with the impact of the coronavirus pandemic.

The fund will be largely aimed at national associations and other affiliated bodies in Great Britain and Ireland.

With the global pandemic leading to widespread temporary course closures and drastic reductions in domestic and international travel, many golf clubs and facilities are facing serious financial difficulties.

The fund is being provided to help The R&A’s affiliated national associations to support those clubs and facilities – although some of the money may be used for other activities key to the future health of the sport.

R&A chief executive Martin Slumbers said: “The pandemic is having an unprecedented impact on golf and many clubs are facing dire financial situations through no fault of their own.

“Golf is in our DNA and we want to see the sport continue to thrive from grassroots right through to the top level on the professional tours.

“We have a responsibility to do what we can to help in such a crisis.

“The R&A Covid-19 Support Fund will enable national associations and other key bodies to provide support to some of their members.

“We know many challenges lie ahead but club golf is the bedrock of our sport and hopefully this fund will help to begin the process of recovery.”

The R&A is working with its national associations – including England Golf, Wales Golf and Scottish Golf – and other selected organisations on communications.

Each body is responsible for controlling and allocating its share from the support fund.

Open’s profits fund development

•The R&A reinvests the proceeds from the success of The Open – golf’s oldest Major championship – to grow and support golf around the world.

It already provides financial support to a wide range of organisations in addition to national associations, including the European Tour, the Ladies European Tour (LET), the PGA of Great Britain and Ireland and the Golf Foundation charity.

The 149th Open Championship, which was due to be held at Royal St George’s, in July, was cancelled last month – it has been reported that the R&A was insured against such an eventuality,

There has been widespread speculation on how hard the COVID-19 crisis has hit the finances of the European Tour, which has been forced to postpone or cancel more than four months’ worth of tournaments so far in 2020.

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