Bumper field expected for centenary staging of West of Ireland Championship
County Sligo Golf Club is expecting a bumper entry for the 100th-anniversary staging of the Connolly Motor Group-sponsored West of Ireland Amateur Open Centenary Championship from April 7-11.
County Sligo Golf Club is expecting a bumper entry for the 100th-anniversary staging of the Connolly Motor Group-sponsored West of Ireland Amateur Open Centenary Championship from April 7-11.
The event will boast a new format this year with the field playing three rounds of strokeplay qualifying on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, with the leading 16 players then facing off in match play.
In a change from last year, there will be a cut after 36 holes in strokeplay qualifying with the top 90 players advancing to the final round.
Ties for 90th place will be broken in accordance with the countback tie-breaking method.
There will be an 18-hole stroke play qualifying event on Wednesday, April 5, with at least six places up for grabs in the 132-strong Championship field.
The top 90 players who do not qualify for the Championship at the close of entries will be allocated a place in the qualifier in order of lowest Handicap Index at the time of entries.
This will be the 99th staging of the Championship, which has been played every year since 1923 bar 2020 when it was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
First played in 1923 when Co Sligo’s Larry Vernon beat BM Cook 3&2 in the final, the Championship has since been won by major winners Pádraig Harrington (1994), Rory McIlroy (2005 and 2006) and Shane Lowry (2008).
Speaking at the launch of the Connolly’s Audi West of Ireland Championship, which is considered the traditional curtain raiser for elite amateur golf in Ireland, Marcus Jackson, General Manager for Audi Sligo, said: “The main reason we are sponsoring the West of Ireland Championship is that it’s a fantastic competition and it is right on our doorstep here in the west of Ireland.
“We have a huge customer base in the area, and Connolly Motor Group, along with Audi, are synonymous with golf, so it is very close to our hearts, and we’re proud to be involved.”
Connolly Motor Group is a family-owned business established in 1939 with 14 locations across Sligo, Mayo, Galway and Donegal.
Several improvements have been made to the links for this year’s Championship.
David O’Donovan, General Manager of the Golf Club, added: “We are delighted to partner with Connolly’s Audi for the 2023 West of Ireland Championship and we look forward to many years of partnership in the future.”
Bray’s Alan Fahy won the 2022 Championship, beating Galway’s Liam Nolan 2&1 in the final.
